Managing Diarrhea in Pets with Natural Remedies

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Clay Mixed in Water

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Karen (Austin, Tx) on 08/26/2013
★★★★★

I use Living Clay - Detox Clay Powder to treat diarrhea with my dogs.

I take about a 1 tsp of clay powder and dissolve in 3-4 tbsp of water (puree consistency). Using a child's medicine spoon I pour the solution down the dogs throat. I tilt the dog's head back open its mouth and pour it in. Keep the dog's head back and stroke his/her throat to engage the swallowing reflex. Repeat for each loose stool, but be sure your pet is drinking plenty of water. You can add a pinch of salt to water to help them retain the water and want to drink more!


Jasmine Rice, Lean Hamburger Meat

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Angel (Clearwater, Florida) on 03/23/2013
★★★★★

I am a pet groomer, and have worked for a number of vets, & kennels, as well as with a K-9 trainer. I have had MANY "kids" (of the 4 legged kind! ) many of whom were "abandon, abused, uncared for, unloved, etc. Well u get it. Anyway, a change of food or location, or stress, can MOST certainly cause an awful reaction to your babies digestive system. I found that Jazmine rice (can get it, in micro-boil bags) & boil lean hamburger (can be done in the micro as well, rince once (approx 5 mins) to remove fat. Usually best to feed a bit a couple times, rather than a regular feeding. I SWEAR by this! Truth told, it also will work on YOU! BE Health & Happy!!!


Kaopectate

3 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  67%
1 star (1) 
  33%

Posted by Suzette (Mchenry, Illinois ) on 02/18/2016
★★★★★

Kaopectate for diarrhea: I have two Chihuahuas and my little 5 lb. One (Boo boo) gets runny stools a lot. I give her a syringe full (the kind you squirt in the mouth) and just squirt it down her throat and she's usually better within a half hour. Works every time!


Kaopectate
Posted by Sharon (Vancouver, BC) on 09/17/2006
★★★★★

Kaopectate: I have been using this for years and it has never failed yet.. give an adult dose.. i work at a kennel and have used it there twice in the last two weeks on dogs that get stressed out and get loose to runny stools.

Replied by Anita
(Allentown, Pennsylvania)
06/23/2008

How much do you give a 15 pound Boston Terrier?

Replied by Louise
(Chicago, IL)
10/13/2008
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

NEVER use KAOPECTATE, IMMODIUM, or PEPTOBISMOL for cats! See info below.

Kaopectate has also commonly been used in animals for the treatment of diarrhea, although it does not have FDA approval for use in animals. The old form of Kaopectate contained only kaolin and pectin while later forms contained attapulgite, all of which were very safe in animals due to the lack of systemic absorption. However, Kaopectate has recently developed a new formula that contains the drug bismuth subsalicylate, a drug that can be toxic to cats.

According to Pfizer Animal Health, this new form began shipping in December of 2002. This new drug added to Kaopectate is related to aspirin and a tablespoon of this new regular strength Kaopectate liquid contains the equivalent of 130 mg of aspirin and the extra strength contains the equivalent of 230mg of aspirin. Only a tablespoon of the extra strength Kaopectate would probably cause toxicosis in a 5 lb cat. Cats are very sensitive to the effects of these salicylate formulations as they are unable to metabolize and excrete them efficiently.

As many veterinarians over the years have recommended the use of Kaopectate for diarrhea in cats, many cat owners may not be aware of this change in formulation and may continue to give Kaopectate without consulting their veterinarian. This is an example of why it is so important to always consult your veterinarian before giving any medication, especially a human medication, as many medications work differently in animals than people. Another common example of this is acetaminophen, or Tylenol. This drug is highly toxic to cats and should not be used at any dosage in this species. Again, always consult you vet before administering any medication to an animal.


Pasta and Salmon

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Karin (Cape Coral, Florida) on 05/06/2012
★★★★★

After trying all the usual stuff, I finally found something to cure diarrhea in my foster greyhound. Feed about 1-2 cups pasta (cooked until mushy) with about 2 tablespoons of salmon (cheap canned is fine) and add in 1, 000 mg of L-Glutamine 2x a day. Do not feed anything else until a few days after it completely resolves and then just add in a little of other food until you eventually transition to regular food. It worked in less than 24 hrs. Recipe was in an issue of Celebrating Greys magazine. Good luck


Probiotics

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Karen (Fraser, MI) on 10/12/2006
★★★★★

This is an additional comment to what I wrote previously: We discontinued giving them (one dog with the problem but the other dog ate it too) the probiotics and they continue well. My guess is that the probiotics re-plenished the intestinal flora of the dogs, none of them have had any antibiotics since then, I believe that if they do need an antibiotic in future I would give them some probiotics again. NOT expensive at all to use probiotics, I gave them one with food each day. Sometimes I split the capsule in the 3 different bowls. Can't get any more frugal!


