How to Prepare A Diet For A Sick Dog

You know the drill - you wake up to a sick dog whose stomach is gurgling and churning, his head is droopy, vomiting and diarrhea has already occurred, or he has to go out NOW! What do you do? Every dog will have some sort of stomach problem periodically. Helping your dog recover from stomach problems is as easy as feeding a calming diet for a few days. Follow the tips in this eHow to do just that.

Note: this eHow is not veterinarian advice. If your dog is abnormally ill (not just a small bout of illness), please take him to a vet. Also, if your dog refuses water or chicken broth, take him immediately to the doctor as dehydration can easily occur.

Instructions

1

The first thing you should do is assess whether your dog's illness is a usual bout of upset stomach or whether this is a more serious illness. If it's just a periodic upset stomach, start by boiling some chicken in water on the stove (you can also microwave, but I prefer to boil it on the stove as I tend to overdo it in the microwave). While you're at it, cook up some plain rice, white or brown, doesn't matter. Use more water with the rice than you normally would as you want it to be sort of mushy. Make a lot as the extra will go into the refrigerator for additional feedings.

2

Once the chicken is cooked (boiled 30 minutes or so on the stove - it should be cooked all the way through), remove the skin and bones (if there are any) and shred with a fork into small pieces. Put the liquid in the refrigerator to cool - once it cools and the fat forms on the top, scoop the fat out and throw it away. Use a small amount of liquid to make the food more appealing and to also sneak some liquid into his body.

3

Mix a small amount of the boiled, shredded chicken (1/4 cup or so for a medium sized dog) with a small amount of rice and some of the broth and feed. Monitor the dog's eating and watch him carefully afterward for sign of discomfort. Follow him outdoors and watch his elimination habits. If he tolerates the food well, give him a bit more and keep him on this diet for 24 hours. If he doesn't tolerate the food (ex, continues to vomit shortly after each feeding), take him to a vet.

4

Once the diarrhea and vomiting have stopped, slowly start adding the dog's regular food in with the chicken mixture. You're going to wean him back onto his normal food. If he tolerates this first weaned feeding alright, at the next feeding, reduce the chicken mixture a bit and add back in a bit more of regular food. At the first sign of vomiting or diarrhea, go back to just the boiled chicken diet.

5

In lieu of boiled chicken and rice, you can make boiled lean hamburger, broken apart. Hamburger tends to be greasier so should probably be used only if chicken is not available. Make sure to rinse the cooked hamburger under hot water (to rid any remaining grease). Mix with rice and feed as above.