Finding a good diarrhea medicine for a dog is frustrating. For Fido’s upset stomach, or similar symptoms, the treatment options can make your head spin!
Complicated canine bowel problems can’t be cured with conventional over-the-counter diarrhea meds. Mild cases sometimes respond well. We’ll talk about the merits of OTC products for dogs as well as natural remedies.
The use of human medications to treat pets is fraught with hazards. Obviously you don’t want to endanger your dog. A vet’s diagnosis is needed if diarrhea lingers. Avoid experimentation.
Can I Give My Dog Diarrhea Medicine? Answer: Consider Imodium A-D or natural remedies
Up to 0.1mg (1/10th of a milligram) of Imodium AD per pound, given every 8 hours, can work but read about safer methods.
Imodium, and similar solutions, should be limited to 2 days or less. Medications meant for people are serious business when given to a pet dog. That’s why we favor natural alternatives which are much safer and more sustainable treatment methods. A good compromise is to consider a quality anti-diarrhea liquid medicine formulated specifically for dogs.
Canines with kidney or liver problems as well as nursing or pregnant pups shouldn’t take Imodium or similar medicines.
Another Human OTC Med
Another over-the-counter product that’s used to reduce diarrhea in dogs is Pepto Bismol. Usually the dose is 1 milliliter per ten pounds, every eight hours or so.
While Pepto is considered safe for dogs, you should still confirm it with your vet. They’ll tell you exactly what dose is best.
Natural Diarrhea Remedies
If your dog still has a good appetite, take advantage by trying a traditional approach with a natural remedy. Plain cooked oatmeal works wonders for diarrhea and it’s also a healthy treat. The same goes for canned pumpkin.
Another option that’s recommended is a special carrot supplement designed for dogs which gets rave reviews. The high fiber content helps bulk up the stool and it’s also easy on the stomach.
Cases of Severe Dehydration
Dogs with diarrhea are prone to being severely dehydrated. Observation is important to ensure that they’re drinking plenty of water. Understand that what they drink and eat will likely pass through their system quickly. This is why people swear by Pedialyte. Hydration should be your biggest concern while you seek solutions.
Some dogs are genetically prone to diarrhea, possibly making it a regular occurrence which can be quite a shock. The squirts, as it’s called, is symptomatic of severe diarrhea.
In such cases, your dog will have no control and it will shoot out of them anywhere and at any time. Over and above this being unpleasant, this is when they are most likely to become dehydrated.
Checking Hydration Levels
If your pet dog remains ill and is refusing to eat or drink then they need professional help. In the meantime, try rubbing some honey or maple syrup on their gums every couple of hours to keep their blood sugar levels up.
Do a hydration test on the skin. Take the skin between your dog’s shoulder blades and pull it up. If it bounces back into place then they are likely fine hyradation-wise.
If, however, it takes a couple of seconds to fall back into place then your dog is probably suffering from dehydration which can be quite serious.
Conclusion on Diarrhea Meds
Certain OTC medicines are okay for dogs. Imodium can help with diarrhea and bowel issues. But reach out to a vet if your dog’s gastrointestinal problems are chronic or lingering or if there’s bloody stool. Such situations require discontinuance of conventional diarrhea medicines. Natural alternatives are safer for dogs and more appropriate over the long term.
How often did you feed pumpkin for diarrhea? Is it also for anal gland problems?
My pup has had bloody stools for months. She’s been on B12, Flagyl, Kefir, pumpkin, bee pollen, Acana to Blue Buffalo, boiled chicken, turkey, hamburger and rice. She still has bloody wet stools.
They have a med called Welchol which does amazing things in humans. I want to try it for my Boxer. Any input?
She is up just like an infant every couple of hours to go. It’s getting worse and she is too young for steroids or the cocktail. I’m going crazy.
For Parvovirus, give Griptol-N syrup solution (3ml) and after one hour give tender coconut. It will fight against the virus and also stops bloody diarrhea. After 3 hours give the syrup, after 1 hour give tender coconut. Repeat this process for just one day and the puppy should start eating food. This is based on personal experience.
Hi Satish. That’s a very nice suggestion. But is there a way Griptol can be given to dogs? The smell is very strong which is why my dog won’t take it.
How do you measure for 1mg? We don’t have any measuring spoons like that. What would it be in a teaspoon measurement?
Absolutely all dogs should be taken to the vet if they have diarrhea for more than a couple of days. Dogs get dehydrated very quickly which can be fatal. Provide Pedialyte and boiled chicken with no bones or fat as well as brown rice.
After literally months of set treatments by my vet, my 3 year old Spaniel has continued to suffer from diarrhea. Her enzyme levels are about normal. She does respond to B12 injections but not capsule intake.
Formulated Hill’s food had limited improvement but never succeeded in her producing consistent firm stools. Yumpro BioActiv makes things worse! She almost produces water and has been sick with it. Can you think of a food or supplement that can help her please?
You can try DiarRice. It works practically overnight and is all natural. There are five probiotics in DiarRice that address the symptoms of diarrhea in dogs. It has chicken and pumpkin flavors. It’s highly rated on Amazon and worked for my dogs like magic.
Should I give my dog Imodium before or after I feed him?
My 3-pound Chihuahua was throwing up about three days ago and has had diarrhea ever since. What should I do?