Probiotics
Posted by Karen (Fraser, MI) on 07/09/2006
★★★★★

My 16 year old dog (a Silky Terrier) had diarrhea, it looked like clear yellow goo. The vet over a several month time period tried an antibiotic liquid, then a powder to sprinkle on food every day. It worked as long as I used it, but dosage was very tricky, and cure was not achieved. I asked if I could sprinkle some probiotics on his food instead, vet said shouldn't be harmful. I put 1/2 of a capsule of probiotics on each of our dog's food, the sick dog was the 12 # dog, the well dog was 22#. This remedy worked immediately, and dog continues well, I no longer give it to him every day. It has worked for the past 5 months. There have been no effects that I can see on the other dog who had normal bowel movements, and continues to do so. I told the vet, and he was pleased and happy to know this as well.

Probiotics are the live flora found in live yogurt. I used the same probiotic that we take, and I have used 2 different formulas for us and the dogs, not on purpose, just that I had 2 different bottles of these on hand. I hope you can pass this along, we love our "fur children


Pumpkin

16 User Reviews
5 star (13) 
  81%
1 star (3) 
  19%

Posted by Michelle (Tennessee ) on 05/03/2017
★☆☆☆☆

The pet store recommended a can of pumpkin that they sold. I gave it to my cat with diarrhea for one week at least once a day with her dry cat food until the can was gone. It did absolutely nothing. I agree that how is a laxative type product supposed to mend diarrhea?

Replied by Marie
(Washington)
05/11/2017

Hello,

I hope your cat is better. Diarrhea is very serious in any beings. Electrolyte imbalances can kill in a short time. Plain Pedialyte for children is helpful. A tsp every four hours into the mouth. A check of the feces by a lab or vet will reveal if parasites are causing the issue. Cats are very difficult to get back in balance if the issue is not addressed immediately. They can go into a trifecta of liver failure, kidney failure, and gallbladder issues quickly. Any time a cat stops eating for more than one day it becomes an emergency because of how their metabolism functions. Cats should not, as a rule, eat carbs. Carnivores eat meat. The healthiest cats eat a balance of meat, bone, and various organs. Think of cats eating mice. Balance. It all comes down to balance. The pet food industry wants you to believe the convenience of dry or canned foods are good; NO. Pet stores really stopped selling raw meats as food in the 60's as commercial foods were introduced. Now, pet are riddled with many diseased from nutritional imbalances, and inappropriate foods. When will we all learn nature is right! Good luck.


Pumpkin
Posted by Sherryk30 (Wilmington) on 03/09/2014
★★★★★

We have a Pitbull who has a very sensitive digestive system. After a couple of bouts of bloody diarrhea (about 6 mos. apart) and $600 vet bills, I came across this website when the third bout happened. Ran out to the store and purchased canned pumpkin, rice and a couple of chicken breasts. Within 30 min. his stools were visibly more normal - no blood and formed instead of water. A few hours later, he was acting like his normal self again. Kept him on the pumpkin for another day and did the rice and chicken for a few days before incorporating his regular diet into it. I swear by it!! The vet had put him on steroids, given him a prescription diarrhea med. and told us to feed him chicken and rice - all for $600 and I don't believe that steroids are healthy at all.

Can't tell you how many remedies I've gotten from EarthClinic, including organic apple cider vinegar to remove a wart from my grandchild that nothing else worked on, and they've all worked!!! No wonder BigPharma has gone to such lengths to brainwash us to believe that it's quackery!! Worked 100 years ago - why not today? Thanks much!!

Replied by Adriana
(Omaha, Ne)
06/24/2015

Could you tell me how much pumpkin you use? My dog had had diarrhea for over a month and I had tried everything, pumpkin too, but maybe I am not giving her enough.

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
06/24/2015

Hey Adriana!

