My dog has diarrhea and is scooting on the carpet, what should I do?
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Bits is having diarrhea and scooting on the carpet. I recommend offering a bland diet such as boiled chicken and rice (in a ratio of 1 part meat to 2 parts rice) for the next few days to help bulk up his stool. You can also try mixing in 1/8 of a teaspoon of Metamucil into his food twice daily. This is a fiber supplement that can be purchased from a human pharmacy (purchase the original, unflavored kind). If his diarrhea persists for longer than a couple days, or if you ever see blood in the diarrhea, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian, as there could be a more serious underlying cause. Common causes of diarrhea include intestinal parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, infection, and in older dogs, cancer. The scooting may be due to irritation from the diarrhea, or due to full anal glands. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a physical and rectal examination and express his anal glands, if needed. I hope this is helpful!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025