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When I was new to raising dogs, a veterinarian told me that dogs get diarrhea all the time and it’s no big deal. He’s also the vet who told me that it’s normal for a cat to vomit once a day and that Rodrigo would die shortly after his third birthday.
By the way, switching my cat to freeze-dried food stopped the daily vomiting and Rodrigo is 12-1/2 and going strong. And, I no longer take my dogs to that veterinarian.
Diarrhea is a part of raising dogs, but we’re not dealing with diarrhea all the time. And after having lived with our dogs for years, I know what’ll trigger diarrhea and I’ve learned how to quickly stop my dog’s diarrhea.
Why My Dogs Get Diarrhea
There are many reasons why a dog will have diarrhea. In my case, I’ve noticed it as a side effect of eating certain foods, taking certain medications, getting into something they shouldn’t have, or poor gut health. I’ve learned that the following will definitely lead to diarrhea with my dogs:
Green Tripe
Green tripe is awesome and when I was a new raw feeder, I had the idea that I’d feed my dogs a full meal of green tripe once a week. Yeah, that won’t work with my dogs because two of my boys get diarrhea. And because of my experience with them, I won’t feed Apollo a full meal either. Zoey, on the other hand, can eat tripe all day long without issue. I don’t know what the deal is with green tripe and I’m guessing that my boys get diarrhea because it’s a rich food.
Too Much Organ Meat
When doing meal prep, I start with 80/10/10 – 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ meat. This isn’t their full diet, just the start. But sometimes, I add a little more organ meat because that’s where so many good nutrients reside. This is fine with my adult dogs, but when Scout and Zoey were puppies, extra organ meat led to explosive diarrhea.
Medications
Some sedatives can lead to diarrhea. A couple of my dogs aren’t fans of the veterinarian and I give them sedatives prior to each appointment. Scout would shake when we arrived at the vet and since I couldn’t go in with him, his doctor thought the sedatives would be best. The only side effect was the diarrhea Scout experienced for a couple of days.
Diarrhea can be a symptom of various health issues and for that information, I highly encourage you to contact your veterinarian. For this post, I’m focusing on stopping diarrhea in an otherwise healthy dog.
How I Stop My Dog’s Diarrhea
1 – Olewo Carrots and FullBucket
If the diarrhea is due to their diet, then I adjust the diet. That’s the easy part. But in order for this to work, I’ve learned to monitor my dogs whenever I feed a new food. For example, goose meat makes my dogs’ stool crazy dark.
If the diet isn’t the reason or if after 24 hours my dog’s stool is still loose, then I do the following:
- Add Olewo Carrots (which stop diarrhea) to a meal; sometimes I mix in a couple of scoops of FullBucket digestive supplement.
- I add this to both meals for a day or two.
- When my dog produces solid poop, then I put them back on the normal diet. If the stool is still soft, I continue to add Olewo Carrots and FullBucket to their diet for a few more days (at a smaller dosage).
- If I have it, I’ll feed the dogs Darwin’s Pet food because I know that they always do well on their food. I’ve found that it’s always a good idea to have a trusted brand on hand – just in case.
Not all diarrhea is a bad thing. So I actually don’t race to stop their diarrhea unless I know the cause. Sometimes, diarrhea is a way for the body to get rid of toxins and I don’t want to get in the way. But after 24 hours, if my dog still has diarrhea, then I’m going to do something about it. Keep in mind that this is my theory and not medical advice.
What are Olewo Carrots?
A fellow raw feeder recommended Olewo Carrots when Rodrigo was a young dog that couldn’t consistently form a solid poop. I ordered a bag from Amazon and was so excited when it worked. After years of changing food, paying vet bills, and eventually transitioning to raw, I found a natural whole food supplement that did what it claimed.
Olewo Carrots Review
“My dogs had issues with diarrhea since they were born and have been put on all kinds of medications by my vet to control this problem. It works for a while but then back it comes. I have been so frustrated trying to help them with this. I could not get any weight on them either. I changed dog foods many times, to no avail. Then I came across your website and decided to give Olewo a try. After feeding the carrots for only 2 weeks, I cannot tell you what a joy it is for me to write to you about the outcome…no more diarrhea and we have weight gain also! The dogs are looking and acting so much better. Words cannot tell how grateful I am for this amazing miracle. I will always feed it to my babies. ~ Audrey Young – Noir & Blanc Border Collies, CA” ~ Source: OlewoUSA.com
Benefits of Olewo Carrots
Not only do Olewo Carrots put a stop to diarrhea and loose stool, but we also experienced some added benefits.
- Olewo Carrots contributed to healing my dogs’ gut.
- Olewo Carrots also helped my dogs when they have constipation or hard, crumbly poop.
- Because Olewo Carrots boosted my dog’s gut health, they also contributed to a healthier immune system.
I add a couple of spoonfuls to the bowl, hydrating with hot water and oil (coconut oil, MCT oil, olive oil, avocado oil). I then split this between all four dogs, mixing it into their raw blend. I don’t use it daily, just when I notice that one or more of the dogs are dropping loose stool or diarrhea.
2 – Slippery Elm and Pumpkin
Another favorite in our house is slippery elm and organic canned pumpkin (or sweet potato). This is a fiber powerhouse and helps to firm up stool. You can use these individually, but I’ve found that mixing a couple of capsules of slippery elm into two or three dollops of canned pumpkin (or sweet potato) works well and quickly.
And, my dogs won’t eat a slippery elm paste (empty capsules and create a paste using warm water) otherwise.
3 – Organic Fiber Supplement
I began adding fiber to my dogs’ diet after having Scout’s microbiome tested. The fiber is food for the gut bacteria, helping to improve gut health, and it resolves soft stool and slows/stops diarrhea.
I don’t use psyllium husk because there are reports of it causing blockages in humans. I don’t know how common this is, but one man’s story scared me enough that I won’t give psyllium husk to my dogs. Instead, they get an organic fiber supplement that contains enzymes and probiotics. My dogs do well on this supplement; I add a small amount (about a pinch or two) to their meals several days a week.
4 – Animal Fur (Cow Ears, Rabbit Feat, Rabbit Ears)
And, lastly, I have had success giving animal fur to my dogs. I give animal fur to my dogs when I think diarrhea may be on the way due to medication or because I fed too much green tripe. Animal fur is an excellent source of fiber and you can find cow ears with fur, rabbit feet, and rabbit ears at local, independent pet stores. I get these treats from Real Dog Box. In fact, I stocked up on rabbit heads recently to feed as a meal.
I’m sure that there are many more natural supplements to help with diarrhea. This post shares what’s worked consistently for my dogs. Feel free to share what has worked for your dogs in the comments. Thanks!
