So, Your Dog Has Food Poisoning...

*Disclaimer: I am not a vet nor am I writing this on behalf of any vet. I am simply explaining the steps we took to take care of our dogs when they had food poisoning.

All three of our dogs have experienced the pains of food poisoning. And take it from the person who cleaned up after them: IT. WAS. HORRIBLE.

The huskies got food poisoning a few months ago and, last month, Boo got it, too. 

I called our trusty veterinarian and she, being the wonderful vet that she is, gave me some great tips for nursing your dog through food poisoning at home. That's right, at home. Without paying an expensive vet bill. And I thought I'd share her expertise with you. Because it really works!

How our dogs got food poisoning is still up for debate. They are on a home-cooked diet so something in their meals could have made them sick. They also go on lots of walks and sometimes pick up stray food. And, since we live on a corner lot, strange debris flies into our yard. The vet also explained that dogs who dig in the yard sometimes dig things up and eat them that can make them sick.

Symptoms of food poisoning:

• Lethargic
• Depressed
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

If there is blood in your dog's stool, seek immediate medical attention.

If not, you can use these tips to nurse your dog back to health:

1. Stop feeding your dog food immediately . 
2. Give your dog 2 tsp of Pepto Bismol every 4 hours for the first 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, give your dog plain, nonfat yogurt--no artificial sweeteners. (We gave our dog 1/2 cup twice in a 12-hour period.)
4. At 36 hours, we gave the dogs 1/2 cup rice, and 1/4 cup chicken. For the next three days after that, we gave the dogs the rice-chicken mix for breakfast and dinner. We also continued to give the dogs a 1/4 cup of yogurt with every meal. They were back to normal in 48 hours.

If the diarrhea continues after 24 hours, call your vet. 

After going through these steps with all three dogs, we know that it works for us. So, if your dog is exhibiting the signs of food poisoning, these are the steps I recommend (and have tested and proven) to help nurse your dog back to health.

--Jessica