What is bland dog food?
A bland dog food diet is highly digestible and soft which are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single protein source. The diet is also normally low in fibre, fat and protein and high in carbohydrates.
Bland dog food includes:
- Boiled white rice with skinless and boneless boiled chicken. 2 cups of rice should be fed to every half cup
- Equal parts boiled rice and low-fat cottage cheese
- One part cooked and drained lean hamburger and two parts plain boiled pasta
Why feed bland dog food?
Bland dog food is normally fed to dogs with diarrhoea after a 12 to 24 hour fast to try and settle their stomachs as quickly as possible, its also sometimes fed to dogs with IBS to try and prevent a reaction. This gives their intestinal tract a break whilst still providing needed calories and nutrients whilst regulating their stools. As a bland food diet isn’t nutritionally balanced it shouldn’t be used for more than a couple of days without a vet’s guidance and if diarrhoea still persists a trip to the vets is needed.
Bland Food Feeding Instructions
You should feed around 25% of your dog’s usual portion every 6 to 8 hours with smaller dogs needing slightly less and bigger dogs needing slightly more – sticking to the same ratios of protein to carbohydrate. Treats should not be fed during this period. Going back to their normal diet should be transitional over a week, rushing the progress could cause a reverse of any progress and cause diarrhoea again.
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