Chronic Dog Diarrhea for a Month and a Half

Hi Lynn,
From the photo of Angel, she does not look too thin and her hair coat looks good. So, I do not think her diarrhea is TOO severe; for example, caused by a malabsorption or maldigestion problem, or pancreatic insufficiency.

I DO think that her diet should be changed–DRY DOG FOOD is more difficult to digest than a canned or raw diet. The intestine must secrete more fluid for digestion and work ‘harder’ than it does to process/digest a canned or raw diet. It is amazing that she has tolerated it for the past 7 years! (And so have the other dogs!)

Therefore, here’s the plan:

1. Stop the DRY dog food and feed her a BLAND diet of ONE cup cooked rice mixed with 2-3 jars of chicken or turkey baby food per meal, THREE times daily. Feed this for the next 3-5 days. The small bland meals will help to ‘rest’ the GI tract.

2. After 3-5 days, add in a small amount of canned Nutro, Nature’s Recipe, Spot’s Stew by Halo or a RAW diet. See 10 Best Dog Food options for other suggestions. To give you a rough idea of HOW much to feed, you’ll need to base it on her weight and the number of calories she needs.

For a 60 lb dog, feed 950 calories per day, and it is best to feed 425 calories TWO times daily.

For a 70 lb dog, feed between 1,000-1,100 calories daily. OR 500-550 calories two times daily.

(If she is less than 60 lbs or more than 70 lbs, please send me a note and I can tell you exactly how many calories she needs.)

3. Open and add 2 capsules of Acidophilus
into each meal for the next 2-3 weeks to replenish the gut flora she has lost from the diarrhea.

4. Give her Slippery Elm in food, or just by mouth, at 1/2 the human dose every 6 hours for 3-4 days, then as needed, for the diarrhea.

5. When the stool has some ‘form’ and is more solid, take a sample in to your veterinarian to have it checked for parasites. If the stool is loose, it may give a ‘false’ negative result because it is too ‘diluted’. It is better to submit a more formed or solid sample (If it is positive, the other two dogs will also need to be dewormed!).

Take care,
Dr. Carol Jean Tillman

DISCLAIMER: The above should never replace the advice of your local veterinarian, as they have the ability to evaluate your dog in person.

Related Pages:
– Dog Diarrhea Medicine,
– Ask a Vet Online Library – Dog Diarrhea, Constipation and/or Digestive Problems Section