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Clients often call and ask what they can do for their pet with diarrhea at home, before going to the veterinarian. Treatment will be based on severity and length of the diarrhea, as well as other symptoms. In those pets that are also not eating and/or frequently vomiting, it is always strongly recommended to have a full veterinary exam and workup as soon as possible. However, for those mild cases of diarrhea there are some treatments clients can try at home. |
One of the most important things to do is to take pets off all solid food for 24 to 36 hours to allow the inflamed digestive tract to rest and heal. During this time small amounts of vegetable or chicken broth and water can be offered every few hours, as well as small amounts of electrolytes and even Pedialyte or Gatorade during the fast to maintain hydration. I will also often recommend that clients consider using the emollient herb slippery elm from the health food store to help soothe an inflamed digestive tract during the liquid fast, and for a few days after. I also recommend giving the pet a good broad spectrum probiotic such as Fast Balance and mixing in enzymes, such as NaturVet Enzymes & Probiotics in the slippery elm soup to sooth the inflamed digestive tract.
Over the counter probiotics such as Jarro-Dophilus can also be helpful. After 24 to 48 hours, I then introduce a bland, lean white meat turkey and sweet potato diet for dogs comprised of a 50-50 mixture. For cats I recommend a baby food diet while continuing the other supplements. Once the stools start to return to normal, I gradually mix in the pet’s original diet over several days. If at any time during this period, the pet’s symptoms worsen, than an immediate veterinary exam and assessment is always recommended.
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One Comment
Another option would be to give a probiotic like Fortiflora which can be purchased from many various websites and can be given on a daily basis to encourage gastrointestinal health. It’s easy to give and quite palatable. Hope that helps too!
[Reply]
Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:
November 11th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
I have used fortiflora before, however as a holistic veterinarian I have used many other what I consider are superior probiotics.
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