best dog diarrhea solutions

No pet owner likes to talk about it, but we've all dealt with it. Diarrhea in dogs is very common because they tend to eat things that they aren't supposed to. Fortunately, it usually goes away on its own, so even the best dog diarrhea remedies should only be used in severe cases, and they will help to clear it up quickly.

A vet consultation is especially important when it comes to any other over-the-counter medicine or treatment for dogs, particularly before using any diarrhea remedies for dogs to make sure your pet needs it.

Diarrhea in dogs is a condition that varies in intensity, frequency and duration depending on the dog and the underlying cause of the diarrhea. Your vet will help you decide if using medicine for dog diarrhea or other aids and treatments are the best options or if it just needs to run its course.

What You Should Know About Diarrhea in Dogs

A dog's digestive system.
A dog's digestive system.

Have you ever wondered why your dog can eat things that would make you extremely ill? That is because dogs and humans digest food in a very different way, according to this study.

The shape of our jaws and teeth helps to break down food even before it hits our throats. The digestive enzymes in our mouths also work to begin breaking down food the minute it touches our tongue, but that's not how it works for dogs.

A dog's mouth is designed for tearing and shredding food, and the enzymes in their mouths work mostly to kill bacteria. Food also travels to their stomach much faster than ours, and their stomach acid is about three times stronger than ours.

In layman's terms, this means that our dogs can digest food that is still intact. A dog's natural instinct is to eat anything that smells appealing to them. Pair that food drive with a digestive tract that works especially quickly, and you've got a recipe for diarrhea.

In other words, it's usually difficult to 100% prevent diarrhea in dogs, and there are many foods and several factors that can trigger a dog's bout of diarrhea.

According to research (1, 2, 3, 4), some common causes of diarrhea in dogs include:

  • dietary indiscretion
  • change in diet
  • food allergies
  • stress
  • bacterial and other infections

Note that there may be many other causes of dog's diarrhea, including some of the more dangerous diseases like canine pancreatitis or canine parvovirus.

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How to Treat Diarrhea in Dogs?

The below-mentioned best dog diarrhea remedies and solutions should not be your first response to treating diarrhea in dogs until you speak with a veterinarian and rule out any serious health problems. In very serious cases, antibiotics may be needed (5).

That said, for regular bouts of dog diarrhea, the best diarrhea treatments for dogs are:

  • Food deprivation
  • Monitoring of liquid intake and re-hydration
  • Adjustment and improvement of the dog's diet
  • Use of dog diarrhea remedies and digestive supplements

The “natural” way of treating diarrhea in dogs is just letting it run its course. However, because diarrhea in dogs may be a symptom of a vast number of underlying health conditions, it's best to speak with your vet if the condition lasts more than 48 hours.

There are several ways your vet will determine the cause of diarrhea in your dog:

The cause of small intestinal diarrhea may be determined from blood tests, examination of the stool, x-rays or ultrasound of the abdomen or by endoscopy.” – College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University (source)

You'll need to observe any other symptoms or changes in behavior and report those to your veterinarian. This will help your vet determine whether or not it will be safe to use one of the best dog diarrhea remedies or if more serious treatment is required.

Top 7 Best Dog Diarrhea Remedies

1Vetoquinol Pro-Pectalin Diarrhea Remedy for Dogs
by Vetoquinol

Vetoquinol Pharmaceuticals is a medicinal product for your pets that experience loose stools. It is called Pro-pectin, a product that contains not only pectin and kaolin but also a beneficial bacterium called Enterococcus faecium that helps maintain healthy intestinal flora. A jar contains 250 tablets that can be given whole or crushed.

Dog owners can’t thank this product enough for saving them countless trips to the vet, not to mention the costly bills and prescription meds. Some dogs get upset stomachs even with something as simple as grooming appointments, and their owners found that a tablet of Vetoquinol Pro-Pectalin easily settles nervous tummies. A tablet given one day before the appointment and another on the day of the trip usually does the trick.

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Dogs on long-term treatment for more serious tummy diseases, like colitis and pancreatitis, found benefits in using this natural solution in conjunction with their prescription medications. This quick-acting tablet is liver-flavored and is very palatable. Your dog may even think that it’s a treat. There’s no need to break the bank, too, since this product is amazingly inexpensive.

PROS:

  • Contains pectin and kaolin, and a beneficial bacterium called Enteroccus faecium that helps maintain a healthy intestinal flora
  • One jar contains 250 tablets
  • Palatable liver flavor
CONS:

  • The size of the tablets means some dogs will not eat them

 

2Lambert Kay Pet Pectillin Diarrhea Medication

For diarrhea caused by non-infectious origins, the combination of pectin and kaolin has been claimed to be an effective medication for diarrhea in dogs. Pet Pectillin from Lambert Kay contains these potent substances to treat this type of diarrhea in dogs and cats.

