What to Feed a Dog With Diarrhoea

There’s a particular kind of dread that comes with spotting the first sign of it on the garden lawn, or worse, on the living room carpet at 11pm. Diarrhoea is messy, it’s smelly, and it’s one of those problems that sends most owners straight to Google, phone in one hand, kitchen roll in the other.

The good news is that food is genuinely one of the most useful tools you have. What you feed — and just as importantly, what you hold back — can settle a mild case within a day or two. This guide covers exactly what to put in the bowl, what to avoid, how to transition your dog back to their normal diet, and the point at which food stops being the answer and a vet visit takes over.

The short version

If your dog is otherwise bright, still drinking, and this is a one-off — a plain, bland diet of boiled chicken and rice, small portions fed often, plenty of fresh water, and a good probiotic will usually see things firm up within one to three days. If there’s blood, repeated vomiting, lethargy, or it’s dragging on past 48 hours, skip straight to a vet call.

What causes diarrhoea in dogs?

Before deciding what to feed, it helps to have a rough idea of what you’re dealing with. Dietary indiscretion (the polite term for bin-raiding or scoffing something on a walk) is by far the most common trigger, alongside sudden food changes, stress, parasites, infections, and food intolerances. We’ve covered the full list of triggers in more depth in our guide to common causes of an upset stomach in dogs, so we won’t repeat it all here — but as a rule, if the cause is obvious and your dog is otherwise well in themselves, a diet-led approach at home is a perfectly reasonable first step.

What to feed a dog with diarrhoea

1. A proper bland diet — done correctly

This is the cornerstone of home treatment, but a lot of guides stop at “feed chicken and rice” without explaining the detail that actually makes it work.

The ratio matters. Aim for roughly two parts carbohydrate to one part protein. Too much protein and you’re asking an already-irritated gut to work harder than it needs to.

Good carbohydrate choices: plain boiled white rice, plain pasta, or small amounts of boiled, mashed potato (no skin, no butter).

Good protein choices: skinless, boneless chicken breast, turkey, or white fish — all boiled, never fried, and with any visible fat trimmed off before cooking.

No extras. No salt, no stock cubes, no gravy, no oil, and don’t mix it into their usual kibble. Anything added to “improve” the flavour is more likely to irritate the gut further.

Portion size and frequency: rather than their usual two meals, split the daily amount into four to six small portions spread through the day. As a rough starting point:

• Small dogs (under 10kg): a few tablespoons per sitting
• Medium dogs (10–25kg): roughly half a cup per sitting
• Large dogs (25kg+): around a cup per sitting

Treat these as a starting point rather than a rule — every dog is different, and if you’re at all unsure, a quick call to your vet for portion guidance costs nothing.

How long to feed it: a bland diet isn’t nutritionally complete, so it’s a short-term tool, not a long-term plan. Most mild cases settle within one to three days. If things haven’t improved within three days, or symptoms return once you switch back to normal food, that’s your cue to call the vet rather than persist with bland meals indefinitely.

2. A good probiotic

Diarrhoea often comes hand in hand with dysbiosis — an imbalance in the gut’s bacterial population. Restocking the gut with beneficial bacteria is one of the most effective ways to help things settle and stay settled, rather than just treating the symptom.

Our Enhanced Dog Probiotics for Digestive Health uses ten complementary strains of live bacteria alongside Green Lipped Mussel and Turmeric, and it’s simple to use — just sprinkle the included scoop over food once or twice daily. It’s a chicken-flavoured powder rather than a tablet, which tends to go down easily even with dogs who are feeling sorry for themselves and off their food. For dogs who get recurring tummy upsets, keeping a tub in the cupboard as a standing precaution is genuinely one of the more useful habits you can build.

3. Extra fibre, in moderation

A small amount of plain, cooked pumpkin (not spiced pie filling) or a teaspoon of psyllium husk can help firm up loose stools by absorbing excess water in the gut. Introduce it gradually rather than as a sudden addition, and stick to plain, unseasoned pumpkin only. If fibre is something you want to understand properly rather than just bolt on when things go wrong, our guide to the benefits of fibre for dogs covers how it supports digestion day to day, not just during a flare-up.

