10 Steps to Help Stop Your Dog's Diarrhea

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Diarrhea is a common problem for our little canine friends. It’s usually not serious and just requires some at-home treatment. If you take the proper steps, you can stop minor cases of diarrhea and prevent it from getting worse or needing to take your dog to the vet. If your dog’s already got a case of diarrhea, you can follow some simple steps and help put a stop to it.

Steps to help stop your dog’s diarrhea

1. Fasting

Having food in your dog’s intestines is what causes the contractions in the intestinal lining that push food out. However, if your dog has diarrhea, those contractions could be very strong and come out in the form of diarrhea. 

One of the first steps to help stop your dog’s diarrhea is fasting. Don’t give your dog any food for half a day or an entire day. The intestinal lining is too sensitive, and giving it a break will help it get back to normal.

2. Lots of water

While your dog fasts, make sure you leave them fresh water close by. This can lower the risk of dehydration.

3. Diet advice

Once your dog’s fast is over, give them soft foods that are easier for them to digest. These meals shouldn’t have any fats or red meat. You should give them chicken with boiled white rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. It’s not a good idea to give your dog milk or any other dairy products, because most dogs are lactose intolerant and that could just make the diarrhea worse.

4. The vet’s recommendations

If your dog isn’t responding well to the soft food diet, you should talk to your vet to get some dog food that can help treat their stomach problems. It has been proven that certain diets can speed up diarrhea recovery time.

5. Small portions

Smaller amounts of food can keep intestinal stimulation low, which is a good way to prevent diarrhea-causing spasms. Once your dog is done fasting, give them the same amount of food they would eat on a normal day, but split it up into four small portions. This will help keep the diarrhea from coming back.

6. Take things slowly

Once the diarrhea has gone away, your dog should go back to their normal diet. However, don’t give them their regular food right away because their intestines still need time to heal. Start off with the soft-food diet for at least 48 hours to make sure the diarrhea has truly passed. Then you can start doing a mix of the soft diet and regular dog food.

7. Probiotics for dog diarrhea

Probiotics are bacteria that help digestion and can speed up the process of stopping diarrhea. The good bacteria in your dog’s body might leave the body along with the diarrhea. So your dog will need to get them back in order for their digestion to work properly again. That’s where probiotics come into play. 

You should mix them with your dog’s food once a day for 5 days in a row. Just make sure to get probiotic that are meant for dogs because the bacteria in their stomachs isn’t the same as ours.

8. Don’t give them human medicine

It’s best to stop your dog’s diarrhea with natural ingredients. Giving them a medicine that reduces intestinal activity could end up hiding a more serious problem. If the symptoms (diarrhea) don’t go away after 2-3 days, then you should take your dog to the vet.

9. Find out if they ate anything dangerous

Oftentimes, dogs get diarrhea because they’ve eaten something they shouldn’t have. When their body gets rid of it, they begin to feel better. So, if you realize that your dog has ingested any kind of poison or toxic substance like a cleaning product, you should rush your dog to the vet.

10. Diarrhea often leads to a fever in dogs

Just like with people, fevers are a sign of some kind of infection. If you need to take your dog’s temperature, you can have someone hold them with their arms around your dog’s stomach and your dog’s back paws against their chest. Meanwhile, put your hand firmly under your dog’s jaw, and use the thermometer to take its temperature.

Follow these steps to put a stop to your dog’s diarrhea! If nothing seems to be working and the symptoms last for more than 2 days, take your dog right to the vet.