Superb Dog EditorDiarrhea in dogs is a serious concern among dog owners. Whether you own a puppy or an adult dog, you’ll have to treat diarrhea at one time or another. And what’s most frustrating is not knowing the cause of diarrhea. Should you seek the help of a veterinarian every time your dog has diarrhea?
Luckily, simple home remedies can treat the problem in a few days. One of the most effective ways to help your dog manage loose stools is with rice water for dog diarrhea. Here’s a closer look at what rice water is, how to prepare it and how to use it.
Causes of Dog Diarrhea
Understanding the cause of diarrhea in your dog is the first step to take during treatment.
While several reasons may cause diarrhea, the runny stool is a telltale sign of something wrong with your dog’s intestines.
The problem is usually associated with spoiled food or foodborne pathogens. Diarrhea serves as a means of getting rid of pathogens in the intestines before they are absorbed and cause severe problems.
Other causes of diarrhea in dogs include:
- Stress or anxiety
- Changes in diet
- Allergies
- Illnesses
- Ingestion of toxins
- Ingestion of inedible materials such as toys or clothes
- Viral infections
In most cases, dog diarrhea is self-resolving.
If your dog is internally and externally dewormed, vaccinated, and disease-free, diarrhea will pass within two to four days. But you don’t want to watch your dog suffer from diarrhea for days without doing anything.
Diarrhea makes your dog get dehydrated, weak, and dull. And this is where rice water for dog diarrhea comes in.
What Is Rice Water?
Rice water is the cloudy liquid formed when you soak or cook rice in water. The cloudy concoction is a perfect home remedy for dogs suffering from diarrhea. It helps the dog’s poop to be thicker and much firmer.
When suffering from diarrhea, dogs need to stay hydrated. Giving dogs plain water is a great way to keep them hydrated, especially if they suffer from frequent diarrhea.
Plain water can be a good solution, but it doesn’t help dogs manage their stool. Rice water helps dogs firm their stool and keep them strong throughout the healing process.
How Is Rice Water Effective in Treating Dog Diarrhea?
Rice water helps your dog recover from diarrhea through rehydration and binding. When dogs suffer from diarrhea, they become dehydrated, requiring constant fluids. Rice water helps rehydrate them, improve digestion, and alleviate gas and bloating. It’s also a good source of your dog’s minerals and carbohydrates during healing.
When rice water gets into the intestines, it creates a binding effect, making the fecal material more firm. It then gathers all the waste in the intestinal tract and pushes it out.
Within a few days, your dog’s intestinal tract will be rebalanced. Remember that the binding effect is a symptom reliever and won’t heal your dog from the condition they’re suffering from.
How Do You Make Rice Water for Dog Diarrhea?
When preparing rice water, ensure to use plain, white rice. Other varieties such as brown or minute-ready rice won’t solve the problem. Brown rice is rich in fiber. When used to treat diarrhea, it only makes the problem worse.
Steps for Making Rice Water
- Put four cups of water and one cup of rice in a pot and allow it to boil for about 10 minutes. The water should turn creamy white within 10-15 minutes. Don’t add salt or any spices to your concoction.
- Separate the creamy white water from the rice using a colander. You can later cook the rice and use it as your food.
- Allow the rice liquid to cool for about 20 minutes. Ensure the liquid is at room temperature before serving it to your dog.
- Once cool, you can give the creamy white water to your dog in a clean bowl. Store the liquid in a refrigerator to serve it as often as your dog will consume it. Rice water can remain in the fridge for up to one week.
How To Use Rice Water for Dog Diarrhea
Allow your dog to fast for about 12 hours while serving rice water. Fasting helps the intestinal tract to rest and clean out stool through diarrhea. The goal is to eliminate lousy food, toxins, garbage, or inedible materials.
Fasting might not be suitable for puppies, older dogs, or dogs with pre-existing conditions. So the first thing you want to consider is the health and age of your dog.
During fasting, you can also ensure your dog has access to plain clean water. Avoid giving your dog any food since you want to eliminate any substance in the digestive system. Fresh water and rice water will rehydrate your dog throughout the fasting period.
If your dog is not interested in the tasteless rice water, you can mix the liquid with a teaspoon of chicken broth or any other flavor your dog likes. The broth or flavor will be an appetizer, so your dog can drink the concoction frequently.
After 24 hours, reintroduce solids slowly while allowing your dog to drink rice water. Your dog’s poop should get back to normal within a few days of regular drinking of rice water.
Gradually reintroducing solids allows your dog’s digestive system to prepare for a regular dog meal. You can start with a bland diet such as boiled white rice. Mix the cooked rice with small amounts of boneless and skinless chicken or other dogs’ favorite flavors.
Alternatively, give your dog small amounts of pumpkin, peeled boiled potatoes, and cottage cheese to help relieve diarrhea. You’ll need to reintroduce a balanced diet after a few days when your dog is back to normal.
Additional Methods of Treating Dog Diarrhea
When treating a dog suffering from diarrhea with rice water, it’s advisable to consider additional treatment methods to accelerate healing.
Besides fasting and rehydrating, you can use methods such as:
Rest
Rest is vital during your dog’s diarrhea healing process. Allow your dog to rest in a quiet, clean, and comfortable place.
Preserving a comfortable resting place is a great way to ensure your dog is not under stress or anxiety. Ensure they have access to a door to go to the bathroom.
Probiotics
Probiotics are living microorganisms that can be effective in speeding the recovery process of a dog suffering from diarrhea. You can add probiotics to the rice water and give it to your dog. Probiotics help maintain a good balance of intestinal bacteria and aid digestion.
Regular unflavored yogurt is a good source of probiotics. You can also find probiotics from your veterinarian or local health food store.
Good probiotics for dogs with diarrhea include:
- Saccharomyces boulardii. S boulardii is a yeast that is effective in antibiotic-associated and viral diarrhea.
- Pediococcus acidilactici. P acidilactici is known to shorten the recovery time for intestinal issues.
- Bacillus subtilis. B subtilis helps the colon absorb water, a key factor when trying to eliminate diarrhea
- Lactobacillus acidophilus. An old standby that you likely recognize if you take probiotics yourself.
Diet
Just as with humans, a bland diet is recommended for dogs with diarrhea after an initial fast. Common home remedies for diarrhea include boiled chicken and white rice, canned pumpkin, slippery elm, and L-Glutamine. We have had especially good luck with canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!).
OTC Medication
If you’re considering over-the-counter medication, be sure to consult your veterinarian first.
Typical dog diarrhea OTC medications include Kaolin Clay, Pectin, Antidiarrheal Loperamide, and Bismuth Subsalicylate. But again, check with your vet before giving any OTC medications.
When to Visit Your Veterinarian
If you treat your dog’s diarrhea with rice water for a few days and realize the condition worsens, it’s probably time to visit your veterinarian. Diarrhea can result from various reasons unrelated to ingesting food or other materials.
Remember, diarrhea causes your dog to lose a lot of fluids and nutrients. Further trial and error treatment methods will only exacerbate the problem.
Consult the vet if your dog develops the following symptoms while still struggling with diarrhea:
- Fever
- Weak
- Pale, gray, bluish, whitish, or dry gums
- Blood in the poop
- Black stool
- Your dog is groaning, panting rapidly, and avoids being touched
- Your dog unsuccessfully struggles to poop regularly
- Your dog is vomiting
- There are worms in your dog’s stool or vomit
- Loss of appetite
Such symptoms might be signs of a dog suffering from more severe conditions. If you’re familiar with your dog’s behavior – especially when sick – you will know whether to seek the assistance of a veterinarian.
