For a dog with diarrhea, feed a mix of two parts white rice to one part boiled chicken, split into four to six small meals throughout the day. The total daily amount depends on your dog’s size, but a good starting point is roughly the same volume of food they’d normally eat, just divided into smaller, more frequent portions.
The Basic Ratio: 2 Parts Rice, 1 Part Chicken
The standard bland diet for dogs with digestive upset uses a 2:1 ratio of cooked white rice to plain boiled chicken. So if you’re giving your dog one cup of food per meal, that’s about two-thirds cup of rice mixed with one-third cup of shredded chicken. This ratio keeps the meal easy to digest while providing enough protein to maintain energy.
White rice is the preferred grain here, not brown rice. Brown rice still has its outer seed coat intact, which contains more fiber and is harder for an upset stomach to process. White rice is low in fiber, quick to digest, and helps bind loose stool. Cook it plain with no butter, oil, salt, or seasoning of any kind.
How Much to Feed Based on Dog Size
A reasonable guideline is to feed roughly 75% of your dog’s normal daily food volume, split across the day. Dogs with diarrhea absorb nutrients less efficiently, but overfeeding an irritated gut will only make things worse. Start on the lighter side and increase slightly if your dog seems hungry and is tolerating the food well.
Here’s a practical breakdown by weight:
- Small dogs (under 20 lbs): about 1/2 to 3/4 cup total per meal, three to four meals daily
- Medium dogs (20 to 50 lbs): about 3/4 to 1.5 cups total per meal, three to four meals daily
- Large dogs (50 to 80 lbs): about 1.5 to 2 cups total per meal, three to four meals daily
- Extra-large dogs (over 80 lbs): about 2 to 3 cups total per meal, three to four meals daily
These are starting points. If your dog’s stool starts firming up, you’re in the right range. If it stays loose or your dog vomits after eating, reduce the portion size and feed more frequently.
Feed Small Meals, Not Two Big Ones
Instead of your dog’s usual twice-daily schedule, divide the food into four to six smaller meals spaced throughout the day. Smaller portions put less strain on an already irritated digestive system and give the gut time to absorb nutrients between feedings. If your dog normally eats at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., try feeding at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. instead.
How to Prepare the Chicken
Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Bones can splinter and create a choking hazard, and skin adds fat that can further upset the stomach or trigger inflammation of the pancreas. Place the chicken in a pot, cover it with water, and boil until fully cooked through, typically 12 to 15 minutes for breasts. Let it cool, then shred it into small pieces. Boiling removes excess fat, which is exactly what you want for a sensitive stomach.
Don’t add anything to the chicken or rice. No broth (store-bought versions often contain onion, garlic, or high sodium), no spices, no oil. Bland means bland.
Adding Pumpkin for Extra Help
Plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices) can help firm up loose stool. Add one to four tablespoons to your dog’s meal depending on their size. Pumpkin contains soluble fiber that absorbs water in the digestive tract, which helps bulk up watery stool. Start with a smaller amount and see how your dog responds before adding more.
How Long to Stay on the Bland Diet
Plan on feeding chicken and rice for two to three days. Most cases of simple diarrhea resolve within that window. Don’t feed this diet for longer than a few days without veterinary guidance, because it lacks the full range of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids your dog needs for sustained nutrition. It’s a short-term fix, not a balanced long-term diet.
During this time, skip all treats, chews, table scraps, and other food sources. Anything outside the bland diet can re-trigger the upset.
Transitioning Back to Regular Food
Once your dog’s stool is firm for a full day, start mixing regular food back in gradually over about a week. Begin by replacing roughly 25% of the chicken-and-rice mixture with your dog’s normal kibble or wet food. Every two days, increase the proportion of regular food while decreasing the bland diet. A typical schedule looks like this:
- Days 1 to 2: 75% bland diet, 25% regular food
- Days 3 to 4: 50% bland diet, 50% regular food
- Days 5 to 6: 25% bland diet, 75% regular food
- Day 7: 100% regular food
Rushing this transition is one of the most common reasons diarrhea comes back. The gut needs time to readjust to the fats, fiber, and ingredients in standard dog food.
Signs That Need Veterinary Attention
A bland diet works well for mild, uncomplicated diarrhea. But certain signs indicate something more serious is going on. According to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, you should contact your vet if the diarrhea doesn’t resolve within 48 to 72 hours, if your dog stops eating, becomes lethargic, or starts vomiting alongside the diarrhea. Black or tarry stool is a red flag, as it signals partially digested blood in the intestines. Fresh red blood in the stool also warrants a call. Puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with existing health conditions have less margin for dehydration, so err on the side of getting them checked sooner rather than later.