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Why is my dog not eating and has diarrhea after a food change?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My 7 pound toy poodle Archie was recently changing food last week, and now isn’t eating much at all. He isn’t having bowel movements except for a little big of liquid/mucus/stomach acid.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

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!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Archie. The change of food could be upsetting his stomach, and it sounds like he may be having some diarrhea. I can give you a home remedy to see if that helps. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. I hope this helps.

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