homemade bland diet for dog

11 Proven Bland Diets To Help a Sick Dog [Vet-Approved]

This article was updated on January 20th, 2024

Dogs are no strangers to upset stomachs and diarrhea, and almost all veterinarians around the world have a go-to bland diet that they use to help calm an upset digestive tract. In this article, we will share proven bland diets, explain why they are commonly used for mild digestive issues, and suggest what to do if your dog doesnt respond to them.

11 Homemade Bland Diets to Help Dogs With an Upset Stomach

The foundation of bland dog diets is low fat, low fiber foods that are soft and easy to digest. They often only include one source of protein (e.g. chicken, etc) and one carbohydrate to simplify the recipe. You can choose one protein source and one carbohydrate and mix in a 1:2 ratio, so one cup meat to 2 cups carbs.

1. Bland Protein Options

• Boiled chicken with bones, fat, and skin removed. Dont add any seasonings or cook in oil.
• Lean ground beef, browned and drained. Dont add any seasonings.
• Pork loin with fat removed and cooked without any seasonings or oils.
• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Egg whites scrambled and cooked without seasonings or milk.

2. Bland Carbohydrate Options

• Boiled white or brown rice without additional seasonings.
• Plain, cooked pasta without seasonings or butter.
• Plain boiled sweet potato or white potato without additional seasonings.
• Plain cooked oatmeal, of course no added sugar!

3. Helpful Additions

• Probiotics are every digestive upsets best friend. Adding some commercial probiotic, such as Probios, to your homemade diet can really help any digestive issue. Otherwise, adding a bit of plain yogurt can have similar effect.

• Pumpkin or banana can help increase the fiber intake of a dog that has diarrhea. Adding some plain canned pumpkin or banana chunks can add a bit of flavor while theyre helping to solidify mild cases of diarrhea.

Best Commercial Bland Diets

If youre no whiz in the kitchen, you may instead choose to get your dog a commercial bland diet. Some good ones are:

Hills Science Diet Adult Sensitive Skin and Stomach

Heres a food that is easily digestible and has natural fibers to help bulk up bowel movements. It also comes in many flavors to satisfy whatever craving your dog is having.

Whole Life Products Recover Chicken and Rice

SaleWhole Life Pet Recover. Bland Diet for Dogs -...

• INTERIM FOOD FOR DOGS. Two Ingredients - Breast Meat Chicken and Instant White Rice. Speeds Recovery From Bouts of Diarrhea or Vomiting and helps a dog transition back to their regular food

Heres a food thats just like homemade. With only two ingredients, this food is designed to be easily digestible for those interim days when your dogs digestive system is just a little out of whack.

Under the Weather Rice and Chicken

Under the Weather Easy to Digest Bland Diet...

• NO MORE COOKING - JUST ADD WATER! When dogs experience digestive upset, including vomiting and diarrhea, vets recommend feeding a bland diet to soothe the digestive tract until normal digestion is restored.

Another great option for short-term feeding is this freeze-dried option. There is a variety of flavors and ingredients available in this easy-to-digest formula.

In most cases, your dog should continue with a bland diet for two to three days after recovering

With any luck youll have contacted your veterinarian when you first noticed signs of digestive upset in your pup. They will be able to advise you on the proper amount of time to feed a bland diet based on your dogs progress.

However, generally speaking, youll want to continue with the bland food for two to three days after your pup is feeling better again. This means that youll continue the diet for 2-3 days after the last vomiting bout and soft bowel movement.

Once your dog feels better, transition back to a normal diet by mixing their old food in with the bland diet

Start with 25% old food, 75% bland, increase to 50-50, and then 75% old food, 25% bland, then 100% food over the course of about one week.

See your vet if your dogs vomiting or diarrhea doesnt improve within a couple of days

Dr. Bonk explains:

Bland diets may be just the fix your dogs mild digestive upset needed, but they dont cure everything. If your dogs vomiting or diarrhea dont start to improve within a couple of days once starting the bland diet, or if they get worse, see your veterinarian. Also, if your pup happens to have other signs, such as a fever, dehydration, bloody stools or vomit, see your veterinarian without waiting.