Do you know why your dog has been experiencing loose stools? What I mean is, I often know when I walk my dogs in a certain swampy area they get loose stools from picking up a giardia bug; I then treat with the appropriate home remedy. What often works for me is 2 tbsp grated raw carrot, 1 tsp C&H brown sugar and 2 tsp raw shelled sunflower. If that doesn't bring instant results I boost that with 1 capsule echinacea and 1 tablet of vitamin C. This combo usually does the trick and I feed it 5-7 days am and pm with their food.

But loose stools for a month from an unknown reason would have me considering a vet visit. Are the stools grayish/bluish-green? Very often that indicates a serious problem in the GI tract such as colon cancer or a liver disorder.


Pumpkin
Posted by Annaj (Atlanta, Ga) on 07/08/2012
★★★★★

Just a quick post to report another success. I tried the chicken, rice and pumpkin combo for my siberian husky (8yrs old). She had really watery diarrhea from anxiety over the noise of 4th of July. That went on for 4 days. Once we gave her the pumpkin (2 tbsp every 3 hours) there was good success in less than 24 hrs!!

I started out with just the chicken and rice with no change observed. The key was adding the canned pumpkin (.59 cents!! ) Thanks for the info!

Replied by Carly
(Orlando, Florida)
07/17/2012
★★★★★

A few months ago I came across this website when my parents Black Lab had a problem with his eye. I found a cure on here that worked perfectly and have been coming back ever since. So the other night when my Schnauzer/Scottish Terrier mix, Isabella, got an upset tummy, earth clinic was the first place I turned. She had gotten into the trash while we were out and ate some left over chicken I had thrown away. Since we don't give her human food, her stomach couldn't take it and by the next morning she had diarrhea. It lasted all day and I was hoping it would get better by the end of the day but it didn't. Finally, after her worst bathroom usage yet, I turned to earth clinic for a solution. The pumpkin remedy was rated very high so since I had a can in the house I tried it. I gave her a teaspoon full last night (she's 17 lbs) and by this morning she seems great! No more upset stomach and she's playful again. I'll be monitoring her for another 24 hours but the teaspoon of pumpkin seemed to of done the trick! Will definitely keep this in mind for the future and highly recommend it to anyone whose fur baby might have a sick tummy.

Replied by Tom
(Bloomington, Il)
09/06/2012
★★★★★

I am truly amazed at this remedy. My 50 lb, 8 year old mixed breed dog developed diarrhea from what I can only conclude was stress from an injury. For more than 2 weeks, I fed him a diet of rice, chicken or turkey, and even Kaopectate. But he never got past it. I read this article Monday morning - Labor Day, bought a can of pumpkin puree (Libby's) that day, and gave him approximately 3 tablespoons over the next few hours. He loved it, by the way. The next morning (Tuesday) I gave him 1 tbls with his breakfast. He did not have a bowel movement that morning, so after work when walking him he stopped to poop, and to my surprise - normal!! A somewhat glowing orange, but normal. I gave him a tbls with his dinner Tuesday, another with his breakfast Wednesday, and then nothing more after, and today (thursday) everything is still right as rain. I'm sold. I was only a matter of hours from calling the vet, who would have put him on some harsh meds, and charged me a lot more than the $1.29 I paid for the extra-large can of pumpkin. No more days and days of rice and chicken, kao, or any other remedies. As long as I'm fairly sure he does not have worms or some other sort of infection, pumpkin it is!! Thank you for this blog.

Replied by Wendy
(Columbus, Oh/usa)
09/07/2012

Just make sure the canned pumpkin contains ONLY PUMPKIN. Do NOT get the pie filling!


Replied by Germaine Clemente
(Bonita Springs Fl)
05/17/2013

Hi after reading many posts I noticed everyone used a chicken and rice diet. I was told boiled beef and white rice. Am I missing something
Thanks

Replied by Gena
(Pasadena, California)
05/18/2013

I have only heard about boiled chicken and rice being great for dogs with diarrhea. Ground beef is high in fat, so I think that can aggravate diarrhea. I don't suggest it. Chicken is much easier to digest.

Pumpkin
Posted by Tam (Detroit, Mi) on 11/16/2011

My dog started have loose stools six days ago, within the last two days it finally stopped. Now it's started again. My Vet told me to give her boiled white rice and boiled hamburger and a tablespoon of Metamucil. I'm going to try the pumpkin mixture for two days then it's back to the Vet. I hope this works.

