Dogs tend to find unpleasant things in the yard, and it seems the more nasty it is to us, the more delicious it is to them, frequently resulting in an upset stomach or diarrhea. Once he has settled down and not displayed any stomach upset for five or six hours, you will want to try to give him some bland food that is high in moisture content. Both rice and oatmeal will fit the bill, but are not very appetizing to dogs.
Rice or Oatmeal and Canned Pumpkin:
Begin by boiling a pot of rice. Cook extra for the next mealtime or two, as rice keeps well covered on the stovetop. Oatmeal typically hardens after it has been sitting a while, so if you are using oatmeal, only make enough for that meal. Don’t use the microwave rice packets like Uncle Bens. The rice in these has been coated with a thin film of oil to prevent sticking, which may start your dog’s problem all over again.
Serve up half of the portion of rice or oatmeal that your dog would normally eat in kibble or canned food. If he usually eats 2 cups per meal, you will want to start with one cup of rice for the first meal. To make it more appetizing, add in 1-2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin per cup of rice or oatmeal and mix it through the cooked cereal. Canned pumpkin is highly nutritious, high in fiber and contains a property that helps to stop diarrhea.
If you don’t have canned pumpkin on hand, or the pumpkin mixture is not doing it for your dog, you can add in a chopped hardboiled egg and stir that into the rice mixture.
If your dog has no interest in eating for over 12 hours or eating causes the symptoms to return, you will want to consult your veterinarian immediately as this may indicate a serious condition.
If the first meal is tolerated well, you can increase the portion on the next meal to his normal portion size. If your dog has had diarrhea, you may add a spoonful of plain low-fat yogurt to help re-balance the bacteria in his intestines. Dogs can have Pepto Bismal to help sooth a stomach after vomiting or diarrhea. I keep the tablet form as the pink peppermint liquid is not usually appetizing to dogs.
Warning Signs of Dehydration
If your dog has had an upset stomach and has not been able to hold down water, you will want to test him for dehydration. There are 2 tests you can easily perform.
First Dehydration Test: Pull back his upper lip and touch his gums. If they are sticky or tacky to the touch, your dog may be dehydrated. Next press on the gums and see how long it takes for the color to return to that spot. It should return within 2 seconds. Delay in capillary refill time is an indication of dehydration.
Second Dehydration Test: Gentle pull the skin on the back of your dogs neck and see if it quickly returns to its normal position or if it “tents” instead. The longer the skin stays raised from the body of the dog, the more sever the dehydration.
Other signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, lethargy and too much or too little urination. Dehydration also includes loss of sodium, electrolytes, chloride and potassium. If you suspect your dog is dehydrated, it is important to seek veterinary assistance immediately as it causes organ failure when left untreated. Your vet can quickly and inexpensively re-hydrate your pet with subcutaneous fluid.