While it is certainly alarming, and not to mention potentially messy, all dogs will at some point experience loose stools during their lifetime. Loose stools can stem from a variety of causes and can depend on the age of the dog, although there are many other factors.
When your fur baby experiences these unpleasant symptoms, it is important not to overreact, but at the same time, it is important to find out the cause as there are potentially serious causes.
By and large, a change in dry dog food will often eliminate loose stools, as a frequent cause is a mild allergy to ingredients in their current diet. This could stem from their main meal, snacks, but also from any sneaky scavenging which often results in sneaky looks and sometimes smelly results. Thus, we created a list of the Best Dry Dog Foods for Loose Stools.
Bearing in mind that the ingredients of dry dog food may lead to loose stools, various manufacturers have created minimal ingredient dog food that reduces the number of different food products, therefore eliminating potential digestive issues. Furthermore, these manufacturers make sure to use only quality ingredients to only provide the best dry dog food for loose stools to our furry friends.
That being said, there are a number of choices from which you can choose to select the best meal and a number of flavors. Limited ingredient dry dog food will certainly help to get rid of your dog’s loose stool.
In a Hurry? Here Are Our Top 3 Picks:
The Hill’s Science Dry Dog Food offering is from a well known and trusted brand that is specifically designed for dogs that suffer from sensitive digestion and loose stool issues. Advertised as the perfect formula for adult dogs with digestive issues, it is made from high-quality natural ingredients and is touted as the number one recommended dry dog food by veterinarians. This is certainly one of the best dry dog foods for loose stools on the market today.
In addition to providing the necessary nutrients for a healthy diet, this precisely formulated food contains essential vitamins such as vitamin E and C as well as Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and fur. Omega fatty acids help to aid in digestion.
Created for ease of use as well as health concerns, the new formulation is designed for simplicity in that it can be given to your pet every day without careful planning. The limited ingredients in this dry dog food for loose stools will help eliminate any potential food allergies.
Made in the USA, Hills Science Diet is subject to stringent guidelines, letting you know that you are giving your dog the highest quality food with no preservatives or unwanted fillers.
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Manufactured by a well known and trusted brand, this dog food is the number one recommended adult dry dog food by vets.
- Specifically formulated to fill the needs of adult dogs with digestive issues, this simple formula can be given daily.
- Additional prebiotic fiber, Vitamins E and C, and Omega-6 fatty acids ensure a healthy gut biome, as well as healthy skin and a lustrous coat.
- Made in the USA under strict guidelines.
Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs is widely considered to be one of the top dog food brands. Purina consistently puts out top quality products that meet all needs which is why this is arguably the most popular dry dog food brand in the world. This product is no different as it checks all the boxes on your list of dietary requirements and will help get rid of your dog’s diarrhea.
Like the other offerings on this list, this dry dog food for loose stools is specifically made with sensitive tummies in mind. Leaving out ingredients with possible allergic reactions and sensitivities, Purina Pro Plan focuses on providing a complete nutritional meal with a taste your dog will not only love to eat, but also make them feel better.
Made primarily with salmon and rice, this meal provides essential oils as well as healthy carbs that are gentle on the digestive system. The addition of oatmeal and barley gives your dog an energy boost and a healthy amount of fiber, while the salmon and sunflower oils are an excellent source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to ensure healthy skin and coat as well as healthy joints. All around, this is one of the top dog foods for loose stools.
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Manufactured by a reputable company, this formula will ensure a complete diet that is appropriate for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
- Deriving its nutrients from natural sources such as rice, oats, salmon, and sunflower oils, this food is packed with essential oils and fatty acids.
- In addition to healthy digestion, this food is designed to promote healthy skin, coat, and joints.
- Free from additives, preservatives, and food coloring, this food is designed to be free from possible allergens.
The Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredients was created by its founder specifically for dogs with sensitive stomachs and food allergies, this brand is a trusted favorite with people who only want the best for their pups. Formulated for adult dogs, this dry formula is made from carefully selected and limited ingredients.
This grain-free dog food contains a single animal protein, along with potatoes, peas, and pumpkin. Eliminating grains that contain gluten, this food is ideal for pets with sensitive stomachs and loose stools. This perfectly formulated blend of proteins and carbohydrates provides the ideal caloric intake for your pets giving the energy and nutrition for a healthy life. It will also help to harden up their stools.
The addition of BLUE’S LifeSource Bits—a specific blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals curated by holistic vets and animal nutritionists—ensures that your dog receives the nutrition to support immune system health, the right oxidative balance, and nutrition for their stage in life.
