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Diarrhea is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and food is only one of many possible causes. Before you change your bulldog’s food, check whether it needs a vet; our guides to bulldog diarrhea and to an upset stomach in puppies have more.
Cornell’s veterinary college advises seeing a vet if diarrhea does not resolve in 48-72 hours, if the stool is black or tarry or contains fresh blood, or if your dog also vomits, stops eating or is lethargic. Vomiting on top of diarrhea speeds up dehydration. VCA says a puppy that is lethargic, refusing food, vomiting or has blood in its stool needs a vet right away, so do not manage those at home.
This page lists foods owners ask about for sensitive stomachs. They are foods to discuss with your vet, not treatments for diarrhea.
What To Do First
- Call your vet. A fecal test checks for worms and other parasites that can cause diarrhea, according to VCA; bring a fresh sample.
- Do not change foods suddenly. If the diarrhea started after a food change, Cornell advises going back to the original food until the stools firm up, then switching again gradually over a week or two. Avoid extra treats and rich foods until it clears up.
- Ask your vet about a short-term diet. Advice on home bland diets differs: Cornell lists boiled chicken and white rice for mild cases, for a short time only, because they are not nutritionally balanced, while VCA says the old chicken-and-rice approach is no longer recommended in most cases and that your vet may suggest a short-term veterinary diet and possibly probiotics.
- Keep water available. If your dog is vomiting too, or is a puppy, do not wait.
Washable belly-band diapers can protect your floors while you wait for the vet; the Paw Legend one linked here is made for male dogs.
Paw Legend Washable Belly Band Diapers for Male Dogs, 3 PackWashable wrap-around belly bands for male dogs, sold as a pack of three. They help protect floors while you wait for the vet; they are not a treatment for diarrhea.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.Choosing A Food To Discuss With Your Vet
Once your vet has ruled out other causes, they may suggest a different diet. Whatever you choose, make sure it is labelled complete and balanced for your dog’s life stage, and change foods gradually. The foods below are sold for sensitive stomachs; the descriptions come from their Amazon listings, we have not tested them, and none is a treatment for diarrhea.
Foods Owners Ask About For Sensitive Stomachs
1. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Dog Food, Salmon
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach, SalmonA salmon-first dry food with prebiotic fiber, oatmeal and live probiotics, in a 13.6 kg (30 lb) bag. A food to discuss with your vet, not a treatment.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes a salmon-first formula with prebiotic fiber, oatmeal and guaranteed live probiotics, in a 13.6 kg (30 lb) bag. It says the food used to be known as Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon and Rice.
2. Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula
Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Dry FoodA grain-free limited-ingredient dry food with turkey as the protein, in a 1.8 kg (4 lb) bag. See the note on grain-free foods and talk to your vet first.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes a limited-ingredient dry food with turkey as the protein, in a 1.8 kg (4 lb) bag. It is grain-free; see the note on grain-free foods below.
3. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food
Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & SkinAn adult dry formula with prebiotic fiber that the listing calls gentle on the stomach. A food to discuss with your vet.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes an adult formula with prebiotic fiber that it calls gentle on the stomach, plus vitamin E and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for the skin and coat.
4. Holistic Select Lamb Meal Recipe
Holistic Select Lamb Meal RecipeA lamb meal dry food with prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes and fiber, in a 13.6 kg (30 lb) bag. A food to discuss with your vet.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes a lamb meal recipe with prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes and dietary fiber, in a 13.6 kg (30 lb) bag.
5. Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free, Salmon
Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free SalmonA grain-free salmon dry food in a 10.9 kg (24 lb) bag. See the note on grain-free foods and talk to your vet first.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing is the grain-free salmon recipe, in a 10.9 kg (24 lb) bag; see the note on grain-free foods below.
6. Diamond CARE Sensitive Stomach
Diamond CARE Sensitive StomachA limited-ingredient dry food with potato and egg protein, plus prebiotics and probiotics, in a 3.6 kg (8 lb) bag. A food to discuss with your vet.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes a limited-ingredient formula with potato and egg protein, plus prebiotics and probiotics, in a 3.6 kg (8 lb) bag.
7. Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Canned, Turkey & Potato
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Canned Food, Turkey & PotatoA limited-ingredient wet food with a single turkey protein and potato, plus fiber and probiotics, in a pack of twelve 354 g (12.5 oz) cans. A food to discuss with your vet.Check price on AmazonAffiliate link — Dog Fluffy may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The listing describes a limited-ingredient canned food with a single turkey protein and potato, with fiber and probiotics, in 354 g (12.5 oz) cans (pack of 12).
Grain-Free And Raw Foods: Ask First
Several of the foods above are grain-free. The FDA has investigated a possible link between certain diets, including grain-free and legume-heavy foods, and a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). As of its December 2022 update the FDA had not identified a specific dietary cause and did not plan further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information; it asks owners to talk to their vet before changing their dog’s diet and to contact a vet if a dog shows reduced energy, coughing, trouble breathing or collapse.
Raw food, including freeze-dried raw, is a different question. The FDA says owners who feed a raw diet “may have a higher risk of getting infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes”, and advises washing your hands for at least 20 seconds after handling raw pet food. A dog with diarrhea is not the time to start one; ask your vet.
Conclusion
A single food is rarely the whole answer to diarrhea. If it lasts more than a couple of days, or comes with blood, vomiting, tiredness or not eating, see your vet; if your bulldog is a puppy, call the same day.
