Few things are more unsettling for a pet parent than seeing their dog suddenly dealing with vomiting, diarrhea, or both. Not only can it get messy (really, this is the least of our worries), but as with anything, knowing they’re not feeling their best is heart-wrenching.
And while there can be many causes behind diarrhea and vomiting, gastroenteritis is a very common reason.
Gastroenteritis in dogs refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly the stomach and intestines. From a holistic perspective, supporting the digestive system means more than simply stopping diarrhea. The goal is to give the gut time to rest, replace lost fluids, provide gentle nutrition, and help restore a healthy intestinal microbiome.
In most cases, the natural route is the best way to clear things up and get your pet back to feeling 100%. Let’s dive in!
What is Gastroenteritis in Dogs?
Gastroenteritis occurs when the lining of the stomach and intestines becomes inflamed. This inflammation interferes with normal digestion and absorption and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, and appetite changes.
Gastroenteritis can be acute, appearing suddenly and lasting for a relatively short period, or it can be associated with an ongoing digestive problem that requires further investigation.
Common signs include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea or very soft stools
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea or excessive drooling
- Lethargy
- Abdominal discomfort or tenderness
- Gurgling or noisy stomach
- Increased urgency to defecate
- Mild fever
- Dehydration
Some dogs may also become restless, reluctant to move, or adopt unusual positions because their abdomen is uncomfortable.
What Causes Gastroenteritis in Dogs?
There isn’t one single cause of gastroenteritis in dogs. Sometimes it’s relatively simple – your dog ate something that didn’t agree with them. Other times, the cause needs further investigation.
Potential triggers include:
- Dietary indiscretion: Dogs aren’t exactly known for their discerning palates! Eating garbage, table scraps, spoiled food, unfamiliar foods, or too many treats can irritate the digestive tract. Even a sudden change from one food to another can cause diarrhea and digestive upset.
- Food allergy/sensitivity: Just as we can be sensitive or allergic to a certain food, our dogs can too experience serious discomfort from foods that they’re sensitive to. Consider if you’ve fed something different or new.
- Infections: Bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections can all cause gastrointestinal inflammation. Parvovirus is particularly serious and can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and systemic illness, especially in puppies and unvaccinated dogs.
- Stress: The gut and nervous system are closely connected. Stressful experiences such as boarding, travel, moving, changes in routine, or other environmental disruptions can contribute to diarrhea and digestive upset.
- Medications and toxins: Certain medications, plants, household chemicals, and other toxic substances can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
- Foreign objects: Dogs that swallow toys, socks, bones, string, or other objects can develop gastrointestinal inflammation – and potentially a life-threatening intestinal obstruction.
- Underlying health problems: Pancreatic, liver, kidney, endocrine, immune, and other diseases can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhea. This is why persistent or severe digestive symptoms shouldn’t simply be assumed to be a case of “something they ate.”
Natural Ways to Support a Dog With Gastroenteritis
If your dog is dealing with uncomplicated gastroenteritis, there are several gentle, natural ways to support recovery.
1. Make Hydration the Priority
Vomiting and diarrhea mean fluid and electrolyte losses, so dehydration is one of the biggest concerns with gastroenteritis. It’s serious, so you want to take it seriously.
Keep fresh water available and encourage your dog to drink small amounts frequently. If drinking triggers vomiting, don’t force large quantities of water at once – contact your veterinarian for guidance.
Watch for signs of dehydration, including:
- Dry or sticky gums
- Weakness or unusual lethargy
- Sunken-looking eyes
- Reduced urination
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Worsening weakness or collapse
Moderate or severe dehydration may require veterinary fluid therapy.
**If your dog can’t keep water down, dehydration can develop quickly and veterinary care is needed.
2. Give the Digestive System a Break
Traditionally, fasting has been recommended for dogs with acute gastroenteritis to give the digestive tract a chance to settle.
For an otherwise healthy adult dog, a short period without food may sometimes be appropriate, particularly when vomiting is active. However, prolonged fasting isn’t appropriate for every dog, and current veterinary guidance emphasizes getting nutrition back in once vomiting is controlled rather than automatically withholding food for a prolonged period. So, fast for a little while to give a break, but once symptoms start to resolve, reintroduce food slowly.
Once vomiting has settled, small, frequent meals are generally easier on an irritated digestive tract than one large meal.
**Do not intentionally fast puppies, very small dogs, senior dogs, pregnant or nursing dogs, or dogs with underlying medical conditions without veterinary guidance.** These dogs can be more vulnerable to low blood sugar, dehydration, and nutritional deficiencies.
3. Choose Gentle, Easily Digested Foods
When your dog is ready to eat again, think simple, gentle, and low-fat.
Boiled, skinless chicken is an easy, gentle go-to when you’re reintroducing food. No seasonings, chilled, chopped up small.
A little plain bone broth can also be appealing to a dog who isn’t enthusiastic about food and can provide additional moisture. Choose a broth that contains no onions, added salt, or other ingredients that are unsafe for dogs. Here’s our recipe: Bone Broth for Dogs.
