Top 10 Best Food For Sick Dog

What should I do if my dog is sick?

If your dog has experienced a bout of tummy trouble with vomiting and/or diarrhea it is usually advisable to withhold food for around twelve hours to allow the dog’s system to clear whatever is causing their digestive issues. If a day or two is required without food, water should be given to avoid dehydration. Water should be offered in small amounts, and if no vomiting occurs, then a bland diet can be introduced slowly. It is important to ensure your dog stays hydrated, so if they are vomiting on water, you must seek supportive care from a veterinarian that can provide intravenous fluids if necessary. It is important to note that if you have a puppy that is vomiting or has diarrhea, do not attempt the bland diet trial. They should be seen by the vet without delay.

Suitable Foods For Sick Dogs That Won’t Eat

When a dog won’t eat, it can be tricky to work out the reason behind their loss of appetite. Sometimes, it is because of some form of digestive upset such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting.

Other times, they are just off their food for some other internal reason like an infection. Even visible external physical injuries can put a dog off eating if they are in a lot of pain, having some strong pain medications, or being given other medication that has side effects.

Whatever the reason, it is important that a poorly dog eats and doesn’t vomit it straight back up. Food provides energy that is then used to help the body repair itself. If they don’t get enough food or water, it can cause other, more serious health problems.

So, what foods are best suited for a sick dog with little interest in eating? Below are ten different foods you can try sourced from Breeding Business, and all of them will be gentle on their stomach and high in nutrients.

Chicken and rice

Chicken and rice are primary ingredients in many dog foods, and these mild foods tend to work well for sick dogs. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and white rice. Do not use any oils, butters, or seasonings, not even salt. Be sure to cut or shred the chicken so your dog doesn’t choke on the meat.

Shredded chicken

Shredded chicken is easy on an upset stomach and is usually a highly desirable food for dogs who have lost their appetite. Plain, unseasoned, boiled, shredded chicken is easy to digest. It also contains protein, essential vitamins, minerals, fats and amino acids that will help your pup heal.

Pumpkin

• Pumpkins are a surprising addition to the list as they aren’t something that dogs stereotypically eat. If you choose to try feeding your poorly dog pumpkin, do so with moderation and never give them more than a few spoonsful a day.
• Pumpkins are high in fiber and a probiotic which makes them the ideal food to treat nausea and diarrhea. However, the same quality is why dogs cannot have too much of it. You wouldn’t want your pet to go from one extreme to the other – diarrhea to constipation.
• To successfully feed a dog some pumpkin, put a little plain mashed pumpkin on a spoon and encourage them to lick it off. If they enjoy it, increase the amount slowly to two-three tablespoons a day, and make sure they eat other foods too.
• Don’t attempt to feed them pumpkin pie or seasoned pumpkin as the richness and spices will only serve to further upset their stomach.

Bone broth

Bone broth is a very mild liquid high in nutrition, moisture and flavor. Bone broth is easy on dog’s digestive systems and is healing. To make a bone broth, cook beef marrow bones, turkey or chicken bones. Cover the bones with water, cover and cook on low for 24 hours. Let the broth cool in the refrigerator and then scrape off the hardened fat on the top of the broth. Be sure to strain the broth and throw away all the bones. Cooked bones are dangerous for dogs as they can splinter in the digestive tract, possibly requiring surgery to be removed.

Some Baby Foods

• Another surprising addition to the list is jars of baby food. Not all baby foods are suitable for dogs, so you need to read the ingredients and be sure that there is nothing in it that could make their symptoms worse or add to them.
• Items to watch out for include artificial flavourings, onion, and garlic. Baby food should only be used at the beginning of an illness to encourage them to eat. After that, transition to something more dog friendly as too much can also make them ill.
• Baby food is great for activating a lost appetite because it has a distinctive scent, its made to be easy on the stomach, and it is easy to swallow.

Mashed Carrots

Carrots are another vegetable that is suitable for poorly dogs. Raw carrots are a tasty snack for dogs even when they aren’t sick but eating raw carrots can be tricky when they feel ill due to the effort needed to chew them.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is high in fiber and contains helpful nutrients, minerals and antioxidants. Oatmeal contains Vitamin B, which helps maintain a healthy coat and linoleic acid, which is a type of omega-6 fatty acid helpful for dogs skin. Just be careful to not feed your dog too much oatmeal because too much fiber can lead to an upset stomach. Also, make sure to cook the oatmeal in water as many dogs have a hard time digesting milk.White fish

• Fish can be a great substitute for ordinary dog food thanks to its nutritional properties, strong scent, and soft nature. It is versatile and can be mixed with other soft foods to make it even more palatable.
• The best kind of fish to give a sick dog is boiled cod or tuna, and only in moderation as too much may serve to make them feel worse. It is also a good food to give to a dog who is a new mother, as the vitamins help with milk production.
• Always cook the fish before giving it to a dog, and make sure that there are no added spices, salts, or seasonings. Also, de-bone the fish and remove the skin to make it easier to digest.

Sweet Potatoes

• Potatoes can be a great carbohydrate to give to a sick dog as they are soft, have a high energy output, and can be mashed up with other food. However, because ordinary potatoes don’t have much of a scent, sweet potatoes are the ideal type to use.
• Sweet potatoes have more minerals than ordinary potatoes, have a distinct flavour, and have a stronger scent. They too can be mashed and tend to be softer than normal potatoes, and you can easily mix in carrots or small bits of chicken for more nutrients.
• Make sure you only feed them this in moderation, and switch back to their ordinary food as soon as they start to feel better to avoid picky eating or complications.

Plain yogurt

Yogurt is high in calcium and protein. It can also act as a probiotic, which can be good for your dog’s digestive system. Be sure to only feed your dog plain yogurt, free of any sweeteners, especially artificial sweeteners.

Broth

Finally, if your dog seems uninterested in any solid food at all or has an issue with their mouth or throat, try cooking a bone broth or chicken broth for them to lick up. This will give them some hydration whilst feeding them much-needed nutrients for recovery.

Get some bones from the local butcher and add a couple of dog friendly vegetables such as carrots or potatoes to the pot. After you’ve done that, add some apple-cider vinegar and olive oil and cook on low heat in a crock pot for a day or two.

Tips When Caring For A Sick Dog

The animal charity Blue Cross have provided a helpful list of tips you can follow when caring for a sick dog:

• Don’t feed them any leftovers – this can make digestive illness worse.
• Give them easy access to a water bowl but monitor their water intake and check for signs of dehydration.
• Any water given should be boiled and cooled.
• Consult a veterinarian if symptoms change, don’t improve, or worsen.
• Set a timer for any medications your dog needs to make sure they don’t miss a dose.

Ways To Feed A Sick Dog

Once you know what you are going to feed your dog and have it ready, you may be wondering how you can best encourage them to actually take it. Wag Walking suggest a couple of ways you can do this without stressing the dog.

First, you can offer the dog food via handfeeding. This means they don’t have to move, so they don’t stress their upset stomach even more. They are also more likely to attempt to eat if it comes from your hand.

Secondly, if the dog’s appetite is gone entirely and refuses to eat anything, you can force feed them using a syringe. This only works if it is a liquid, so a broth or something specifically prescribed by the vet is best.

A video demonstrating how you can feed a poorly dog with a syringe can be found here, courtesy of YouTube channel eHowPets, but if you do go this route, you should call the vet for advice and guidance so you do it properly.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, the following list of foods are suitable for a poorly dog with no appetite:

• Fish
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Mashed carrots
• Baby food
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Wet dog food
• Pumpkin
• White rice
• Broth

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the box below and we will reply as soon as possible.