What should I feed a dog with loose motion?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
For an otherwise bright adult dog with mild loose motion, give plenty of fresh water and small, frequent meals of a bland diet: plain boiled white rice with boiled chicken breast, no skin, bones, oil, salt or masala. Once the stools are firm, mix the usual food back in over three to five days.
Diet is not the answer for every case. See a vet if the diarrhoea lasts more than 24 hours, if there is blood, vomiting, tiredness or a painful belly, or if the dog is a puppy, elderly or already unwell. Puppies with diarrhoea need a vet sooner, because it can be more serious.
When is loose motion a vet problem, not a diet problem?
Check these before you reach for the rice. Any one of them means calling your vet today.
If Diarrhoea for more than 24 hours
Contact your vet as soon as possible. PDSA
If A puppy with diarrhoea
Seek advice straight away: in puppies it can be more serious, and infections such as parvovirus cause it. PDSA
If Blood or mucus in the stools, or severe watery diarrhoea
See your vet today. Sudden, heavy bloody diarrhoea, sometimes described as looking like raspberry jam, can cause shock before the dog looks dehydrated. Merck Veterinary Manual
If Vomiting as well, a painful belly, tiredness or not eating
Call your vet: these are warning signs alongside diarrhoea. PDSA
If An old dog, a dog on medication or one with an ongoing illness
Speak to your vet before trying home care or fasting. PDSA
If Your dog may have eaten something toxic, such as grapes, onion or a medicine
Phone a vet now. Diarrhoea can be an early sign of poisoning. Merck Veterinary Manual
What does a bland diet for a dog look like?
Bland means plain, low in fat and easy to digest. This is what PDSA and a 2020 review of acute diarrhoea in dogs describe.
- Plain white rice, boiled soft, with no salt, ghee, oil or masala. PDSA
- Boiled chicken breast with no skin and no bones, shredded into the rice. PDSA
- Or a tinned veterinary diet made for upset stomachs, if your vet suggests one. PDSA
- Small portions, several times a day, rather than one or two big meals. PDSA
- Low in fat and highly digestible: the traditional first step in dietary management, according to the review. Antioxidants (2020), Candellone and othersstudy
- Fresh, clean water available at all times, and a check that your dog is actually drinking. PDSA
How do I feed my dog through a bout of loose motion?
PDSA's sequence for a mild case in an adult dog. Most cases settle within 24 to 48 hours; if yours does not, the plan stops and the vet takes over.
Day 1
Water always available. Some vets suggest a short rest from food (see the next section, where sources differ); then small, frequent bland meals. PDSA
After 24 hours
If the diarrhoea is still going, contact your vet rather than carrying on at home. PDSA
Once stools are firm
Start mixing your dog's normal food back in, a little more each day. PDSA
Over 3 to 5 days
Move gradually back to the full normal diet. Keep your dog rested, with no energetic play, until it has completely recovered. PDSA
Should I starve my dog when it has diarrhoea?
Sources disagree. Do not fast a puppy, an old dog or a dog that is unwell, and ask your vet for any other dog.
PDSA says withholding food for 24 hours might help settle the stomach and speed up recovery, but advises against it if the dog is very young, old or suffering from another illness. That is the traditional advice: a 2020 review in the journal Antioxidants describes a bowel rest of 24 to 48 hours as the traditional approach.
The same review describes feeding through vomiting and diarrhoea as an alternative, and notes that in dogs with parvovirus, early feeding was linked with faster improvement and fewer deaths. It also says there is still no standard protocol for acute diarrhoea in dogs. Our reading: a short fast is not required, and small bland meals with plenty of water are a reasonable start for a healthy adult dog. Your vet may prefer one approach for your dog, and their advice wins.
Which Indian home foods help, and which make it worse?
Indian kitchens have many "light" foods for upset stomachs. Some suit dogs; some carry ingredients dogs should never eat.