The goal isn’t to feed a bland diet indefinitely. Homemade chicken meals aren’t nutritionally complete for long-term feeding, so transition your dog back to their normal balanced diet as their digestive system recovers.
[RELATED] Raw Food for a Sick Dog: What Should You Be Feeding?
4. Try Plain Pumpkin to Help Firm Things Up
Plain pumpkin is a useful source of soluble fibre. Fibre can help absorb water in the digestive tract and add bulk to loose stool, which is why pumpkin is often used as a gentle nutritional tool for mild diarrhea.
Choose:
- Plain cooked pumpkin
- 100% canned pumpkin with no added ingredients
Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which can contain added sugar, spices, and other ingredients that aren’t appropriate for dogs.
Remember that more isn’t better. Too much fibre can actually contribute to additional digestive upset. And pumpkin isn’t appropriate for every cause of diarrhea – particularly if your dog may be dehydrated or have an obstruction.
5. Consider Soothing Herbs
Certain herbs traditionally used in herbal medicine can provide gentle support for an irritated digestive tract.
Slippery Elm
Slippery elm bark contains mucilage, a gel-like substance that coats and soothes irritated tissues. In holistic pet care, slippery elm is commonly used as a demulcent to support the gastrointestinal lining during periods of digestive upset. It’s a favourite of ours (that’s why it’s in Gut Soothe).
Marshmallow Root
Marshmallow root is another mucilage-rich herb traditionally used to soothe irritated mucous membranes. Like slippery elm, it is generally viewed as a supportive herb rather than a treatment for the underlying cause of gastroenteritis. It’s also in Gut Soothe!
6. Don’t Forget the Probiotics
A healthy intestinal microbiome is an important part of digestive health. Gastrointestinal illness, dietary changes, stress, and some medications can disrupt the balance of microorganisms living in the gut.
This is where probiotics for dogs can be particularly helpful.
Probiotics provide beneficial microorganisms that can help support a healthy microbial balance. Some veterinary guidelines and clinical resources include probiotics as part of supportive care for dogs with diarrhea.
For dogs, look for a high-quality, canine-specific probiotic rather than assuming that a human probiotic will provide the same benefits.
It can also be helpful to think beyond probiotics alone. Prebiotics provide fuel for beneficial intestinal bacteria. In other words, supporting the microbiome can involve both adding beneficial bacteria and nourishing the bacteria already living in the gut.
When Gastroenteritis Needs a Veterinarian
A holistic approach should always include knowing when home care isn’t enough. Most mild cases of gastroenteritis in dogs will resolve in 24-48 hours, but if symptoms are not resolving or are getting worse, you don’t want to leave it.
Also, while an occasional bout of digestive upset can resolve with supportive care, these symptoms can also be signs of infection, poisoning, a foreign object, or another underlying health problem.
Contact your veterinarian promptly if your dog:
- Has repeated or uncontrollable vomiting
- Cannot keep water down
- Has blood in the stool or black, tarry stool
- Has significant abdominal pain or a swollen abdomen
- Is extremely lethargic, weak, or collapses
- Shows signs of dehydration
- Has a fever
- May have eaten a toxin or foreign object
- Has diarrhea that is severe or persistent
- Is a puppy, senior, or medically fragile dog
- Hasn’t eaten or is refusing food
- Is showing symptoms that are worsening rather than improving
**Puppies with vomiting and diarrhea deserve particular caution**, because serious infections such as parvovirus can progress rapidly.
Your vet will likely do further testing to determine the cause, including:
- Complete blood cell count (CBC): Indicates the presence of dehydration, anemia, and infection
- Serum chemistries and electrolytes: Detect organ system abnormalities and electrolyte imbalances caused by vomiting and diarrhea
- Urinalysis: Detects urinary tract infections, kidney disease, dehydration, and diabetes
- Abdominal X-rays and/or ultrasound: Search for an obstruction or other abnormalities in the stomach or intestines
And remember: vomiting and diarrhea aren’t diseases themselves – they’re symptoms. If they are severe, recurrent, or accompanied by other concerning signs, the underlying cause needs to be identified.
Supporting the Gut From the Inside Out
For a mild case of gastroenteritis in an otherwise healthy adult dog, recovery can often be supported with a simple, gentle approach:
Hydrate → rest the digestive system if appropriate → reintroduce gentle foods → support stool quality with appropriate fibre → soothe the GI tract → replenish the microbiome with probiotics.
The holistic goal isn’t simply to stop diarrhea as quickly as possible. Diarrhea can be part of the body’s attempt to eliminate irritating substances or pathogens, so suppressing it isn’t always the answer. Instead, focus on supporting hydration, nutrition, the intestinal lining, and the gut microbiome while keeping a close eye on your dog’s overall condition.
Most importantly, listen to your dog. A little digestive upset in an otherwise happy, hydrated adult dog may call for gentle support and observation. A dog who is vomiting repeatedly, becoming dehydrated, painful, weak, or increasingly lethargic needs veterinary attention. Trust your gut.