4. Water — more of it, not less

It’s a common instinct to hold back water when a dog has an upset stomach, but this is exactly the wrong move. Diarrhoea drains fluid from the body fast, and dehydration is one of the real risks of a bad bout — often a bigger concern than the diarrhoea itself. Keep fresh water available at all times, and if your dog isn’t drinking much, offer small amounts frequently rather than a large bowlful in one go.

If you’re at all worried they might already be dehydrated, our guide on dehydration in dogs includes two 60-second checks you can do at home, plus what to do if you think it’s already happening.

Foods and things to avoid

Just as important as what to feed is what to leave well alone while your dog’s digestive system recovers:

• Dairy — most adult dogs are lactose intolerant to some degree, and milk, cheese or yoghurt can make loose stools worse, not better
• Fatty foods and rich treats — anything high in fat puts extra strain on the pancreas and can prolong the problem, or trigger pancreatitis in more serious cases
• Raw hide, bones, or chews — these are hard on a digestive system that’s already inflamed
• New foods or treats of any kind — this isn’t the moment to try anything new, however tempting the puppy-dog eyes
• Table scraps and seasoned leftovers — salt, garlic, onion and rich sauces are all common triggers in their own right
• Their usual kibble, for now — even a good-quality food can be too much for an irritated gut in the first day or two

How to reintroduce normal food

Switching back too quickly is one of the most common reasons a settled tummy flares up again. A gradual transition over three to five days gives the gut time to catch up:

• Days 1–2: bland diet only, as above
• Day 3: mix in a quarter of their normal food with three-quarters bland diet
• Day 4: move to a 50/50 split
• Day 5: three-quarters normal food, one-quarter bland diet
• Day 6 onwards: back to their normal diet in full, assuming stools have stayed firm throughout

If stools loosen again at any stage, drop back to the previous step for another day or two before trying again. There’s no prize for rushing it.

When to see a vet

Most mild, one-off cases settle with home treatment. But some causes of diarrhoea need medical attention, and food alone won’t fix them. Contact your vet if you notice:

• Blood in the stool, or a very dark, tarry appearance
• Vomiting alongside the diarrhoea, especially if it continues for more than 24 hours
• Loss of appetite lasting more than a day
• Lethargy, weakness, or your dog seeming “not themselves”
• Straining without producing much, or visible discomfort
• A bloated or tense-looking belly
• Diarrhoea that hasn’t improved after three days of dietary changes, or that returns once you reintroduce normal food
• Known ingestion of something toxic, or a foreign object

Puppies, senior dogs, and small breeds can deteriorate faster than adult dogs, so it’s worth erring on the side of caution and calling sooner rather than later if you’re dealing with any of these.

FAQs

Can I feed my dog rice and chicken every day?

Not as a permanent diet — it’s not nutritionally balanced on its own. It’s a short-term bland diet for a few days while their gut settles, followed by a gradual return to their normal, complete food.

Should I withhold food completely if my dog has diarrhoea?

Generally, no — current advice favours feeding small, frequent, bland meals rather than fasting, which can actually slow gut recovery. The exception is if your dog is also vomiting repeatedly, in which case follow your vet’s guidance, as a short period without food may be recommended in that specific situation.

Is plain yoghurt good for a dog with diarrhoea?

It’s best avoided. Most dogs have some degree of lactose intolerance, and dairy is a common trigger for loose stools rather than a fix for them. A proper dog-specific probiotic is a more reliable option.

How long should diarrhoea last before I worry?

A mild, uncomplicated case usually starts improving within 24–48 hours of starting a bland diet and should be resolved within three days. If it’s still going after that, or getting worse rather than better, it’s time to speak to your vet.

The bottom line

A short course of plain, bland food, a decent probiotic, plenty of water, and patience with the reintroduction is enough to see most dogs through a mild bout of diarrhoea within a couple of days. Keep a close eye for the warning signs above, and don’t hesitate to call your vet if something doesn’t sit right with you — you know your dog better than any guide ever will.

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Browse our natural dog supplements, including our Dog Digestion Bundle, or read more advice over on the Canine Life Co. blog.

The information in this article is for general guidance only and isn’t a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If you’re worried about your dog’s health, please contact your vet.