*Please Consult your Veterinarian if your dog has excessive vomiting and/or loose stool.
The Cause
Finding the cause for the loose stool is the first item of business. With puppies specifically, my mind first goes to intestinal parasites. Roundworms being the most common, but if you recently got a new puppy Giardia or Coccidia could also be the culprit. Drinking water from a puddle or pond is an easy way to pick up one of these bugs. A fecal slide at the Vet can check for all of these, but sometimes Giardia is difficult to find.
Also, if it is a young unvaccinated pup, then it could be Parvo. A virus that causes bloody diarrhea, lethargy, and fever. This of course needs to be treated by a Vet as soon as possible.
The pup or dog could have an intestinal blockage, which would cause diarrhea and repeated vomiting with nothing but bile coming up usually. A vet would do an Xray to check for this.
But, the most common cause of Upset Stomach I see is from transitioning kibble too fast, overfeeding, feeding something new to the pup, feeding something too rich, etc. Basically, the cause being diet-related.
What to Do
So, let’s say you can rule out intestinal parasites, which can be done by a fecal exam at the Vet. Maybe the pup vomited once, but it was yellow bile or some food. Then you remember yesterday you let the pup try a new treat for the first time. We recommend all-natural one or two ingredient chews, like Beef Tendons or Bully Sticks and these can be hard on a young dog’s stomach. Maybe the vet already closed or it is the weekend, and you want to stop the diarrhea but do not think it is serious enough to warrant an Emergency Room visit. MY Opinion, seeing blood in the feces one or two times is not by itself reason for an ER visit, but blood in vomit would probably be. If you suspect Parvo, if the pup or dog is very dehydrated, if the Pup is hacking and unable to get anything up, yes all warrant an ER visit. But for the Following suggestions we are just thinking our pup has upset stomach, the same as we get in humans.
Fast? Yes or No?
Every dog or puppy will be different. What works best for one may not work for another. A 24 hour fast is often recommended when a pup has loose stool. The idea is it lets the gut relax and focus on healing. Water is still offered, of course, and you can add some chicken broth to provide the needed electrolytes. So yes I agree this can be a solution. When introducing food do it slowly, and it is best to offer a bland diet first.
The Bland Diet
To continue to let the gut heal we want to offer a Bland Diet, with the same principle the BRAT diet humans use. My go-to is homemade chicken and sweet potato. But, chicken and rice, ground beef and sweet potato, and ground beef and rice also work. These are not “nutritionally complete” diets, but they are what we use to let the gut heal. Some veterinarians will sell you a GI prescription food, but I much prefer the homemade diet. Less ingredients, simple, and easy to digest.
Lets Get Cookin’
Ingredients:
1 lb Chicken Breast
1.5 lb Sweet Potatoes
My preferred method is using a pressure cooker for the chicken. Using 1-2 lbs chicken breast, 1/2 cup water, and cook for 10 minutes. Boiling is also acceptable and then shred. For the Sweet Potatoes, I like buying the ones that can microwave and steam in the bag. Some will say to remove the skin, but I say keep it for the extra fiber. Smash it in with the shredded chicken. There is no exact science between the ratio of chicken to potato, but I keep it 50-70% potato since the #1 goal is adding fiber and firming the stool.
The Topper
For added digestive enzymes, soothing herbs, probiotics, I highly recommend Gastro Pro Plus. The recommended dosage is on the box, but add a little extra when dealing with loose stool. They come sealed in individual packs and capsules to maintain freshness. You just sprinkle it on the food and most dogs love it.
Feeding Amount
This is a difficult question to answer because every dog has different caloric needs based on age, energy level, current weight, etc. There are roughly 225 calories per cup of a 50/50 Chicken and Sweet Potato mixture. So a 50 lb adult medium to low energy would get roughly 2 cups a day (half morning and half night). Remember we are only feeding this for 4-7 days, so use your best judgment on the amount.
Transitioning Back to Kibble
Number One, do it slowly. 75% homemade diet, 25% kibble. Then 50/50, then 25/75. Then 100% kibble again. If you see the stool loosen up, then slow it down. SIDE NOTE: The sweet potato can give the stool a very Orange and strange coloring look. Totally fine :) Hopefully, it will firm up, and then you will know it was just a random case of Upset Stomach.
Medication
A great antibiotic your Vet can prescribe is called Metronidazole. I always prefer a natural remedy when there is one available, but sometimes the step to antibiotics is needed. I have seen it work wonders.