Did you know watery stool indicates that your dog is suffering from diarrhea, and you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible because there are numerous ways for him to become infected?
But, other than that, if you want to try home remedies to harden his stool, you can try oatmeal and probiotics.
But, just oatmeal is not enough. You have to add protein, too, right? Therefore, please read our article. We have enlisted 13 tips to harden your dog’s stool.
So, scroll down now!
13 Tips to Harden Dog Stool
We have listed thirteen fantastic home remedies to cure watery stool problems in dogs. You can try them all one at a time. And check which remedy works well with your pup.
Try switching to dry food.
Do you generally feed your pup wet food? If yes, then maybe you should try feeding him dry pet food as it contains less moisture.
Water content in the dog food can sometimes give your dog watery and bulky stool. So, when he starts eating dry food, it will reduce the amount of stool and help to make it hard.
Remember, while switching your dog food, make sure the pace is slow. Do not suddenly add wet food to his diet. You have to add kibbles to his old food and then gradually increase the portion.
Try using diet dry food for dogs which is safe for all sizes of dogs and made with organic ingredients. It contains high protein omega six, and vitamin E.
Add fibers
With the help of fiber, you can cure watery stool problems in dogs. It soaks the water and aids in making the stool firm. Moreover, it can keep your dog fueled for long and keep the calorie intake low.
Make sure to always be extra careful while feeding your pup fibers because a lot of fiber can lead to stomach aches. Always choose dog food that has 10% crude fiber.
You can also add fiber to their diet by feeding them oats, wheat bran, and pumpkin. Try feeding fruits that are full of fibers like apples, bananas, and mango.
FACT: One tbsp for a 20 pounds weight dog is an ideal fiber amount for a dog.
Other than fruits and vegetables, you can provide fiber supplements to your furry friend. Like you can get pumpkin supplement food for your dog, as it helps to keep the consistency of dogs’ poop.
It contains apple and pumpkin fibers. You can put this to his meal or just feed him directly.
Provide bland diet dog food
Bland diet food for dogs is a better option, especially if you want him to have a hard stool. It helps your dog’s intestine to relax and function well.
That means no problem in the digestive system and good consistency in his stool.
You can try feeding your cute dog a restricted diet. It is a delicious option and offers many health benefits in each bite.
Your dog will not face issues in digesting as it helps to give relief to its stomach. It contains wheat and is gluten-free.
Feed 3/4 to 1-1/4 cans to 15 pounds of dog. Feed roughly twice as much for pups as for adults.
Try feeding your dog less to get firm poop.
Feeding less food can also reduce the chance of watery stool. It helps the digestive system relax. In case your dog is worried and has anxiety issues, it can impact its digestive system and lead to loose stool.
For 12 to 24 hours, don’t give your dog food. Give him water frequently in small amounts. It will clean all gastric problems and give the intestine relief.
If you are going to make your dog go fast, make sure that it is healthy enough to handle it. I won’t recommend this for small dogs.
Then the next day, give him half a meal. On the third day, you should see results.
Overfeeding your dog can increase defecation frequently and prompts soft poop.
You can detect if your eating is overeating.
Just run your hands from shoulders to hips. If you feel the ribs, that means he is not obese. But, in case you cannot feel his ribs, that is a sign your dog is overeating. And it is a call for action to reduce his meal portion.
Please speak to your vet, get the exact food portion for your dog, and minimize his treats because it contains many calories.
Feed foods that harden dog stool
Try feeding your dog low-fat cottage cheese to get rid of the loose stool problem. You can also add yogurt to his diet to ensure firm stool.
In case your pup is allergic to dairy foods, don’t worry; we have another substitute too. You can try cooked rice with chicken broth.
You can also feed him peeled boiled potatoes, fennel seeds, rice water, and boiled eggs.
Feed bland foods to harden dog stool
Give your dog a break from kibbles. Instead, try making bland food for your dog at home. It aids your dog’s intestine.
You can make boiled rice using either short grain or medium grain rice. White or brown doesn’t matter; whichever is available, you can feed.
Make sure the rice is soft and tender. To add protein portion to his diet, you can make chicken stew. You can use canned chicken or boneless stew.
Add half portion of chicken stew and half a portion of rice. It will give him a balance of protein, and carbs and promote brown and firm poop.
You can also try chicken broth and rice or make chicken soup of chicken.
Help your dog by reducing stress.
Tension creates a direct impact on your dog’s gut. It creates stress on their intestine, which can lead to watery stool. Therefore, you should avoid creating a negative environment in your dog’s surroundings.
