My dog has diarrhea 5 days after new food bag, but acts normal. Vet?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My dog has had diarrhea for 5 days. He is drinking, eating and playing like normal. I got a new bag of dog food 6 days ago (same brand and kind they always eat, just a new bag). Could that be it, or should I take him to see a vet?
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 5th, 2017
Hi and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry your dog is having diarrhea. That is no fun! Changing to a new food rapidly without a slow transition from old food to new food and can certainly cause a few days of diarrhea especially if he appears normal otherwise and you have just changed his food less than a week ago. You may try added plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling), green beans, and carrots to his food to help firm up his stool. It that does not help in a day or two, then it is possible he has something more concerning going on (like a bacterial infection or a food allergy) that will need to be addressed and diagnosed with your veterinarian. I hope this has helped and I wish you and your dog the best!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on November 11th, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Luke. Both of the diet changes he experienced this week are likely contributing to his diarrhea. Assuming he is otherwise acting normal, I recommend that he sees his veterinarian tomorrow. The diarrhea has lasted long enough that it will likely need a medication to resolve it. Diet changes can produce a bacterial imbalance in the gut. If he is acting ill, vomiting or having blood in the stool, he will need to see an emergency veterinarian today. He could have a disease known as pancreatitis. In the meantime, offer him plenty of water so that he does not become dehydrated. It is generally safe to withhold food on an otherwise healthy dog for 18 hours to rest his GI tract. This can help to slow the diarrhea down. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on April 10th, 2019
Hello, and thanks for your question. It may be that Archie has a particularly sensitive stomach, and the new food may not be agreeing with his system, or the change may have been happening a bit too fast for him. Diarrhea can certainly cause a decreased appetite, so currently my biggest concern is that mucousy liquid stool you mentioned. If symptoms just started, you may try offering Archie a bit of bland white rice & lowfat boiled chicken and see if his stools improve, then gradually reintroduce his kibble once he's feeling better. However, if his decreased appetite and diarrhea last longer than 24 hours, or if you see additional symptoms such as lethargy or vomiting, I recommend having Archie seen by a vet. Sometimes they need medication to get their GI tract back on track, and often it helps to add a probiotic to reintroduce some "good bacteria" to the gut. If you were trying to change Archie's diet based on a recommendation from your vet, I'd touch base with them and let them know Archie's stomach hasn't agreed with the new food. However, if you were switching foods for convenience or variety, I'd recommend keeping him on the food he was previously on, that you know he tolerated. Some dogs don't do well with diet changes! Hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on December 28th, 2017
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lou! Causes of diarrhea are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, intestinal disease (food allergies or inflammatory bowel disease), pancreatitis, food intolerance'new treats/sudden food change and eating something gross outside. It is very possible the new food you gave him in the morning is causing the diarrhea. The bright red in the stool is likely blood which indicates inflammation in the colon. I agree withholding food for 12-24 hours is a good idea. I would start feeding with a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 1-2 normal stools then put him back on his OLD dog food. If you want to try the new food again wait until his stools have been normal for 2 weeks then SLOWLY transition him to the new food over several weeks. If diarrhea starts again then he can not tolerate the new food. If the diarrhea persists I recommend taking him to your Vet for an exam and medications. I hope this helps and I wish Lou a speedy recovery!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
-
Published on April 29th, 2018
Being neutered (surgery with anesthesia) and vaccinated and microchipped and riding in the car to an exciting place was a new and exciting or even upsetting experience, and stressful. I suggest you keep him off food for 12 hours, then feed him bland food (boiled white rice with boiled boneless white chicken meat) for two or three feeds. Then slowly replace the rice with his regular food over two days until he eats regular food again. By that time his diarrhea should be over. If not, he will need to be seen by the vet for a recheck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Hachi have been having diarrhea for a few days but otherwise he is completely normal. He's eating and active. I also changed his dog food to Royal Canin a few days ago. Could this be related? Should I be worried?
My dog has mild diarrhea/loose stools but he is asking completely fine still drinking and eating. My brother gave him a wet dog food can a week ago which he is used go dry food since day one. Could that be the cause?
My 1 year old female has had diarrhea since Saturday night but she's still eating and drinking, playing everything else is normal. Color of poop is normal. I've been giving her canine diarrhea medicine. She's acting completely normal. Think she might
Hello, My dog has been experiencing diarrhea all day, but his behavior and appetite have been completely normal. He just had another loose bowel movement on a bathroom mat that looks concerning to me. He did have a few bites of one of his puppy frie
I have a 3yo deaf pitbull. I rescued her in July. The first food I had her on made her throw up every morning. I put her on a bland food diet, and that stopped it. I then tried a new food, and now she has very abrupt diarrhea (not all the time, somet
My 16 week old lab pup has diarrhea. She is still eating and drinking water and is still full if energy. Think it might be new food
We have a 12 yr old Boston Terrier that has had diarrhea for three nights. This morning it was a brown-green color. She seems to be acting fine. Should we be concerned enough to have her checked out by our vet?
My 7 mo mixed puppy has a diarrhea, dark black stool with bits of grey mixed in sometimes. He acts normally, runs all over the place and plays as usual, but every 3-4h he will make a mess in the house unless I get to him first. Can changing food too
I changed my dogs food about 3 days ago and she has had diarrhea and has been vomiting since I changed food. What should I do from here?
Recently changed Oliver’s food from a lamb based food to a salmon based food and I have a feeling that I transitioned to the new food too fast (about 3 days). He’s not lethargic, but has occasional loose stools and will throw up a little water if he
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
