How To Treat Sickness And Diarrhoea
The more typical way to treat sickness and diarrhoea is to starve the dog for 24 hours (12 if the dog is less than six months old), whilst ensuring there is plenty of water available and that the dog is drinking sufficient (to prevent dehydration). After the starvation period, an easily digestible food such as cooked chicken and rice is fed for a few days before returning to the dog’s normal food.
Other ways to help a dog with sickness and diarrhoea are:
Feeding a bone broth during the 12-24 hour starve period, as this is more likely to get them to drink than water alone and it also contains nutrients that aid recovery.
Feeding a probiotic to help repopulate the intestine with healthy bacteria and boost the immune system in the digestive tract. These also help to maintain the mucosal barrier and enhance cellular repair.
Feeding slippery elm as this helps to coat, soothe and protect the mucous membranes in the dog’s gastrointestinal tract and reduce inflammation. It also contains precious nutrients.
Feeding activated charcoal tablets to aid toxin bacteria neutralisation.
Feeding pumpkin instead of rice as this is more soothing, is high in fibre and easier to be digested. Rice is rich in carbohydrate – this carbohydrate is not easy to digest and tends to ferment, leading to gas inside the dog’s GI tract.
Feeding green tripe instead of cooked chicken – green tripe is full of digestive enzymes and probiotics and tends to sooth the digestive tract whilst being exceptionally easy to digest. And green tripe is nearly nutritionally complete.
It is important not to try to suppress the sickness or diarrhoea as this is a way for dogs to get rid of unwanted irritants as quickly as possible and they are a healthy healing process.