Do
- Plain boiled rice and boiled, skinless, boneless chicken, cooked separately from the family meal. PDSA
- Keep the food low in fat: no ghee, butter or oil on top. Antioxidants (2020), Candellone and othersstudy
- Keep fresh water in reach at all times, and check that your dog is actually drinking it. PDSA
- Ask your vet before giving anything else, including rehydration sachets made for people: the review says oral rehydration suits only mild cases, and moderate or severe dehydration needs fluids from a vet. Antioxidants (2020), Candellone and othersstudy
Don’t
- Do not give khichdi, dal or curd rice from the family pot if it has a tadka: onion and garlic, raw or cooked, are toxic to dogs. PDSA
- Do not give milk to settle the stomach: pets have little lactase, and milk and dairy can cause diarrhoea. ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Do not switch to a new dog food during the upset. Sudden food changes cause diarrhoea of their own. PDSA
- Do not give medicines from the family box. Even antibiotics are often unnecessary for mild diarrhoea in dogs, and whether a dog needs any medicine is your vet's decision. PLOS ONE (2025)study
Does my dog need antibiotics or probiotics for diarrhoea?
Often not antibiotics. A 2025 study of 1,835 dogs with acute diarrhoea seen by UK vets found antibiotics were still used in 38% of cases, which the authors called frequent despite years of advice to the contrary. They cite European guidelines that recommend against antibiotics for mild or moderate acute diarrhoea, and note that unnecessary use risks antibiotic resistance. The 2020 review says antibiotics should mainly be kept for dogs with, or at clear risk of, sepsis.
Probiotics were the most common treatment in that study, used in about 60% of cases. The review found trials pointing to faster recovery but said much larger studies are needed to prove it.
The overall picture is reassuring: in the 2025 study about 80% of dogs needed only one vet visit for the episode, and the authors judged outcomes after care to be very positive.
What if my dog gets loose motion while I am away?
A change of food, routine or place can upset a dog's stomach, and PDSA notes that a sudden change of diet is a common cause. Leave enough of your dog's usual food for the whole trip, and write on the care sheet what a bland meal looks like for your dog and when the sitter should call the vet.
A Petym sitter follows the feeding plan as the owner writes it and logs meals and toilet trips as they happen, so a change is spotted early. In an emergency the sitter calls the owner and takes the pet to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
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Questions owners ask
Can I give my dog rice and curd for loose motion?
- Plain boiled rice is fine. Curd is a dairy food, and ASPCA says pets have little lactase, so milk and dairy can cause diarrhoea or other digestive upset. For a dog with loose motion, PDSA suggests plain rice with boiled chicken breast instead. Ask your vet before adding anything else.
How long should I feed my dog a bland diet?
- Until the stools are firm, then mix the normal food back in gradually over three to five days, as PDSA suggests. If the diarrhoea has not settled within 24 hours, or other signs appear, stop the home plan and contact your vet rather than continuing the bland diet for longer.
Is khichdi good for a dog with diarrhoea?
- Only if it is made just for the dog: plain rice and dal with no ghee, salt, spices, onion or garlic. Family khichdi usually has a tadka, and onion and garlic are toxic to dogs even when cooked. The bland diet vet sources describe is plain rice with boiled chicken, or a vet diet.
When should I worry about my dog's diarrhoea?
- Call a vet if it lasts more than 24 hours, if there is blood or mucus, severe watery stools, vomiting, a painful belly, tiredness or loss of appetite, or if your dog is a puppy, elderly or on medication. Sudden heavy bloody diarrhoea is an emergency.
Can I give my dog ORS for loose motion?
- Ask your vet first. A 2020 review says oral rehydration fluids suit only dogs with minor fluid loss that are not vomiting, and that moderate or severe dehydration needs fluids given by a vet. Keep fresh water available in the meantime, and see a vet if your dog is not drinking.
Keep reading
- Signs your pet needs a vet nowThe red flags that cannot wait.
- Indian foods dogs can eatRice, roti, curd and the tadka problem.
- Foods toxic to dogs
- Monsoon pet care
- Dog food calculator
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- PDSA: Diarrhoea in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome in dogs (updated June 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Diarrhoea after a change of food (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: People foods to avoid feeding your pets (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Onion and garlic poisoning in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Grape, raisin, and tamarind (Vitis spp, Tamarindus spp) toxicosis in dogs (full review September 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- Antioxidants (2020), Candellone and others: Acute diarrhea in dogs: current management and potential role of dietary polyphenols supplementation (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE (2025): Epidemiology and clinical management of acute diarrhoea in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK (abstract read) (opens in a new tab)