My dog has diarrhea after switching to wet food. How long till normal?

Switching foods too quickly can cause digestive upset such as vomiting and diarrhea. It would be best to return to Oli's original food until his stomach settles and then start a gradual change to the new food over a period of 7-9 days, slowly adding in more of the new food over time. This can help minimize stomach upset from the new food as he adjusts.

Hello. It might take 3-5 days minimum to see if the diet will work. Often, when we suspect a problem is due to a food sensitivity, the food trial is 6-8 weeks. So, it can take time to see if the diarrhea subsides. Just make sure she is drinking plenty of water & not losing weight. Also, make sure you communicate to your vet that the diarrhea did not respond to the metronidazole. She may want to continue testing, switch to another antibiotic or medication. I would also start her on a good probiotic for dogs like Proviable or FortiFlora, both should be available at most pet retailers. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry your dog is having diarrhea. That is no fun! Changing to a new food rapidly without a slow transition from old food to new food and can certainly cause a few days of diarrhea especially if he appears normal otherwise and you have just changed his food less than a week ago. You may try added plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling), green beans, and carrots to his food to help firm up his stool. It that does not help in a day or two, then it is possible he has something more concerning going on (like a bacterial infection or a food allergy) that will need to be addressed and diagnosed with your veterinarian. I hope this has helped and I wish you and your dog the best!

Poor Daisy! The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including eating something she shouldn’t have, bacterial over growth, parasites or even organ disease. Definitely keep her out of the cat box. If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check her for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. A good diet in general is Royal Canin. It is low residue and highly digestible. I hope Daisy starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Unfortunately, it is quite common for some dogs to experience GI upset ([vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/vomiting-1/) or [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/)) when switching food. As long as Bo is behaving normally otherwise, you may be able to [manage her at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea). I recommend withholding food for 12-24 hours. Resume feeding a bland diet (boiled boneless/skinless chicken breast mixed with plain cooked white rice) in small, frequent amounts. Begin with 1 tablespoon of food every hour and gradually increase the amount as long as she doesn't vomit. Feed the bland diet until the stool is consistently normal (usually several days), then transition slowly to the new diet over another 5-7 days. [Veterinary probiotics](https://www.petcoach.co/article/probiotics-and-prebiotics-bacteria-aren-t-all-bad) may be considered to promote gut health. If she continues to vomit and have diarrhea, or develops lethargy, loss of appetite, or abdominal pain in spite of a bland diet, she will need to see a vet as soon as possible.

Hello! It sounds as if you are dealing with some [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-in-dogs) in your dog! The not-so-simple answer to your question is…maybe. While the dog food itself may not be a direct cause of diarrhea, if the particular food is on recall (which you can look up on the [FDA website](https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/recallswithdrawals/)), then it could be suspect. Other things, such as[ food allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/food-allergies/), changes in food brand, or a sensitive stomach, are more likely to cause diarrhea in relation to a particular food. If you just started a new food, diarrhea can develop by [switching the food](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-transition-your-dog-or-cat-to-a-new-food/) too fast. Dogs are sensitive to changes in diet since they eat the same thing every day. A new food or new ingredient given suddenly can bring on bouts of diarrhea. Try mixing the old food in with the new food and slowly increasing the amount of new food you give while reducing the amount of the old food over the course of 7-9 days to help protect against bouts of diarrhea. [Food allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-allergies-vs-environmental-allergies-whats-the-difference) are a little more difficult to nail down, as it tend to occur due to a sensitivity to a particular ingredient in the food (like if your dog is allergic to chicken). If the diarrhea continues, this can be something to discuss with your vet, as it often takes a lot of diet changes and [food trials](https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect) to narrow down the problematic ingredient. Aside from the food, other causes such as [intestinal parasites](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-worms), toxins, or almost any disease can cause a dog to develop diarrhea. It is always worthwhile to get a stool sample checked by your vet to see if there is something else aside from the food that might be causing your dog's issue. Mild diarrhea can sometimes be [managed at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-treat-your-dogs-upset-stomach) by fasting then offering a bland diet of plain boiled chicken breast mixed with plain cooked white rice for 2-3 days or until symptoms resolve. Gradually switch back to the normal diet afterwards. If the diarrhea continues or gets worse over that period, if you see blood in the stool, or if any other signs develop (such as vomiting, lethargy or loss of appetite), then it is time to have your pet evaluated by a veterinarian. Dehydration is a real concern when pets have profuse diarrhea. Good luck, and I hope your dog starts to feel better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Buzz has not had a bowel movement in 3 days, this is likely because his intestines are still normalizing stool and developing a healthy stool after the diarrhea. It can take time for stool to return to normal after having diarrhea. Up to 5 days is typically the average I see before normal stool resumes after multiple episodes of diarrhea. If he is not actively trying to defecate with nothing coming out, it is likely that is is not constipated and just needs more time for the stool to be re-established. You can try and add pumpkin (canned) to the diet and see if this helps establish normal bowel movements. I would add 2tbsp of canned pumpkin to each meal. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.