It's 3am and Your Dog is Sick! Here's What to Actually Do!
I've been saying this for years, and I'm going to keep saying it until it sticks!
Stop feeding your sick dog chicken and rice!
I know, I know....your vet told you to. I know it's what everyone says. I know it feels like the responsible choice. But it's not, and I'm going to break down exactly why, and more importantly, exactly what to do instead.
Bookmark this email. Screenshot it. Send it to a friend. Because at 3am when your dog is sick and you're panicking, you need answers, not guesswork.
If you'd prefer to listen to this blog, you can click here and look for S1E31: It's 3am and Your Dog is Sick! Here's What to Actually Do! and listen anywhere you love listening to podcasts.
STEP ONE: CONSIDER A SHORT FAST
If your dog has been intermittently throwing up, or having diarrhea but otherwise appears to be their normal, furry little self, you can typically resolve the issue at home. I know it's concerning when the furry guys aren't feeling well, I've had my share of sleepless nights when little Zaner's tummy troubles not only kept us up at night, but consumed my every waking thought too! But before you reach for any food at all, consider giving the gut a rest.
For a healthy adult dog, a 12 to 24 hour fast is completely safe and often one of the most effective things you can do. The digestive system is trying to resolve something. Throwing food at it before it's ready isn't helping, it's interrupting the process. Sometimes just like us, our dogs can get a little "bug" that just sets the tummy off and we just need to give it a break so it can get back to doing what it does without any problems.
Skip a meal. If we threw up last night, skip breakfast and serve supper. If we threw up after breakfast, wait to serve food again until breakfast tomorrow. Offer fresh water. Let the body do what it knows how to do.
Note: this does not apply to puppies, dogs that need food with meds, have existing health conditions, or dogs with known blood sugar issues. When in doubt, reach out before you fast.
STEP TWO: STOP THE CHICKEN AND RICE
Chicken is not the gentle, bland protein it's been made out to be. It's higher in fat than most people realize, and boiling it doesn't fix that.
Overcooking fat creates harmful compounds called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) and Advanced Lipoxidation End Products (ALEs). These are toxic byproducts formed when proteins and fats are exposed to high heat, and they drive inflammation throughout the body. They've been linked to accelerated aging, organ damage, and worsening of existing inflammatory conditions. The last thing a gut that's already struggling needs is more of that. If your dog has any history of pancreatitis or a sensitive gut, chicken can make things significantly worse especially during a flare up.
Rice does almost nothing. It has virtually no fibre, breaks down into sugar, and feeds inflammation. As you know, rice is a grain and when we put a grain into an already upset tummy, it will ferment and cause more issues. You have likely noticed in the past, the rice comes out, looking exactly how it did when it went in. Their body isn't breaking it down or getting any nutritional value from it. Rice is a filler, regardless of what kind of food it's in.
There's also the arsenic issue, which is well-documented in all types of rice and rice products. This is not a healing food. It's a food that keeps vets comfortable because it's been repeated long enough that nobody questioned it.
I'm questioning it and I have been for years!
STEP THREE: REACH FOR SLIPPERY ELM
This is the one I wish every pet parent knew about before they needed it. You can ask Zaner, we are never without it and any hint of an upset tummy, the Slippery Elm goes in his bowl for at least a week to get things moving correctly again!
Slippery Elm is a herb that, when mixed with water, creates a thick, gel-like substance that coats the entire digestive tract from the mouth to the colon. It soothes irritated mucous membranes, reduces inflammation, and creates a protective barrier that lets the gut heal from the inside out. If you're already feeding a moisture rich diet, like a raw food or gently cooked, adding it directly to the food is perfectly fine!
Slippery Elm is gentle, it is safe, and it works.
For dogs, the general guideline is 1/4 teaspoon of powder per 10 lbs of body weight, mixed with a small amount of warm water (or added to a moisture rich food) to form a paste or slurry. You can serve it 20 minutes before a meal, or with the meal. It will not hurt an empty stomach, it will actually soothe it.
✅ Pro Tip: Not only is Slippery Elm fantastic for the digestive system, it is also beneficial for the respiratory system. If your dog has Kennel Cough, adding a little bit of Slippery Elm to Manuka Honey (minimum 10 UMF - Unique Manuka Factor) is beneficial in helping them recover while resting and drinking lots of fluids.
This is why we carry Slippery Elm in store and why I always have it on hand at home. It is one of the most underused tools in a pet parent's toolkit, and once you have it, you will never go back.
STEP FOUR: INTRODUCE FOOD THE RIGHT WAY
After a short fast, and it's time to reintroduce food, here's what actually works:
PLAIN CANNED PUMPKIN. Organic is best. The reason we prefer organic is because pumpkins are hearty beasts and they're sprayed with a lot of chemicals while being harvested. Those chemicals can leach the thick shell and enter the fleshy part we eat.