Of course, if your dog isnt eating, a bland diet wont even get the opportunity to help, so instead, see your vet. The vet is going to want to know when the issues started, what you have tried and if things have gotten better or worse. It may help to have pictures or samples of the vomit or diarrhea for further diagnostics.

When Can a Bland Diet Help a Dog?

Bland diets are one of the most common prescriptions for mild digestive issues. This means vomiting and diarrhea that arent serious. The reason bland diets are so popular is because they are easily digestible, making it so that your pups digestive system doesnt have to work too hard. Feeding a bland diet is a way of resting an already overworked or irritated system so that it can naturally heal and get back to its regular working order. Some of those signs that would warrant a bland diet include:

Vomiting

For some dogs, intermittent vomiting is a part of life. For others it comes on as quite a surprise. No matter how regularly your dog vomits, its never something that should be overlooked. If your pup has vomited once or twice in the last 24 hours and isnt showing any other signs, a bland diet might be just what theyre looking for. For more info, check out What Should I Do If My Old Dog Throws Up.

Diarrhea

On the other end of possibilities for a bland diet is diarrhea. This is the intestines way of saying theres something irritating going on, and it can be a response to something they ate, an infectious disease, inflammation, or parasites. Diarrhea that is intermittent, semi-solid or without any other signs might respond well to a bland diet. To read more about diarrhea, look into Dog has Diarrhea for 2-3 Days-Is it Serious?

FAQ

Is scrambled egg a good part of a bland diet?

Scrambled eggs can be used as a protein source in a homemade bland diet. However, youre better off to leave the egg yolks out and only scramble the whites. Egg yolks can be too high in fat for some dogs and exacerbate their digestive problems.

How long does it take a bland diet to work on a dog?

Most mild cases of vomiting and diarrhea will start to clear up after a couple of days on a bland diet. These are cases in which a dog ate something they shouldnt have and the irritation to their digestive system isnt bad. However, more severe cases may not respond at all to a bland diet and will need veterinary care.

What can I give my dog instead of rice as part of a bland diet?

You can replace rice in your bland diet recipe with another carbohydrate such as sweet or white potato, plain pasta, or oatmeal.

How fast does pumpkin work as part of a bland diet?

In some cases, pumpkin can improve diarrhea in as little as 6 hours. However, 24-48 hours is more commonly when youll see some improvement.

• Dr. Chyrle Bonk received her Master in Animal Science from the University of Idaho and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Oregon State University in 2010. She has over 10 years of experience in small animal veterinary practice, working for a veterinary clinic in Idaho.

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Disclaimer: This website's content is not a substitute for veterinary care. Always consult with your veterinarian for healthcare decisions. Read More.

What To Feed a Dog With Diarrhea

At your recent barbecue you asked everyone not to share food with your dog, but now your pup needs to go out more than usual. This last time, you see puddles of diarrhea all over the backyard. Your dog seems to be perfectly normal otherwise and is even asking to be fed.

Now what? Should you feed your dog as usual or not feed anything for a while?

Should You Feed Dogs That Have Diarrhea?

It might seem counterintuitive, but for most healthy adult dogs, the best thing you can do to help get their system back on track is to not offer any food for 24 hours.

For very young puppies (under 3 months), senior dogs, and those with other known health problems, call your veterinarian for advice before fasting. Sometimes a 24-hour fast will be appropriate, but other times, a 12-hour or even shorter fast might be advised. They may not even recommend fasting at all. When in doubt, make that phone call first.

Fasting gets all the bad stuff moving down and out of a dogs system. This gives it a short rest, like rebooting a computer.

Never withhold water, however. Put away the food bowl and do not give treats, but keep plenty of fresh water available to them.

Does a Bland Diet Work for Dogs With Diarrhea?