This food is always free from chicken by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, and artificial flavors or preservatives. With a selection of flavors, you can be sure to find the right one to make your fur baby happy. This is by the best dry dog food for loose stools if you’re looking for a dog food with extremely limited ingredients.
The flavors of Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredients include:
- Grain-Free Turkey and Potato
- Grain-Free Duck and Potato
- Grain-Free Lamb and Potato
- Grain-Free Salmon and Potato
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Made specifically for adult dogs with loose stools and sensitive stomachs.
- Trusted and recommended by people who care for dogs with digestive issues.
- Grain-free and made with a limited number of ingredients.
- Made with BLUE’S LifeSource Bits.
Royal Canin Dry Dog Food for Loose Stools is produced from a relatively popular company, and this dog chow is specially formulated for dogs with loose stools and digestive issues. With a blend of highly digestible proteins, dietary fibers, and prebiotics, this food helps support optimal digestive flora and optimal stool quality.
With packaging covered in nutritional information, helpful charts, and useful instructions, this food comes with all of the information you need to determine the optimal feeding schedule and quantity of food for your dog.
Unlike many other foods on this list, this formula contains cornmeal and chicken by-product. While this may not be an issue for your pet, be sure to keep an eye on their digestion, at least for the first few days, to avoid potential issues. Some dogs can be allergic to chicken by-product or cornmeal. To many people, these ingredients are considered filler products in dry dog food. However, we still believe that this is one of the best dog foods for loose stools.
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Specifically designed formula for dogs with sensitive stomachs, allergies, and digestive issues.
- Packed with additional vitamins and minerals to ensure health.
- The packaging is covered in useful nutritional information, feeding charts, and other relevant information.
The Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient is one of, if not the best dry dog foods for loose stools and sensitive stomachs. This particular dog food is approached with the concept of minimalism. Created for dogs with serious stomach sensitivities, Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food is made with ingredients that are easy to digest and fulfill all of your dog’s necessary nutritional needs.
Made without grains (or any sources of gluten of any kind), artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives this is a great limited ingredient dry dog food. This food is suitable for the most delicate digestive tracts because it is made with a single source of protein and easily digestible carbohydrates. This is one of the blandest dry dog foods on the market today. Feeding this to your dog for a week or two should get rid of their loose stools.
The addition of prebiotics and probiotics, ensure a healthy balance of the gastrointestinal tract. A healthy digestive colony will ensure that your pet stays in the best of health and doesn’t have loose stools.
Additional supplementary ingredients, ensure that your furry pal gets the most from their meal, including healthy skin and a shiny coat. After all, when you feel your best, you want to look your best!
With a selection of flavors, you can be sure to find the right one to make your fur baby happy. These flavors include:
- Duck
- Lamb
- Salmon
- Turkey
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Specifically formulated for the most sensitive of digestions.
- Made from a limited number of high-quality ingredients.
- Filled with prebiotics, probiotics, and an assortment of benign ingredients to ensure overall health in addition to a healthy digestive tract.
- Free from fillers, by-products, preservatives, artificial coloring, dairy, and eggs.
Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food is consistently rated as one of the best dry dog foods by users. Taste of the Wild was created to give your dog a taste of what it would be like to hunt and eat without the mess. This carefully designed dry dog food recipe focuses on providing high quality content and leaving out grains of any kind.
Instead, the source of carbohydrate is added in the form of sweet potatoes and provides the ideal daily caloric intake. Smoked salmon and ocean fish provide a good amount of fats as well as healthy oils to keep your dog’s coat shiny and limber. Omega oils also help to aid with digestion in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent against loose stools.
Packed with prebiotics and probiotics, this food boosts the helpful bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract, ensuring consistently hard stools and a healthy immune system. The addition of chicory root further boosts the immune and digestive effects.
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- A highly rated among dog lovers, this food is designed with your fuzzy pal’s wild side in mind.
- Packed with protein and healthy fats, this formula provides a healthy dose of healthy fats and oils for a shiny coat, healthy skin, and well-lubed joints.
- Free from grains, this food is made with sweet potatoes to provide an ideal caloric intake to keep you dog going through the day.
- A healthy dose of prebiotics and probiotics ensures a healthy gut biome promoting healthy stool consistency and immune health.
The Instinct Limited Ingredient for Loose Stools is premium dry dog food that is composed of few ingredients, eliminating possible sources of irritation that could upset the stomach of your dog. Entirely grain-free, each flavor is made of a single animal protein, a single vegetable, and few other ingredients.
This simple formula is scientifically designed to give your furry friend the nutrition they need, without any extras, and all in a delicious blend that your pooch will love. Made in the USA this food sources quality ingredients from all over the globe.