When we say pumpkin, it's important to note that we're talking about pure pumpkin, not pie filling. Real pumpkin with one ingredient. It has nearly six times the fibre of rice, and it's the soluble kind that forms a protective gel to soothe the gut lining, slows things down, and replaces the potassium your dog loses during a bout of vomiting or diarrhea. This is a staple in my house. It should be in yours too! It's not just for diarrhea, it can be used if a furry guy is constipated and struggling to go as well.
LEAN GROUND TURKEY. Lightly cooked, not overcooked, and significantly lower in fat than chicken. It's easier on a gut that's already working hard.
Once your turkey is cooked and cooled, start with a 50/50 mix (half pumpkin, half turkey), in two to three small meals, at about 75% of your dog's normal daily portion. Serve this diet for about three days and you should see things getting back to normal. This is also where we can add some Slippery Elm to help coat and soothe the digestive tract.
If your dog is not improving, even if they're eating, it's time to make an appointment with the Dogtor.
✅ Pro Tip: If you've got a furry little gobbler who barely tastes their food, but we're trying to heal the gut, offer their turkey pumpkin meal on a lick mat or slow feeder to slow them down so we're not overwhelming the digestive system after our brief fasting period.
STEP FIVE: ADD BONE BROTH OR GOAT MILK
Once your dog is willing to eat and keeping things down, and bathroom breaks are getting back to normal, this is where you start to rebuild.
Bone broth is liquid gold for a recovering gut. It provides collagen, gelatin, and glycine, all of which support the integrity of the gut lining. It's also a gentle way to get hydration into a dog who isn't drinking much. Choose a pet-safe bone broth with no onion and no added salt. Bone broth doesn't have to be added only after we're eating again. Adding a splash of warmed bone broth to our turkey and pumpkin can bring out the aromas of the meal and encourage eating if our tummy makes us feel like we don't really want to. It's kind of like chicken soup for us when we feel under the weather.
Goat milk is another one of my go-to recovery tools. It's naturally rich in probiotics, digestive enzymes, and short-chain fatty acids that feed the good bacteria in the gut. Raw goat milk is what we recommend. Pasteurized dairy is great for us, but tough for the furry guys to digest, so make sure the dairy you're offering is a raw option. Pour a small amount over the turkey and pumpkin or offer it separately as a drink almost no furry guy can resist!
Think of these as the rebuilding phase. The pumpkin and turkey stabilize. The broth and goat milk restore.
WHEN TO SEE THE VET
I want to be very clear about this part.
Natural support is powerful, but it is not a replacement for professional medical care when veterinary care is what your dog needs. There are times we need to realize, we can't fix it at home and we need to go to the Dogtor.
Not every upset stomach is an emergency. A single episode of vomiting, especially that little bit of yellow bile first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, can be completely benign if your dog is otherwise acting normal. Monitor closely, skip the next meal, and watch for what comes next.
But here's when you stop reading and go:
Vomiting: If vomiting continues for more than 24 hours, that's a red flag. Get professional help. Be especially concerned if there is blood in the vomit, your dog cannot keep food or water down, or they become lethargic, weak, or show signs of abdominal pain. These are signs of dehydration or something more serious that needs to be assessed in person. If vomiting is repeated or accompanied by diarrhea, don't wait the full 24 hours. Act sooner.
Diarrhea: Some acute diarrhea can settle on its own with the right support. But if it's severe, bloody, causing weakness, or lasting beyond 48 to 72 hours, seek help. And if you have a puppy, do not wait. Do not fast young puppies. Puppy diarrhea can signal parvovirus or rapid dehydration, both of which move fast and require immediate veterinary attention.
Go to your vet now if you see any of these:
- Blood in the vomit or stool
- Your dog refuses to drink
- Extreme lethargy or weakness
- Signs of bloat: distended abdomen, unproductive retching, obvious distress
- Repeated vomiting that isn't stopping
- Your dog has eaten something they shouldn't have
- You just know something is wrong
That last one matters. You know your dog better than anyone. Trust that.
Vomiting and diarrhea can cause life-threatening dehydration, especially in smaller dogs. The protocol I've shared is for support, not a substitute for eyes on your animal when things are escalating.
COME SEE US
It's nice to be prepared if a furry guy has an off day and just doesn't feel themselves. That's why we keep Slippery Elm, pet-safe bone broth, raw goat milk, digestive enzymes, and probiotics on our shelves because this is the protocol I believe in. If you're not sure what to grab or how much to use, come in and ask. That's what we're here for.
Your dog is lucky to have someone who loves them enough to be Googling at 3am.