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Pectin helps sooth the irritated gastrointestinal walls. Kaolin, on the other hand, provides bulk resulting to more solid stools and reduces the frequency of passing runny stools. Together, pectin and kaolin absorb and help in the excretion of toxins.

When it comes to pet medications, dog owners first look for the “made in the US” mark and for users’ reviews. Lambert Kay Pet Pectillin Diarrhea Medication boasts of positive results in 2-3 days. Pet owners, however, attest that they saw results right after the first dose. Needless to say, they were enthusiastic to have finally found something that worked after having tried several failed diarrhea medications.

Many pet owners have used this on their dogs either as the sole medication for mild cases of diarrhea or as an aid in the treatment of more complicated gastrointestinal disorders. They found it to be exceptionally effective. This is a must-have item, especially for pooches with sensitive tummies.

PROS:

  • Pectin helps sooth the irritated gastrointestinal walls
  • Kaolin provides bulk resulting to more solid stools and reduces the frequency of passing runny stools
  • The company says you will see results in 2-3 days
CONS:

  • Some dogs will not like the taste

 

3HomeoPet Drops for Digestive Upsets in Dogs
by HomeoPet

The homeopathic approach of treating diseases has proven to be as useful to animals as they are to humans. HomeoPet drops for digestive upsets in animals uses homeopathic principles to be one of the best dog diarrhea solutions.

This dog diarrhea medicine contains naturally-sourced ingredients that include pasque flower for vomiting and distended stomach, white hellebore for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, bitter cucumber for colic, dysentery and irritability, and St. John’s wort for wounds and nerve injury.

A bottle contains approximately 450 drops. No pet owner would be unconcerned about diarrhea in their pets – it’s usually a stressful situation for both pet and owner. Thus, finding a quick fix would be something they all understandably wish for. Buyers are happy to say that HomeoPet Drops for Digestive Upsets cures diarrhea instantly, 5 minutes at most. It addresses not only this, but the accompanying maladies as well, such as nausea, vomiting, and anxiety.

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This is a safe product to use on small pets since it’s made from natural ingredients. Buyers who’ve tried this on their small-breed puppies saw their pets responding so well. It’s even recommended for pregnant, nursing, or geriatric dogs that suffer from vomiting, loose stool, colic, and constipation. When using this product, it is imperative that the instructions for dilution, administering, and tapering of doses be strictly followed. It’s a great product to have on hand any time.

PROS:

  • Contains naturally-sourced ingredients
  • 1 bottle contains 450 drops
  • Buyers say that this cured diarrhea in their dog almost instantly
CONS:

  • Will not work for every dog or diarrhea cause

 

4Human Grade Digestive Supplement for Dogs
by The Honest Kitchen

The Honest Kitchen approaches the problem of diarrhea and stomach upset in pets by maintaining health in the pets’ digestive tract. This makes them more resistant to the ill effects of dietary indiscretions and stress-causing changes in the environment.

This is one of the best dog diarrhea remedies as it supports perfect digestive health with its minimally dehydrated human-grade ingredients that include fennel, organic pumpkin seed, papaya and plantain leaves, papain, pectin, and slippery elm. Together, these ingredients promote perfectly formed stool and regular bowel movements and reduce gas issues.

After using this for a week, buyers say that there were fewer accidents in the home and the stool was much firmer. Those who’ve used this pet diet supplement for quite a while swear by its long-term efficacy. According to these users, digestive health is not simply about stopping diarrhea every now and then; it has to be more holistic, with the end result of regular and perfectly-formed poops. The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form: Natural Human Grade Digestive Supplement for Dogs & Cats is preferred by most pet owners because it’s made in the USA by a trusted manufacturer and contains no corn, soy, or wheat.

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There’s no struggling with this cure – dogs love it! It’s like a food topper that dogs find so delicious. They chomp at it so eagerly it’s quite easy to forget that it’s actually a remedy for a host of digestive issues. A dog’s poop tells a lot about its health – no wonder Honest Kitchen wants dog poops to be perfect.

PROS:

  • Made with minimally-dehydrated human-grade ingredients
  • Formulated to  promote perfectly-formed stool, regularize bowel movement, and reduce gas issues
  • Made in the USA
  • Contains no wheat, corn or soy
CONS:

  • Some reports of pet owners claim that this product actually gave their dogs diarrhea

 

5Digestive Dog Food Supplement Diarrhea Relief
by Olewo

Carrots are rich in vitamin A, essential minerals, and antioxidants. They increase the production of saliva and enzymes that support healthy digestion. Olewo  supplements come in dehydrated pellet forms that are easy to feed dogs. These supplements are guaranteed one-ingredient products made from non-GMO carrots. Packs are sold in four sizes starting from 1 lb to 11 lb.