Replied by Bellal
(Washington, Dc)
05/29/2012
★★★★★

Pumpkin works! I gave my beagle two tablespoons of pure canned pumpkin (not pie filler) and some rice for two days after he had 2 days of loose stools. After a day he was back to normal! Saved lots of money and time going to the vet.


Pumpkin
Posted by Mgiustina (St. George, Utah) on 03/28/2011
★★★★★

My puppy had ingested some of my older dog's food and caused him to have diarrhea. I have used this site in the past for other remedies for my family and saw that there was a 'pet' tab. I mixed a heaping teaspoon of plain, natural pumpkin in his food and by later that night, he was back to normal.

Replied by Pinkshoe
(Hibbing, Mn, Usa)
09/25/2011

I gave my 4 month old chihuahua 1/4 tsp. of pureed pumpkin. He has had diarrhea for the past 3 weeks. He has tested positive to round worms. He is taking a medication called Metronidazole twice per day. With the 1/4 tsp. his diarrhea started to stiffen up but then I gave him 1/2 tsp with his next feeding and back with the watery diarrhea. Should I give him more pumpkin? It did seem to be working. I am not sure what to do at this point. Should I fast him for awhile? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Replied by Sami
(Irvine, Ca, Usa)
10/01/2011

Hi.
May I encourage you to have pup dewormed promptly. Round worm can terrorize a dog's intestines and get into lungs. You may have to deworm again. Also, I found that several vets prescribed too low of a dose of metrodiazinol. The best result for a 7 lb, chihuahua is 100 mg at 1 1/2 ml once to twice daily, depending on how bad the diarrhea is. Add probiotics to food--a half capsule twice daily to encourage good bacteria in intestines. A boiled chicken and rice diet, 60-40 ratio, 60% rice or more. Allow dog to adjust to diet and probiotics recipe with medication until resolved. As pup heals and resolves worms, keep doing what you are doing. You can then slowly add kibble back into his diet.

Note: some vets say that dosage is toxic. I was fortunate to have found two vets who finally put my chi on the proper dosage. Also, you might try getting him hydrated at vet to help him recover his strength. Probiotics build the immune system as well, for the allergy sufferers. Metrodiazonal should cease diarrhea immediately. Round worms can kill a dog. So take care of that first. If vet insists on fecal, insist you saw the worm. Many vets wrongly say fecal exam must show infection. Simply not true. God bless. Oh, be certain all dogs are walked to ease the stress of illness and gas.

Replied by Leslie
(Clearlake, California)
10/10/2011

Try prebiotic, probotics for dogs. I just went thru the same thing. I used nutramax proviable paste, and capsules, fda approved for canines. Its a 10 day program. I also changed food brands to a no grain limited ingredient. Things are almost back to normal. I will continue to supplement probioctics because my dogs digestive system was completely torn up and will take a long time to heal. Prebiotics in this product are specifically designed to make it thru the stomach acids and get to the problem areas in the small or large intestine. good luck.

Replied by Cane
(Contra Costa County)
08/28/2017

My cat had e-coli, I don't know if she still has it. The vet did a urine culture and it said she was cleared up. She also had a UTI, She"s had diarrhea for a year. She also has begining kidney disease. I've given her 4 different kinds probiotics. The best was ben-a-bac, or ben-u-bac. She still has diarrhea. I'll trythe pumkin, I'll probably have to forch feed unless she will eat it on her own, but I doubt it, she'picky. I have haer on I/D dry food. The K/D makes her worse. I think clearing up the diarrhea is the first priority, then gradually give her a little K/D mixed wjth the I/D. Has anybody had sucess with probiotics. And what brand and name?


Pumpkin
Posted by Pamperingpaws (Orlando, Fl) on 01/24/2011
★☆☆☆☆

Where is this coming from? Pumpkin is HIGH in fiber and water. It works well for constipation BUT NOT DIARRHEA! Would you take metamucil for your diarrhea? the easiest and safest way to stop diarrhea is to stop feeding for 12-24 hours, then start slowly feeding small meals (break up a regular meal into 2-3 feedings afew hours apart) or start with small amounts of pain rice with or without plain boiled chicken then transfer back on to regular food over a few days. Adding pumpkin dose no good and may make a bad situation worse. If you INSIST on using pumpkin for diarrhea PLEASE check with your vet for advise, a phone call cost you nothing.

