If you’re a dog parent, you probably know the feeling of panic when your dog suddenly has diarrhea. That was exactly the situation I found myself in recently, and it taught me an important lesson about treats, digestion, and how a simple homemade meal can help get things back on track quickly.

I’m sharing this experience because I know many dog owners go through the same thing, and sometimes the solution is much simpler than we expect.

The Treat That Caused the Problem

Recently I introduced my dog to a new treat: collagen sticks. The first time he had one, he absolutely loved it. Watching him enjoy it so much made me happy, and like many dog parents, I made the classic mistake of giving him another one the very next day.

That’s when the trouble started.

Soon after, he began having really bad diarrhea. At first I was worried it might be something more serious like worms or a parasite. Anytime your dog suddenly gets sick, your mind immediately jumps to worst-case scenarios.

Rather than jump to too many more conclusions, my wife and I called our vet to ask for advice.

What the Vet Told Us

The vet reassured us that what we were seeing was actually pretty common. Dogs can have very sensitive stomachs, especially when it comes to new treats or rich foods. Sometimes even something that’s marketed as healthy can upset their digestive system if introduced too quickly or given in too large of a quantity.

In our case, the collagen sticks were simply too much for his stomach to handle.

The vet recommended putting him on a very simple, bland diet for a few days to help his digestive system recover.

The Simple Meal That Helped Immediately

The recommended meal was incredibly simple:

• Plain boiled chicken

• Steamed white rice

• Pumpkin puree

That’s it.

This combination is commonly recommended because:

• Boiled chicken provides lean protein that is easy to digest.

• White rice helps firm up stool and provides gentle carbohydrates.

• Pumpkin puree is high in fiber and helps regulate digestion.

The pumpkin puree was something I hadn’t thought about before, but it turns out it’s commonly used to help dogs with digestive issues.

We were even able to find it at our local pet store, The Urban Pet, which sells canned pumpkin puree specifically for dogs. We got the Nummy Tum-Tum Organic Pumpkin Puree.

Instructions

Chicken Instructions: For our dog, we used boneless skinless chicken breast. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, cut them into 3 to 4 pieces. Add water to a pot and bring the water to a boil. Add in your chicken and let it cook it for about 12-14 minutes. After it finishes cooking, let it cool down for a few minutes and then cut it up into smaller pieces.

Rice Instructions: We used plain white jasmine rice. Cook enough rice to get your dog through a few days. Tip: Rice stays quite hot for awhile after it's been cooked, so I suggest cooking the rice early or just be sure to let it cool in his bowl before serving. I was in a rush so I fanned it by hand to cool it down which didn't take too long.

In your dogs bowl, add in the appropriate portions based on your dogs weight our usual appetite. However, for the very first few meals I suggest reducing portion sizes. For our 75 pound dog, we initially fed him 1/2 cup rice + 1/2 cup chicken, and gradually increased over a few days.

Pumpkin Puree Instructions: Take it out of the can and place into a food container that you can then store in the fridge. The can we used says to add in 1 tablespoon per 10 pounds dog weight. However, I suggest starting with less initially and gradually increasing with each meal.

Mix it all up and serve!

Seeing Improvement Almost Immediately

What surprised me the most was how quickly things improved.

Within just one day of feeding him this simple meal, his stool was already starting to firm up. Each day after that, it got better and better until he was completely back to normal.

Seeing that quick turnaround was a huge relief.

A Lesson for Dog Parents (Including Me)

This experience reminded me of a few important things:

• Introduce new treats slowly and in small amounts.

• Even healthy treats can upset a dog’s stomach if they eat too much.

• A simple bland diet can work wonders when dogs have digestive issues.

Most importantly, if your dog ever has severe or persistent symptoms, it’s always best to call your vet for guidance.

Final Thoughts

As someone who spends a lot of time around dogs, not just as a dog dad myself but as a professional dog walker in South Pasadena, I’m always learning new things about their health and behavior. This experience was a good reminder that sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective.

If your dog ever has an upset stomach, a gentle meal of boiled chicken, white rice, and pumpkin puree might help get them back on their paws faster than you expect.

And of course, when in doubt, always check with your vet.

Your dog will thank you for it.