My dog has diarrhea and no appetite, but I can't afford a vet.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Amber. There are numerous causes of diarrhea in dogs. If she is otherwise healthy, you can try to fast her. If you withhold food for 24 hours (while providing plenty of fresh water), this can help to resolve mild cases of diarrhea by resting her GI tract. If this does not help, she starts to act sick or she develops vomiting or blood in the stool, then she will need to see a veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that he is not feeling well. The symptoms you are describing could be due to multiple possibilities. If you have recently switched his food or added in a new treat it could be dietary indiscretion causing this. If this were the case, I would withhold food for 12 hours and introduce a bland diet as outlined below. If, however, there has been no recent switch to his food and he has been on the same thing his whole life this is likely something else. My recommendation would be to have a veterinarian take a look at him and run some testing such as blood work to see if there are any concerning changes that need to be addressed. If you are concerned about money, then you can start the bland diet as outlined below but if the vomiting and lethargy persist for more than 24 hours I would strongly recommend he be seen by a vet. CareCredit is a good option to look into. This option will allow you to put Veterinary expenses on a line of credit specifically for that purpose and you will pay Care Credit on a monthly basis. I would call and check to see if the vet clinic accepts Care Credit First. If he is one that choose toys and things that he shouldn't, then there is a chance this could also be a intestinal foreign body obstruction. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns. 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.

He might have eaten something spoiled that is causing this. withhold food for 12 hours then offer Noah boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if he is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put him back gradually on his normal food. If the bloody diarrhea does not resolve, you will have to find a way to take him to the vet to get treatment.

I'm sorry to hear that Gizmo is so sick! Unfortunately, these symptoms are very worrying. Lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea are often caused by a serious illness such as parvo, and can be life-threatening in a puppy this age. I know that costs are a concern for you, but Gizmo really needs to see a vet right away - I would be worried that she may not survive without veterinary care. This doesn't necessarily need to be an expensive visit; if you let the vet know that you have financial constraints, they can often come up with a fairly inexpensive plan for supportive care (including IV fluids and injectable meds for you to give at home) that will give her a fighting chance even with a serious illness like this. You could also see if there is a low-cost SPCA clinic in your area that could help, or apply online for Care Credit, which is a payment plan accepted by most vet clinics: www.carecredit.com If going to the vet is not possible at all, then I would just try to keep her warm and comfortable and do the best you can to keep her hydrated. You can continue giving Pedialyte if she's able to keep it down, and you might also try offering her some warmed low-sodium chicken or beef broth to help encourage her to drink. Plain boiled chicken or chicken-flavored baby food can also be offered if she's interested in eating at all, as these are very bland and should not upset her stomach further.

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, 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!

It could be Alice has intestinal worms, ate something rotten, a GI illness, or experienced a sudden change in diet. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps. Withhold food for 6 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!