In case bathing is stressful for your dog, try to avoid it for a few days and see the result.
Stress has an impact on the intestine because stress leads to a psychological reaction, which means a fight or flight response.
As a result, your dog eliminates loose stool. It releases hormones in the body to take action simultaneously and the brain sends signals to increase bowel movements.
Your dog can get stressed if you leave him alone when they meet strangers, or if his favorite hooman is missing.
Use probiotics
The gut produces many bacteria, which help the process of digestion. When you don’t feed your good high-quality food, it can increase the chances of diarrhea because the bowel gets harmful bacteria which makes an imbalance in the dog’s gut.
Basically, you have to add Enterococcus faecium, which is a bacteria. It is present in probiotics. So, when you give a boost of good bacteria, it equalizes the imbalance, helps to correct the digestive issues, and makes a firm stool.
You can give probiotics to dogs; they have made sachets that you can add to your dog’s food for nearly five days.
Alert: Humans and animals have different bowels, so feeding prebiotics made for humans won’t be helpful, and it can also make the situation worse
Generally, you can provide a small bottle of Fortiflora probiotics for five days and a half to a small dog.
Deworm your dog
The presence of flatworms, roundworms, protozoa, or any parasite can ruin the mucosa (the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal tract).
If your canine is affected by hookworms, you can see blood in his stool; it is a prevalent symptom because it damages the lining of the dog’s intestine.
In general, almost every parasite that gives diarrhea attacks the dog’s small intestine.
However, parasites like Trichuris vulpis attack the large intestine, which leads to colitis (inflammation of the lining of the colon)
As a result, parasites can also be one of the reasons why your dog is facing diarrhea issues, so to make his stool hard, you can take deworm treatment.
You have to speak to your vet and get the deworming treatment. Start a deworming regimen, so they don’t experience this problem again.
Say no to fatty food.
Giving your dog fatty food also increases the risk of watery stool. Don’t give your pup heavy fat commercial dog food or any other source.
If your feed your doggy homemade food make sure to avoid palm oil because it is difficult to process and build layers in his intestine, which could result in soft stools
Therefore, to deal with loose stool problems in dogs, you must avoid feeding them rich fatty foods that quickly get rancid.
Try a Lactose-Free Diet
If you feed your dog non-low-fat milk, it becomes hard for him to process.
This is because dogs cannot digest fats, and it can also lead to health problems like pancreatitis which can increase the risk of many other gastric issues in dogs. Like he may vomit or stop eating food.
When a dog drinks milk, the sugar soaks all moisture from his intestine, which could give him a soft stool. As a result, avoid giving your dog milk products (except yogurt or low-fat product)
If your dog is passing soft stools these days, consider switching to a lactose-free alternative.
Try coconut oil
Coconut oil has many goodnesses that can help curb digestive problems because it directly gets absorbed in the dog’s GI tract, just like pumpkin works. It helps to make stool firm if you use it in a moderate amount.
You can put coconut oil into your dog’s meal. But make sure to feed him in small quality; otherwise, he can have stomach pain.
Give your dog enough water.
Give your dog enough water to drink. It helps to soften the stool and also avoids the risk of dehydration.
Keep fresh water easily available to your dog. It will help to replace lost fluids. Please ensure that the water is clean and bacteria-free.
You can use a stainless steel bowl over a plastic water bowl.
FAQs
Does banana firm up dog stool?
Banana contains a good portion of fiber, which can help dogs have firm stool because fiber helps to push and transport food into the dog’s intestine. It relieves diarrhea and constipation.
But, feed a small piece of banana.
Does pumpkin firm up dog stool?
Pumpkin has a fair amount of fiber content that helps dogs have firm stool as it soaks excess water in their stomach. As a result, it promotes bulkier and softer stool.
Why is my dog’s poop always soft?
If you find that your dog’s stool is slippery, watery, and hard to pick in the bag, then it is a sign of diarrhea. Your dog’s colon is not correctly working because it helps to soak excess water from your dog’s intestine.
Well, that’s a wrap!
There are many reasons why the dog has watery stools. You can help your dog to get rid of it if you follow our best home remedies.
If you avoid fatty food, reduce his stress, and give him a lactose-free diet, it can help him have a firm stool.
You can also serve him plain eggs, pieces of watermelon, slices of banana, mashed carrots, and boiled potatoes.
This article has many home remedies. Please go through them all. And if it works well for you, do comment down below.
