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Dog has diarrhea after food change. Should I switch back? Probiotics?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | unspayed | 9 years and 9 months old

I posted a question previously about my dog having diarrhea for a little over a week. But I forgot to mention I did change her dog food. So possibly the change in dog food is the cause of her diarrhea. Should I change her back to her original dog food and do I change back gradually? Also I heard probiotics, like fortiflora, would help? Besides the diarrhea, she continues to have a normal appetite and no vomiting and is not lethargic.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on April 16th, 2018

Dogs can be extremely sensitive to diet change so this is always a big red flag for me where diarrhoea is concerned. I would starve her for a period of 24 hours then gradually reintroduce her own food, starting by feeding a bland diet of chicken and rice and slowly adding more dog food. Probiotics can make a massive difference, I would recommend a probiotics and kaolin paste such as protexin.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on April 21st, 2020

    If she is behaving normally otherwise, try a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Transition slowly to the chosen diet afterwards. A veterinary probiotic (ProViable, ProStora, FortiFlora) may promote gut health.

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on April 13th, 2019

    A sudden change in diet can certainly cause diarrhea, however if this is the case it should improve over time. Probiotics, such as some plain yogurt (make sure it isn't flavored or sugar-free) can help settle the stomach, as can some bland foods such as boiled chicken and rice. If the diarrhea doesn't resolve or other symptoms appear, a fecal exam from your vet as well as an exam of Freya is best to rule out other issues such as parasites or illness which can cause similar symptoms.

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on March 27th, 2018

    I am so sorry to hear that Pica is having diarrhea. If you performed a rapid food change, the diarrhea may be due to that instead of the food itself. I have attached a link to possible causes of diarrhea below. Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ If she is eating and drinking normally, we will often recommend a bland easily digested diet consisting of ½ cooked white rice and ½ cooked white meat chicken (boiled without any skin or bones). If she does well with a bland diet and her diarrhea resolves, then you can slowly transition back to her normal diet over a few days. We normally recommend changing no more than 25% of the diet each day to prevent GI upset. If the diarrhea recurs when you perform a slow change back to this food, then you should consider another food for her. Diarrhea that continues for more than a few days, or is associated with blood in the stool, vomiting, lethargy or a poor appetite is a reason for a visit to your veterinarian. There are anti-diarrheal medications that your veterinarian can prescribe, and they may also recommend a probiotic to help resolve the diarrhea. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that she feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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