In the form of dry kibble, each piece of kibble is coated in freeze-dried raw ingredients providing all the nutrition and taste of raw food. Minimally processed, this formula is sure to give your dog the boost it needs to overcome loose stools.
Packed with helpful antioxidants, healthy oils, and acids, this food will build up the immune system while ensuring complete nutrition, giving your fuzzy pals coat and skin luster and health. With a selection of flavors, you can be sure to find the right one to make your dog happy.
The flavors of Instinct Limited dry dog food include:
- Duck
- Lamb
- Salmon
- Turkey
Reasons to Buy this Dry Dog Food:
- Excellent for dogs with sensitive digestion.
- Made from a limited number of quality ingredients.
- Made with freeze-dried raw ingredients to maximize flavor and nutrition
- Packed with healthy antioxidants, oils, and acids, this food builds up your pet’s immune system.
The Best Dry Dog Food For Adult Dogs with Loose Stools
When it comes to your dog, you want to give then the best dry dog food that you can. When it comes to treating loose stools, the best food comes with the best ingredients that are limited in scope. Furthermore, as often times gastric distress is the result of a mild allergic reaction, many food formulas are made with a minimal choice of ingredients. This limited number of ingredients reduces the greatest possible number of irritant sources leaving your pup happy and healthy. Any of the foods from our Best Dog Foods with Loose Stools will help with these issues.
What is causing your dog’s loose stool?
- Diet / Food Allergies: One of the most common reasons of a loose stool is if your dog ate something new that they aren’t used too. These are often human foods or objects that your dog finds on the ground. In addition, loose stools can be caused by food allergies. Any disruption to the gastrointestinal tract will cause loose stools.
- Parasites / Infections: Parasites and infections are most common in younger dogs. However, parasites and infections will upset the gastrointestinal tract and usually cause all types of loose stools.
- Medications: Antibiotics and only medications usually have a side effect of diarrhea and loose stools. Usually, these loose stools are only temporary.
- Stress: Just like with humans, stress causes significant gastrointestinal issues. If you recently moved, had a death in the family, or experienced a drastic change in lifestyle than this might be causing your dog’s loose stool.
Tips for Dogs With Digestive Issues and Loose Stools
While feeding your dog the right food is an important step in the right direction for dealing with loose stools, these tips will help you keep them healthy and avoid any further sources of distress.
- Avoid feeding your pupper human food: While we tend to include our furry friends in our family and love them like children, we have to remember that they are not human. Food that we love and can digest can often cause distress to sensitive tummies.
- Check with a vet for allergies: Be sure to find out the allergies of your pup before selecting new food to get the best results for both you and your pup.
- Keep an eye on Fido: Make sure that your cute little bundle of fur isn’t eating things they shouldn’t. They are curious and will eat anything that seems interesting and edible, and often things that aren’t.
- Keep their diet consistent: While you may prefer a variety in your diet, for a pup’s sensitive tummy, a consistent diet is key. Sudden changes can cause digestive issues. You might like change but Fido doesn’t.
- Keep portions moderate and the right amount for their size: Most dogs will eat anything you out in front of them, whether they are hungry or not. It is your job to know the right amount fo food for your buddy and not give in to their begging and sad puppy eyes.
- Keep your buddy hydrated: Make sure that your pup has access to clean water. Hydration is key for health and can have a profound effect on digestion.
- Select the right food for your pup: Not every pup is the same. What works for one, may not for another. Find out the best food for your pup and stick with it. Opt for high quality with only premium ingredients.
- Keep your pup from eating too fast: If your dog is eating too fast, it can be distressing for its digestion. Find a food that slows down the meal or consider getting them a maze bowl to slow down their eating.
How to get rid of your dog’s loose stool?
Loose stools are not only difficult for a dog owner to clean up but usually, it’s also a sign that your dog isn’t feeling well. The best way to get rid of your dog’s loose stool is to put then on a bland diet for at least 7 days. All of the above best dry dog foods for loose stools contain limited ingredients which will help rid of your dog’s loose stools.
If changing your dog’s dry dog food to a limited ingredient food doesn’t work, then it’s recommended that you consult a veterinarian. If your dog has an infection or parasite then they may have to be administered antibiotics.
Conclusion for Best Dry Dog Foods for Loose Stools
Finding the right food for your pup can take some time and be a bit challenging. There are many factors to take into account that may limit your option.
However, as you can see from our list of the best dry dog foods for loose stools, there are numerous options to choose from. These specialized foods give you the best options to treat loose stools and at the same time provide your pooch all the necessary nutrients for a healthy diet.
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Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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