Replied by Danielle
(Durango, Colorado)
03/20/2011

Yes, I would use fiber for diarrhea. That is why rice is commonly used.

Replied by Kate
(Costa Mesa, Ca)
04/07/2011

Actually, there is something unique about pumpkin's fiber, allowing it to be used for both diarrhea and constipation. You would use small amounts (up to 1 Tablespoon per cup of food) for diarrhea, and large amounts for constipation. My VET suggested it for diahrrea - so long as it is related to something that is ingested; it won't help with worms. Pumpkin is also very helpful in pets with diabetes as it helps the pancreas to function properly.

Replied by Jasper2
(Minneapolis, Mn)
08/07/2011
★★★★★

Pumpkin WORKS in the vast majority of cases. It is well documented for anyone who bothers to research it. I had a very sick puppy, very loose diarrhea and dehydrated. I gave him one tablespoon of pumpkin puree mixed with boiled chicken breast, boiled WHITE rice, and one capsule of dog probiotics mixed in. Immediate positive results. Why would anyone hesitate to use a natural food with a proven track record to cure a dog's illness?

I now give my puppy one teaspoon of pumpkin in his food once a day, and never any problem with diarrhea or loose runny stool.

Don't hesitate to try this. It does work, and quickly.

Replied by Jenna
(Rochester, Minnesota)
09/07/2011

I just gave my 9 month old Lab/Golden Retriever Mix a teaspoon of Organic Pumpkin to help with her diahrrea that's been going on for 48 hours now. We'll see if it works...

Replied by Lillanromeo
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
09/11/2011

@ Pamperingpaws from Orlando, Fl,

I found your post interesting! I have never used pumpkin for my dog/cat, but being a Sr. Nursing student I do know that you can use metamucil for diahrrea. Metamucil is a "bulk forming" laxative. This means that it regulates the water content in your stool. If your stool has too much water in it (diahrrea), it will add bulk to it. If it has too little (constipation) it will add water to it. I found this interesting when I was learning about them because typically people assume that metamucil is just used for constipation, but actually it can also be prescibed/used for diahrrea as well. I assuming that pumkin does along the lines the same thing. I will probably do a little more research! But I think I am going to try the pumpkin, chicken, and rice diet and also some probiotics for my kitten. Thanks everyone!

Replied by Kim
(Palisade, Colorado)
06/09/2012
★★★★★

My English Staffordshires both developed diarrhea at the same time, nothing new to diet, no added stresses, usual routine. Not sure what caused this but after four days of it dicating every moment of me life for these poor "babies" I sought out the 'home' cures on line. Thank you so much for the reviews on Pumpkin!!!

I took my Staffies off their usual food (had already cut back) and put them on the rice/chicken/pumpkin. Within one whole day (24 hrs) they finally had a normal stool. They are back to their happy energetic selves. Now, in the evening, I'll give them each a small spoonful of pumpkin which they love. I'll do that for a few more days and ease them back to their regular diet.

Yes, you can feed pumpkin for diarrhea.

Replied by Roxanne
(Ohio)
03/19/2016

Diarrhea can be a symptom of constipation. Having blockage causes the stool to 'cook' and become runny making it allowable to pass the blockage.

Replied by Holly
(Kentucky)
08/08/2016

Actually if you do some research you will find that pumpkin is very unique in that it works on both constipation and diarrhea.


Pumpkin
Posted by Tucson_arizona (Tucson, Arizona, U.s.a.) on 12/27/2010
★☆☆☆☆

I bought Libby's 100% canned pumpkin, mixed with rice, and did not help my dog's diarrhea, gave it to him a week, 2 tablespoons every time he ate.


Pumpkin
Posted by Mary (Syracuse, NY) on 07/14/2009
★★★★★

I want to let you know that giving a 1/2 teaspoon of pure pumkin from a can cured my cat of his diarhea. He had been suffering for about a week. I gave him the pumpkin twice a day mixed in his soft food. On the fourth day his stool returned to normal. I will continue to add to his food daily. I came back to your site for a natural flea cure so I am going to try the ACV. Will let you know how it turns out. Your site is excellent providing info that also gives the negetives letting me choose what I think is best for my pet. Thank you so much! And Bob (my cat) also thanks you!



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