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My dog drank milk and has diarrhea but seems fine. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 40 lbs

Hello, my 3 year old gave my dog milk and now she is having diarrhea. She's acting perfectly fine and eating and drinking fine but is there something I can do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 29th, 2017

I am very sorry to hear that Sadie was given some milk by your 3 year old. I also have a 3 year old and a dog, it's a very interesting combination to be sure. The milk will most likely not cause anything more then some diarrhoea. Since you have only noticed a few episodes I would continue to monitor Sadie at home. Provide a bland diet of boiled boneless chicken breast and white rice and plenty of fresh water. Cooked skinless sweet potato can also be helpful for diarrhoea. If the episodes continue, if Sadie becomes depressed, passes large amounts of blood, vomits, or seems very uncomfortable take Sadie to see his vet. Because milk can have a high fat content, one potential complication of Sadie ingesting it, would be pancreatitis. If you notice the above signs it's possible Sadie has pancreatitis. I hope this answer was helpful and more importantly that Sadie feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    Poor Sadie! Drinking milk often causes diarrhea in dogs, as they generally don't tolerate lactose very well after they are weaned. If she is acting normal otherwise, you can try withholding food for the next 24 hours to give her stomach a chance to settle - then feed a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next 2-3 days, until her stool is back to normal. If this doesn't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as vomiting or acting lethargic, it would be best to have her seen by a vet for treatment. I hope that helps a bit! :)

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