What one trick that may be in your kitchen cupboards that will treat your dog that has either diarrhea or constipation?
Well, in my case, it was my mom’s dogs that came up for a visit for the first time. One ended up with diarrhea and the other was constipated, and I used the same thing to treat both dogs.
Diarrhea What Causes It
If your dog is like ours you know they love to eat things they are not supposed to eat and that is usually the number one reason a dog will get diarrhea in the first place but it’s not always something they ate it could be a change in their diet or the brand of dog food could have changed their ingredients as they do from time to time.
Another cause could be a change in their environment like a new house you just moved into, changing around your house, even for decorating for the holidays. Maybe you got new furniture which brings us to….. Stress.
Stress-related issues could cause your dog’s stomach to get upset and let’s not forget to mention anxiety over a new four-legged friend you just brought home for your dog to play with.
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Your dog may not like loud sounds like during the new year or the Fourth of July where a lot of fireworks are going off. Or it could be a really terrible storm that just rolled through with lots of thunder and lightning.
There are a lot of things that can stress your dog out or upset their stomach to cause them to have diarrhea.
In Sissy’s case (my mom’s female dog) it was the first time for a car ride, being brought into a new home, being surrounded by six new dogs, and on top of that being chased around the backyard by a cat which Sissy had never seen before. So yeah, a lot of too many new things for the poor girl’s stomach to handle. No matter what the cause, you should know when you should be worried and seek medical attention by taking them to your veterinarian.
When To See A Veterinarian
Diarrhea should never last for more than one to two days. If your dog shows signs of other symptoms with diarrhea like he/she is vomiting, or if there is blood in their poop, take your dog to see a veterinarian. But before you go rushing your dog off to the veterinarian, let’s give these a try if there are no other symptoms besides just diarrhea.
What To Use To Help
Now before I get into anything you can try for your dog, if they are taking any medication ask your veterinarian before trying any of these. You don’t want to cause even more problems.
Of course, the first and most important thing is to give your dog plenty of water. Your dog can become dehydrated from having diarrhea.
If your dog is turning its nose up to the water, try adding a little sugar and mixing it up to dissolve the sugar.
You can also try Karo syrup, which is our go-to to sweeten water. We also warm it up a bit because no one likes cold water on an upset stomach that includes dogs.
Some Other Foods Are
White rice is low in fiber and starchy. Not only is it easy to prepare but also very easy to digest, which can help firm up the diarrhea. It’s not just for dogs with upset stomachs, it can also help people as well.
- Cottage cheese and yogurt
- Bananas and applesauce
- Skinless boiled chicken
- Eggs raw or scrambled mashed potatoes are easy to digest and are low-fiber foods. They are also high in protein and good for dogs.
You don’t want to give them too much of this at a time, so a small amount which includes giving them toast
I have tried some of these on my dogs in the past. Some worked on one dog but won’t work on another. Keep reading to find out what I use all the time that works on all my dogs. It also helped Prince (my mom’s male dog) that had constipation.
Dog Constipation What Causes It
Just like with diarrhea, it can be caused by eating something they can’t digest and dogs with longer hair who can’t seem to stop grooming themselves also have this problem a lot.
But of course, just like with diarrhea there are many reasons a dog will get constipation and in Prince’s case, it was probably stress-related same as his sister Sissy this was his first time on a car ride, new house, other dogs, new food, and a small furball with claws and a mean hiss. Unlike Sissy’s diarrhea, Prince had constipation and couldn’t poop.
When To See A Veterinarian
Constipation should not last longer than 2 days or if you see your dog straining too hard and cries out in pain, that’s time to take them to your veterinarian, especially if there are any signs of blood, hard or dried poop.
What To Use To Help
Just like with diarrhea, if your dog is taking any medication, ask your veterinarian before trying any of these. You don’t want to cause even more problems.
A simple trick to try is to take your dog on a walk with a leash but you have to go with them, even if they have a backyard to run in sometimes the simplest of things like a walk can get the bowels moving in the right direction and not just for dogs but people too so next time your bowels are in a knot try walking it out.
- A warm bath with a cup of Epsom salt
- One teaspoon extra virgin olive oil for every 20 lbs
- Cow or goat’s milk warmed up to take the chill out
- Canned gravy-like turkey or chicken Not beef gravy, it is too strong in flavor for an upset stomach
- Spinach, kale, or lettuce is a good roughage for them, but may cause vomiting if they eat too much.
That’s why they eat grass for the roughage, but grass has sharp edges and can cut the lining of the stomach, so it’s not a good idea to let them eat grass.
- Oatmeal cooked how people would eat it but only with a small amount of sugar added
Dog and I DO MEAN dog laxative or stool softener if you use one meant for people it may be too strong and cause more problems in the end however with that being said if you can’t find any dog laxative or stool softener then you can try Dulcolax or Pepto Bismol 1 teaspoon per 10 lb every 6 to 8 hours
Number One Trick For Both Diarrhea And Constipation
Remember how I said that I used one trick to treat both Sissy and Prince for their constipation and diarrhea? Well, that one thing is canned pumpkin if you can believe that.
It’s my number one go-to for when my dogs are not feeling their best. I feed them 1/4 tablespoon full a few times throughout the day and poor Prince took 5 tablespoons full and 3 hours later before he could finally go.
With Sissy, it took her till the next day for her runs to go away. She is more on the timid side than her brother. I think the next time my mom comes out for a visit she will be bringing her own can of pumpkin and since both her dogs seem to love it, she’s keeping some at her home as a treat.
It won’t hurt to give your dogs some canned pumpkin from time to time.
It’s funny that the one I have used most of my life for my animals, which is the bottom one, is now available in a can that is meant for dogs.
Side Note
If your cat is like mine and is just plain weird, they may help themselves to your pumpkin and try to eat the whole damn can which in turn will cause them to have diarrhea if they eat too much thankfully it won’t hurt cats in small amounts which brings me to another one of my blogs “What To Do If My Cat Won’t Eat”
What have you found to work for your dog’s constipation and diarrhea? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Great content! Keep up the good work!
Thank you I will do that. I’m hoping to get my computer fixed this month so I can write more.