My picky IBD dog has diarrhea after food change. What to feed?

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Chi has been unwell. If IBD is suspected, we should always try out a limited ingredient hypoallergenic diet (such as rabbit, venison, or kangaroo), for a minimum of 8 weeks with NO other treats or table scraps. However, since Chi's appetite is not the greatest, it will be a challenge to find a hypoallergenic diet that she likes. It sounds like the medications that were prescribed are appropriate for the suspected illness. Carafate is a gastroprotectant that is used to minimize gastric ulcers - it should not worsen diarrhea symptoms. Two other suggestions which I would discuss with your vet: 1) try a different type of anti-diarrhea antibiotic, such as tylosin. 2) consider weekly treatments of vitamin B12, as many dogs with IBD are B12-deficient. 3) try again with steroid therapy such as prednisolone, or try a different immunosuppresant such as cyclosporine. I hope this helps, and that Chi feels better soon.

A sudden change in diet including switching brands can be enough to cause diarrhea in a dog. I can give you a home remedy to try for Chiquitin, and I would switch back to his normal brand of dog food. 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 his normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, he starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cosita! There are several diets available that do not require a prescription. Most of these are labeled “light” or “lite”. I recommend Hill’s Science Diet I/D food. You can also consider giving dog-friendly probiotics. If Cosita does not eat, you can offer her some plain boiled chicken and white rice (no bones, skin, or spices) which should be gentle enough on her intestinal tract and low in fat. I hope this helps and that all is well!

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Snowball. Inflammatory bowel disease can be a frustrating problem to deal with. The only way to definitively diagnose it is via intestinal biopsies. Food trials with hypoallergenic diets can be helpful in cases of inflammatory bowel disease, but do not always solve the overall problem. Sometimes a course of steroids, supplementation a certain vitamins and even antibiotics are needed to get things back on track. Given that it sounds like Snowball has a sensitive stomach, I would not recommend feeding lettuce as it is difficult to digest. Oftentimes feeding a low-fat, easily digested diet can be helpful. If the diarrhea continues I would recommend having Snowball seen by your veterinarian. There are certain blood tests that can be beneficial to determine if any additional vitamins are needed and they can help you to develop a plan for further diagnostics or management of symptoms in a long term.

Rotating flavors and brands of food causes GI upset in dogs, and because you do it so frequently, that is probably the likely cause of her diarrhea. IBS is caused by dietary fiber deficiency, abnormal colonic motility, dietary intolerances, stress, and changes in the regulation of colonic function. IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning other causes of large bowel diarrhea, such as intestinal worms or colitis, have to be ruled out first before it's diagnosed. To help with her diarrhea, 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. Stick with one brand and flavor, and do not rotate it. If that doesn't help with the diarrhea, then I would have her seen by a vet.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bastiann! If Bastian has food allergies then he should avoid chicken. I am suspicious that is the case because rice with fish is an odd bland diet for your Vet to recommend. You could try boiled hamburger, pork, or turkey. If you know someone who hunts you can try venison or bison. Just be sure to get all the fat off of it. I would avoid organ meat. If Bastian doesn't have a food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease I see no reason why you can't boil chicken breast. Also try some meat flavored baby foods to mix in to entice him. I hope this helps and I wish Bastian a speedy recovery!