In addition to the anti-diarrhea benefit that can be derived from it, this supplement also promotes natural deworming and healthy skin and fur, relieves itching and skin irritations, and strengthens the immune system. According to pet owners, this is one of the best dog diarrhea solutions because these carrot pellets from Olewo proved to be a long-term and holistic solution to frequent loose stools.

They say various health issues, like diarrhea, GERD, allergies, and lethargy, were significantly reduced and eventually cured after giving their dogs Olewo Carrots Digestive Dog Food Supplement and Effective Dog Diarrhea Relief.

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Pet owners resorted to this solution after giving up on huge bills and incessant antibiotic treatment for their dogs. They were pleasantly surprised at the results. Not only were their dogs having firmer stools and regularly doing so, it was also such a relief to be off of antibiotics and other medications.

PROS:

  • Rich in Vitamin A, essential minerals and antioxidants
  • One-ingredient product made from non-GMO carrots
  • Helps with diarrhea, digestive issues, and skin/coat problems
CONS:

  • As is common with other dog diarrhea supplements, this will not improve the condition of every dog

 

6 Miracle Care Anti Diarrhea Liquid Kit

Even perfect diets and supplementation sometimes go awry, and you find your dog passing runny stools. When this becomes alarmingly frequent, Miracle Care is probably what you need. It is a first-aid remedy that must always be within easy reach.

Miracle Care K-P Anti-Diarrhea Liquid 4oz
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It contains kaolin and pectin for relieving irritated gastrointestinal lining, bulking up feces, and slowing down the transit of food through the digestive tract. This medicine can be given directly to the pets or mixed with food.

A bout with diarrhea makes a dog very sick and weak. It often calls for urgent action, and a remedy that works quickly is much desired. This was exactly what Miracle Care Anti Diarrhea Liquid Kit did for dogs, said many pet owners who were totally impressed at how fast-acting this product was. It worked right away and slowed down their dog’s diarrhea within a day and totally stopped it in 2 days.

Initially, dogs didn’t like the taste of this slightly thick liquid, but realizing that it brought relief, they took to it in no time. It also worked on small puppies and cats. Like all the best dog diarrhea solutions we’ve featured, this is not a cure-all remedy and must not be used to mask persistent diarrhea symptoms. It’s definitely a bottle that must always be in your pet’s medicine kit for non-chronic stomach upsets caused by dietary indiscretions or anxiety.

PROS:

  • Contains kaolin and pectin
  • Can be given directly or mixed with food
  • Buyers say it slowed down diarrhea immediately and stopped it within 48 hours
CONS:

  • Slightly thick liquid did not entice our dogs

 

7Pet Wellbeing BM Tone-Up Gold Dog Diarrhea Support

BM Tone-Up Gold was developed by holistic veterinarians at Pet Wellbeing, using wild herbs and organic ingredients to produce a formula that treats dog diarrhea. It restores balance in the gastrointestinal tract and enhances the dog’s natural immune system.

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Its ingredients include agrimony leaf, bayberry root, ginger, marshmallow root, mullein leaf, myrrh resin, Oregon grape root, red raspberry leaf, and thyme leaf. Dogs will surely love its bacon flavor.

Pet Wellbeing BM Tone-Up Gold Dog Diarrhea Support slows down travel time of food through the digestive tract and encourages absorption of more water by the intestinal lining. This leads to a longer interval between bowel movements and less watery stools. Dog owners whose pets were prescribed antibiotics or steroids just to treat chronic diarrhea were exceedingly happy to have found a more wholesome alternative.

Buyers say they gave this a go after reading glowing reviews and positive experiences from pet owners in similar situations. After a very long time, their dogs had firm stools again and started looking much better than before. Considering that BM Tone-Up is an all-natural medication and has none of the ill effects of prescription drugs, they really can’t be any happier for their dog.

PROS:

  • Made with wild herbs and organic ingredients
  • All-natural formula
  • Enticing bacon flavor
CONS:

  • More expensive than many of the other top-rated dog diarrhea solutions

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7 Top Rated Best Dog Diarrhea Remedies

Diana currently lives and works in London, UK and she's been an animal lover and dog owner since she was a child. After graduating high school, she focused on getting her degree in English to become a writer with a focus on animals, pets and dogs.