Yes, a bland diet can help after the fasting period, as long as your dog has had no more episodes of diarrhea and has no other symptoms. If your dog seems ill, is vomiting, or still has diarrhea, call your veterinarian. This is very important, because you dont want to upset their system all over again.

The fasting-plus-bland-diet plan is most appropriate for dogs that simply got into something that upset their system, not for longer-term concerns like chronic conditions.

If your dog seems to be OK and does not have an ongoing health condition or chronic diarrhea, offer a small amount of a bland diet. Bland food is easy for the system to digest and more likely to be tolerated. Small amounts given more frequently are also easiest for the body to process.

For most dogs, an appropriate bland diet would consist of boiled chicken or boiled hamburger plus rice, to provide both a protein and a carbohydrate. Boiling is recommended to boil out as much fat as possible. The idea is to give your dog a very low-fat, easy-to-digest meal.

Its best to start with a very small amountsometimes only a tablespoon or twoto see if your dog is up to eating and able to keep the food down. It is far better to give a small meal every two to three hours than a large one right away, even if your dog is begging for more.

Most veterinarians will recommend a bland diet for three to five days after an episode of mild diarrhea, assuming your dog otherwise seems OK. Any animal that is still sick or vomiting needs additional care beyond the bland diet.

Food for Dogs With Mild or Acute Diarrhea

In most cases, vets consider mild diarrhea to be soft or loose stool that has lasted fewer than three days, with the dog still active and eating and drinking like normal, and no other symptoms.

It is more worrisome if your dog seems to be feeling ill. You may notice that your dog is sleeping more than usual, is not eating well, is quiet, has vomited, has blood or mucus in their diarrhea, or seems sluggish.

Acute diarrhea starts suddenlyin other words, your dog was perfectly normal on their 10 p.m. walk, and at 6 a.m., the floor was covered in diarrhea. Acute diarrhea can be mild or severe depending on additional signs of illness.

If your dog has mild diarrhea, start with a 24-hour fast, but keep the water dish full. If your dog had breakfast at 8 a.m. and started having diarrhea at 9 a.m., dont give any food (including treats) until the next day at 8 a.m.

When you do offer food, use a prescription bland food from your veterinarian (not the pet store) or a home-prepared bland diet. This bland diet should be a 1:1 ratio of boiled meat to rice (for example, 1 cup boiled chicken and 1 cup rice), using the leanest possible meat. The most commonly recommended options are boiled chicken or boiled hamburger.

Begin by feeding 2 tablespoons of the mixture per 10 pounds of body weight. Offer these small meals every two to three hours during the first day. It is better to offer too little food than too much.

Over the next three days, gradually increase the portion size and decrease the meal frequency. Between days 3 and 5, start to blend in some of your dogs regular food. By day 7, most dogs should be back on their regular dog food and feeling fine.

If at any point your dog has more diarrhea, is vomiting, or is not feeling well, call your vet. After the initial fasting period, you should see steady improvement in your pets condition, and any setback is cause for concern.

What To Feed Dogs With Chronic Diarrhea

If your dog is having chronic diarrhea, with ongoing episodes over time, there is probably an underlying medical condition at play. Before you can settle on an appropriate diet, the health condition needs to be identified, diagnosed, and addressedand diet is likely only part of the treatment plan.

Prescription diets designed for dogs with diarrhea might be more appropriate if your dog has a long-term problem with diarrhea or a health problem such as inflammatory bowel disease. Prescription foods can help with long-term gastrointestinal problems because they are made to meet all nutritional needs over longer periods.

Although a homemade diet like the bland diet is useful in the short term, it is extremely deficient in many of the nutrients needed to keep a dog healthy over the long run. While using it for a few days or a week will do no harm, over long periods it is likely to do more harm than goodwhich is why prescription foods come in to play.

Many prescription foods are available through your veterinarian, with some of the most common being Hills Prescription Diet i/d (intestinal diet) and Purina EN (gastroenteric nutrition). Many other brands and formulas are available, and your veterinarian will help you sort out which is most appropriate for your dog over the long haul, depending on the underlying condition.