Just a few days ago, during a backyard BBQ, you made it clear: no one was to feed your dog any table scraps. Yet now, your pup keeps asking to go outside, and during your last trip to the yard, you found traces of loose stools. Despite this, your dog seems perfectly fine—alert, energetic, and eagerly waiting for their next meal.
So, what should you do? Feed them as usual, or give their stomach a break?
Should You Feed a Dog with Diarrhea?
If your dog suddenly has diarrhea, it’s natural to wonder whether to feed them or hold off. For most healthy adult dogs, skipping food for about 24 hours is often the best way to let the digestive system reset—even though it might feel a little counterintuitive.
However, fasting isn’t always safe. If your dog is a puppy under three months, a senior, or has underlying health issues, withholding food can actually do more harm than good. In these cases, it’s best to consult your vet before making any changes. Your vet may recommend a shorter fasting period (like 12 hours), or even advise against fasting altogether depending on your dog’s specific situation.
Fasting gives your dog’s GI tract a chance to rest and flush out irritants or toxins—essentially allowing the system to “reboot.”
One important note: even if you’re withholding food, always make sure your dog has access to clean, fresh water at all times. You can remove their food bowl and treats, but never restrict water.
After Fasting, Is a Bland Diet Helpful?
If your dog has made it through the fasting period without more diarrhea, vomiting, or other symptoms, you can slowly reintroduce food using a bland, easy-to-digest diet to help settle their stomach.
But if the diarrhea continues, or your dog shows other signs of illness—like vomiting, lethargy, or a poor appetite—it’s time to call the vet. Continuing to feed in these cases might make things worse.
For dogs with mild digestive upset due to eating something unusual, fasting combined with a bland diet is often enough to get them back on track. However, for dogs with chronic conditions or more serious issues, this approach may not be appropriate.
Once your dog seems stable, try offering small portions every 2 to 3 hours—just a tablespoon or two at a time—and watch to see if they can keep the food down without issues.
A common bland diet includes boiled chicken or lean ground beef mixed with plain white rice. This combo provides protein and carbohydrates, is low in fat, and is gentle on the stomach. Be sure to trim any visible fat from the meat to avoid further GI irritation.
If symptoms are mild and your vet agrees, you may continue this bland diet for 3 to 5 days—assuming your dog is otherwise feeling okay. If vomiting, weakness, or other warning signs develop, veterinary attention is needed.
How to Care for a Dog with Mild Diarrhea
Mild diarrhea typically means soft or loose stools that last less than three days, with your dog otherwise acting normal—eating, drinking, and behaving as usual. It’s often caused by something simple, like a minor dietary indiscretion. Maybe your dog was fine during last night’s walk, but this morning the house is a mess.
In these cases, you can try a 24-hour fast while keeping water available at all times. For example, if your dog ate at 8 a.m. and had diarrhea at 9 a.m., wait until the next day at 8 a.m. to reintroduce food.
When resuming meals, you can use a vet-recommended bland prescription diet or prepare your own easy-to-digest food. A 1:1 ratio of cooked meat to rice is common—for instance, one cup of boiled chicken with one cup of rice.
To start, feed small meals based on your dog’s weight—about 2 tablespoons of food for every 10 pounds of body weight, every 2 to 3 hours. Frequent, small meals help reduce the strain on their digestive system.
Over the next few days, gradually increase the meal size and reduce the feeding frequency. Around days 3 to 5, you can begin mixing in your dog’s regular food. By day 7, most dogs should be back on their normal diet.
If at any point your dog starts vomiting again, has a relapse of diarrhea, becomes lethargic, or shows other concerning symptoms, consult your vet right away.
Chronic Diarrhea Calls for Specialized Management
If your dog has recurring diarrhea, it may be a sign of an underlying chronic issue, not just an upset stomach. In these cases, a bland diet alone won’t fix the problem—you’ll need a diagnosis and a long-term treatment plan.
Dogs with ongoing gastrointestinal issues (such as IBD—inflammatory bowel disease) often require prescription diets formulated to reduce GI stress while still meeting nutritional needs. These diets are specially designed to support long-term digestive health.
While a short-term bland homemade diet is generally safe, it isn’t balanced enough for long-term use and could lead to nutritional deficiencies. That’s why prescription foods are the gold standard for managing chronic digestive issues.
Popular vet-prescribed options include Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d, Purina Pro Plan EN, and others. Your vet will help choose the best option based on your dog’s specific needs.
