My dog has diarrhea and won't eat. How to get her to eat and drink?

Milo is ridiculously cute!! My main concern is that he start drinking. You can offer water with a little chicken broth in it. (But always make sure there is fresh water too.) Start a probiotic like Purina Fortiflora. Try a bland diet (half plain boiled/canned chicken half plain cooked white rice) for a few days and I expect the diarrhea to improve after 1-3 days. (Then transition back to her regular diet slowly over 3-5 days.) If at ANY time he is lethargic, vomiting, not wanting to eat, or you have other concerns, you need to go to the vet clinic right away to make sure it’s nothing more serious. Best of luck to you and Milo!

She might have eaten something spoiled that is causing this, maybe she is suffering from a gastrointestinal infection as a result. withhold food for 12 hours then offer Spirit boiled boneless chicken and rice every 6 hours in small portions. if she is eating and not vomiting, continue with this diet for 2 days. After 2 days, you can put her back gradually on her normal food. If she continues vomiting or is not eating after the 12 hours withholding food, take her to the vet to get treatment.

Withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet (1:1 ratio of plain boiled boneless chicken and plain white rice). Feed in small, frequent amounts waiting at least one hour between feedings. If the vomiting stops, transition slowly to the regular diet. If not or if she develops other symptoms (diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc.), see your veterinarian.

I'm sorry to hear that Lola isn't feeling well. Obviously, taking her to the vet for an exam would be the ideal scenario, but given your current circumstances, I understand that that might not be possible. Diarrhea can be caused by a multitude of different issues, including parasites, an upset stomach from a virus, eating something unusual, or other internal diseases. Since Lola is still drinking some water, I would encourage her to drink a bit more by putting a small amount of low sodium chicken broth in her water. Just be sure to change the bowl every few hours so that it doesn't spoil. You can also give her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice to try to help settle her stomach. At only 5 pounds, she should eat a total of 1/2 cup of this mixture per day, so divide that into 3-4 smaller meals. However, if she refuses to eat or drink, begins to vomit, or becomes more lethargic, you'll have to seek emergency veterinary care. I hope that the bland diet helps her and that she's feeling better soon!

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.

Milk curd and other dairy products can worsen diarrhea. If you wish to give a bland meal for the diarrhea, boiled rice and chicken is easiest on the stomach and easy to digest. You will also want to return to Myra's old food until the diarrhea resolves, and then gradually change her to the new food over a period of 7-9 days to avoid GI upset.

Most pets do not handle milk well and it will cause diarrhea so I would recommend discontinuing giving milk and other human foods, especially if they are causing diarrhea. If you think Ginger may have some tummy upset, you can pick up all food and offer a bland meal of boiled rice and chicken, before returning her to her regular diet. Be sure she is being fed a puppy food that is balanced and nutritious to ensure she is doing well. Having her stool checked for parasites, or taking her in for a vet exam if the diarrhea continues is best, as parasites, illness and other causes can also cause prolonged diarrhea and require treatment to resolve.