My dog has diarrhea and is lethargic but still eating. What can I do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rosebud! She is very cute! Causes of diarrhea can be from: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, dietary indiscretion (ate something gross), new treats/dog food/table food, toxin ingestion, food allergy/intolerance. If Rosebud is fully vaccinated and has been thoroughly dewormed and has had stool samples checked then I would with hold food for 12-24 hours. Do not take away water unless vomiting. After the fast offer a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 normal stools. If she continues to not eat or starts to vomit, she needs to see your Vet. I hope this helps and I wish Rosebud a speedy recovery!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rosie! Eating the meat cooked with onions didn't cause onion toxicity. Onion toxicity causes oxidative injury to the red blood cells and then anemia and requires a large amount of onion to be eaten. What most likely is causing the diarrhea is that fact she ate the meat in general. Some human foods can cause gastro-intestinal upset that leads to vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes anorexia. If the meat was fatty then pancreatitis is also a concern. Since her diarrhea has worsened I recommend you take her to the Vet today for an exam and to have medications started. With diarrhea this severe I recommend fasting for 12-24 hours to rest the GI tract. Then restart feeding as a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 days of normal stools. I hope this helps and I wish Rosie a speedy recovery!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Trisha. It could be she has a GI illness, may have eaten something rotten, or could have intestinal worms. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps her. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Diarrhea can be caused by many things such as diet, intestinal parasites and viral infections. I would recommend initiating a bland diet as outlined below. However, with the symptoms you have described, it sounds as though he may also be dehydrated. I would recommend taking him in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. He may need fluids administered under the skin for hydration and further testing (parvo testing) since he is so young and still has the potential to come down with parvo if he has come in contact with it. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Poor Rosie! It sounds like she is not feeling well. Just like with humans, there are many potential reasons that a dog may have an upset stomach. It can range from bacterial overgrowth, to intestinal obstruction, or even to pancreatitis. I recommend to have Rosie see her veterinarian and the doctor will begin the process to figure out what is wrong. You can try offering her a bland diet of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This may not help however. It’s always best to be safe. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Gastric upset, or gastroenteritis, can be caused by many different things including toxins, raw meat, bones, bacterial infections, viral infections, or simply a food that doesn't agree with the body. Other possible causes include IBD, food allergies, and cancers in the gut. If she has a bit of diarrhea and GI upset, but is otherwise normal, eating/drinking well, and has good energy, then she likely just ate something that upset her stomach. I recommend that you feed her a bland diet of boiled/boneless/skinless chicken breast and boiled rice, in small frequent meals for the next 3 days. After this re-introduce a good quality kibble. If the diarrhea gets bloody, she stops eating, is vomiting, or weak and lethargic, then bring her to the vet for bloodwork and x-rays. Best of luck with Daisy! I hope she feels better soon!

It sounds like Moose may have some gastro-intestinal upset. You didn't mention vomiting-- If there's been no vomiting then that is good. However, decreased appetite and the loose stools are concerning. When the colon (large intestine) is inflamed, sometimes they feel like they need to poop even though there isn't anything more coming out. As for what may be causing the GI upset, it could be gastroenteritis which is inflammation of the stomach and or intestines-- this could be from eating something out of the ordinary such as getting into the garbage or eating mulch, etc, or it may be secondary to anything from kidney disease to cancer. I don't see Moose's age listed; if he is older, the concern that there is a more serious underlying problem is higher. If he is a younger dog, gastroenteritis is more likely. Since he seems lethargic, I strongly recommend that you take him in to the vet at your first convenience. If the lethargy is getting worse, or if he starts vomiting or having blood in the stool or vomit, seek emergency care. If you are unable to take him to the vet, you can offer a bland diet (boiled chicken and white rice) for a couple of days and see if that helps. If it is not improving, please get him in for an exam. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!