Feeding A Bland Diet

Why Feed A Bland Diet?

Feeding a bland diet can be helpful for several reasons:

1. The components of these diets are easy to digest, allowing for easy absorption to provide nutrition.
2. These diets lack substances that can further irritate an already inflammed gastrointestinal tract.
3. These diets are low-residue, meaning once digested there is little waste to be eliminated, thereby decreasing the volume of diarrhea or feces.

What Options for Feeding Are Available?

Commercially prepared bland diets are available by prescription.  These include diets like Hill's i/d or i/d low-fat, Purina EN, or Royal Canin GI low fat.  You can also home-cook several options that are suitable bland diet choices.  To home cook, you will need a protein and carbohydrate from the following choices:

Proteins:

1. boiled chicken breast
2. boild ground meat/hamburger
3. unseasoned scrambled egg
4. fat-free cottage cheese

Carbohydrates:

1. white rice
2. plain pasta
3. plain oatmeal

Use a ratio of 2 parts of carbohydrate to every 1 part of protein to make up the final diet.  For example, you would use 1 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of boiled ground meat to make up a final portion.

How Much Should I Feed?

Start off by feeding only small meals but offering them relatively frequently.  For a small pet this may only be a tablespoon or two of food at each "meal" but it may be offered every few hours.  For larger pets, it could be 1/4 to 1/2 cup at each feeding.

In the case of vomiting, stop offering food for a few hours if your pet vomits after eating.  If the pet does not vomit after the first few meals are offered, you can gradually increase the size of the meals and offer them less frequently.  Most pets will need to eat a larger volume of this diet than their normal dry or canned food, but you do not want to begin feeding this large of a volume until at least the second day of treatment.

How Long Should I Feed A Bland Diet?

The above recipe guidelines are not designed to be fed on a permanent basis.  These diets are lacking in some of the vitamins and minerals that are necessary long-term.  However, feeding a bland diet for a week or two poses no long-term harm to your pet.  

The general rule-of-thumb we offer clients is to feed for a minimum of 5-7 days.  In the case of vomiting, feeding for this duration is usually sufficient.  In the case of diarrhea, feed until your pet has had either normal stool or no bowel movement at all (a good sign in the case of diarrhea!  This does not mean your pet is becoming constipated) for 3 days.

Do I Need To Follow Up With The Vet?

In the cases of "routine" vomiting and/or diarrhea that can happen from food changes, eating things pets shouldnt, getting into the trash, etc. no follow up is needed as long as the pet stops vomiting or the diarrhea resolves.  In some cases, we may be concerned about the potential for a bowel obstruction or other serious underlying cause for vomiting or diarrhea.  We should see your pet back if:

1. Vomiting persists, even after you have stopped offering food and water for a few hours to allow the stomach to rest
2. Moderate or large amounts of blood when your pet vomits or passes stool
3. Your pet's condition seems to be worsening
4. Your pet has not improved at all in 24-48 hours after being seen.