Canine Tummy Tamers: What to Give a Dog for an Upset Stomach

Help for your dog's GI upsets

By: Julie Anne Lee, DCH

Last Updated:July 9, 2025

Vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux… GI upset is a common issue for our canine companions that can take many forms. Your dog's digestive tract can become inflamed for a variety of reasons: something they ate, bacteria, a food sensitivity, an imbalance of the microbiome, medications, or a chronic issue, like a leaky gut. And when this happens, you'll often see a variety of symptoms, from vomiting and diarrhea to lethargy and loss of appetite.

◤ Simple digestive upset should resolve very quickly (within hours to a day or two) with a bit of extra care. However, your dog should NOT exhibit signs of extreme lethargy, pale gums, or blood in the stool. If this happens, a trip to your vet is your very best option. Trust your instincts, and if you're even the least bit concerned, head in.

These vet-approved methods are natural, gentle, yet effective ways to help tame your dog's upset tummy. These tried-and-true home remedies—many of which probably already live in your pantry—will help provide relief to a gurgling canine gut!

Canine Tummy Tamers: What to Give a Dog With an Upset Stomach

#1. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is great for GI issues in dogs for a number of reasons. It's nutrient-dense without being heavy or hard to digest. The soluble fiber content in pumpkin adds bulk to your dog's stool by absorbing excess water. This makes pumpkin ideal when your dog has diarrhea. Not only that, but fiber fermentation during digestion produces beneficial fatty acids that supply energy to cells, stimulate intestinal sodium and water absorption, and lower the pH level of the large intestines.

Ironically, the same way pumpkin helps with diarrhea means it can also help with constipation. The high water and fiber content helps bulk up and soften the stool, acting as a natural laxative and making it easier for your pup to poop.

Dosage

For both diarrhea and constipation, start with one to two tablespoons of pumpkin once or twice a day and work up to three to four tablespoons. Just open a can of pure pumpkin (no pumpkin pie filling) and add to your dog's regular food. If you want to use fresh pumpkin, that's perfectly ok too! Just cook and puree it.

#2. Bone Broth

Bone broth is gentle yet super nutritious. It increases fluid consumption and offers much-needed nutrients at a time when your pet needs a boost. Additionally, some amino acids in bone broth can help improve digestion.

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To make it, you'll need:

Put all your bones into your crockpot and fill it with water until the bones are completely covered, then, add a little more, around two to three inches. Then add your apple cider vinegar. Start with medium-high heat for about an hour, then low for 12–24 hours (or more). At the end, add any additional ingredients you like (ex. dog-safe vegetables), and simmer for about 30 minutes more. Once you're finished cooking it, turn off the crockpot, skim off any fat from the top, and strain the bones. Now, put it in the fridge to cool.

Bone Broth Dosage for Dogs

Spoon one to two tablespoons onto your pet's regular food. Keep what you'll use over the next few days in an airtight container in the fridge and freeze the rest. It will keep in the freezer for several months.

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#3. Pre/Pro/Postbiotics

Pre, pro, and postbiotics play an integral role in keeping the gut healthy, but they also help rebalance things when they're out of whack. Specifically, probiotics boost the healthy bacteria in the gut and are a well-known therapy for diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset.

Probiotics normalize the conditions in the intestines by changing the acidity of the digestive tract and releasing short-chain fatty acids (postbiotics). Probiotics also help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria by competing for the same nutrients and resources. Boosting the populations of helpful bacteria limits the nutrients available for the bad bacteria and reduces their numbers to levels that your dog can tolerate better. Don't forget the prebiotics; they feed those beneficial probiotics to help them thrive. Quick tip: look for a supplement that contains both pre and probiotics together!

Dosage

It's important to look for probiotics for dogs with many different strains and high colony-forming units. I recommend 12–14 strains and at least 30 billion CFU. I also highly recommend rotating in species-specific probiotics because they're proven to survive the environment in a dog's gut and can offer unique postbiotic benefits.

#4. Slippery Elm

The slippery elm is a large, deciduous tree native to Eastern North America. When you mix the bark with water, it creates a sticky gel-like substance known as mucilage. When your dog ingests the bark and it makes its way through the body, it comes into contact with water. The mucilage forms and coats the inside of the digestive tract, lubricating and helping promote mucous secretions. This helps reduce the inflammation within the digestive tract that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, or gastric reflux. Research supports its use. A 2013 study on the management of canine and feline vomiting and diarrhea tested the efficacy of slippery elm in a veterinary setting. 82 percent of the dogs with vomiting and 93 percent of the dogs with diarrhea responded within two days or four doses!

Dosage

Buy slippery elm for dogs as a supplement and follow the directions. Typically, dosage guidelines go by weight, and recommendations are 100 milligrams per 10 pounds, two to four times daily. Mix it into your dog's regular food or blend it into a little bit of plain kefir or gentle bone broth.

#5. Homeopathy

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Homeopathic Nux Vomica is very often indicated for digestive upset, from vomiting to diarrhea. Try a 30C potency and give it every eight to 12 hours, three times. If your dog will take the pellets by mouth, that's an easy way to do it. Dogs even have this perfect little pocket just inside their cheek that you can pop the remedy into. If not, stir a few pellets into a small cup of water and give approximately three tablespoons to your pup.

» For dogs with GI issues, these proactive tips can be a game changer for their health!