Best Food for Dogs With Colitis

Sudden vs Chronic Colitis: Different Diet Plans

Colitis means inflammation of the large bowel (colon).¹ See our colitis in dogs page for causes and diagnosis. The diet plan depends on whether the colitis is sudden or long-lasting.

Easily Digestible Diets

Gastrointestinal diets made for dogs with digestive upsets are easy to digest and often lower in fat than regular food.¹¹ Unlike a homemade bland mix, they're made to be complete and balanced, and your vet can recommend one.¹¹ In the 2022 colitis trial, dogs fed a commercial easily digestible diet, with or without extra psyllium, recovered in a median of 5 days.²

• Feed small meals often. Small portions every few hours are easier on an upset gut than two large meals.⁵
• Feed only that food. For a diet trial to work, the test diet must be the only thing your dog eats.¹
• Return to normal food slowly once stools are firm, mixing the foods over about a week.¹⁰

Fiber for Colitis

Adding fiber or feeding a high-fiber diet improves diarrhea in many dogs with colitis.¹ Fiber soaks up free water in the stool, adds bulk, binds some toxins and helps the colon muscles contract normally.¹

• Psyllium is a soluble fiber and the best studied for dogs. It worked well added to a digestible diet in dogs with chronic large-bowel diarrhea, in police working dogs and in sudden colitis.^3,6,2
• Other fermentable fibers used in colitis diets include beet pulp and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a prebiotic.^9,1
• Coarse wheat bran is another fiber source vets sometimes add.¹

Ask your vet how much fiber to add, since the right amount depends on your dog's size and the food. In a multicenter study of dogs with chronic large-bowel diarrhea (31 enrolled, 22 completing), a fiber-supplemented diet began helping within about a day, and vets reported complete resolution in 68% by 8 weeks. The study was funded by a pet food company and had no comparison group.¹² Over time, many dogs can cut back or stop the extra fiber, or go back to a standard food, without the colitis returning.^1,3

Hydrolyzed and Novel-Protein Diets

Some dogs with chronic colitis react to a protein in their usual food. For these dogs, a hydrolyzed-protein diet (protein broken into pieces too small to trigger the immune system) or a novel-protein diet (a protein your dog has never eaten) can control the signs.^1,4

• Feed it strictly for at least 2 weeks, with no other foods, treats or flavored chews.^1,4
• Expect an answer fairly quickly. Between half and two thirds of dogs with chronic gut disease respond to a diet trial, usually within 2 weeks.⁷
• Don't give up after one try. Specialists say the biggest mistake is ruling out a food-responsive problem after only one diet trial.⁷
• Some dogs can go back. Between 31% and 75% of dogs can return to their original diet after about 3 months.⁴

If a high-fiber or hydrolyzed diet doesn't help, your vet may try a low-residue diet or move on to anti-inflammatory or immune-suppressing medicine.¹ Most dogs with chronic colitis improve with diet and medical care, but many have flare-ups again from time to time.¹ See inflammatory bowel disease in dogs.

Homemade Bland Diet for a Day or Two

For a short bout of colitis, your vet may suggest a low-fat home bland diet:¹¹

• 2 parts cooked white rice to 1 part cooked, skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breast
• No seasoning, butter or oil
• Skip ground beef, which can be high in fat and make an upset stomach worse

This mix isn't complete and balanced. A day or two won't cause deficiencies, but feeding it for weeks or months can seriously harm your dog.¹¹ Most dogs with a short upset can go back to their regular food after a few days. For longer-term home cooking, use a recipe from a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.¹¹

Are scrambled eggs OK?

We found no study of eggs for colitis. If your vet agrees, a little plain cooked egg, made without butter or oil, is a common add-in. Never feed raw egg.¹³ Egg is a less common food allergen in dogs, behind beef, dairy, chicken and wheat.¹⁴

Do Probiotics Help?

Probiotics are often suggested for colitis.⁹ The evidence is modest. In a 2024 European guideline on sudden diarrhea, probiotics shortened diarrhea by about two thirds of a day, and the panel made no recommendation for or against them.⁸ They may help a little, but they don't replace the right diet or a vet visit. The same guideline recommends against antibiotics for mild or moderate sudden diarrhea, even with blood.⁸

What Triggers Flare-Ups and How to Calm One

Common triggers include:

• Stress. Stress colitis is one of the leading causes of large-bowel diarrhea in dogs.⁹
• Sudden diet changes and table scraps or garbage.¹⁰
• Food reactions. Food allergy can cause gut signs, including more than three bowel movements a day.¹⁵

To calm a flare-up:

1. Call your vet if any warning sign in the box above is present.⁵
2. Your vet may suggest a short break from food, but most dogs do well going straight to small, frequent meals of an easily digestible food.^9,5,2
3. Use the bland diet or a gastrointestinal diet for a few days, adding psyllium if your vet recommends it.^11,1
4. Keep fresh water available at all times.¹⁶
5. Switch back to the usual food gradually.¹⁰

Most dogs with stress colitis are back to normal within 3 to 5 days.⁹ If your dog's colitis comes back again and again, ask about a fiber or hydrolyzed diet trial, and make sure parasites and infections have been ruled out.^1,5 See worms in dogs and our dog poop chart.

Foods to Avoid With Colitis

• Fatty foods such as ground beef, fatty meat scraps and greasy leftovers.¹¹
• Table scraps and sudden food changes, which can upset the gut.¹⁰
• Raw meat, eggs or milk, which can carry harmful bacteria.¹³
• The trigger protein, if your dog has a food-responsive problem. Beef, dairy, chicken and wheat are the most common food allergens in dogs.^14,15
• Extra treats and chews during a diet trial, which can spoil the result.¹

If there's blood in the stool, see blood in dog stool.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best food for a dog with colitis?

An easily digestible food, often with added soluble fiber such as psyllium. If colitis keeps coming back, your vet may suggest a high-fiber diet or a strict trial of a hydrolyzed or novel-protein diet for at least 2 weeks.

What foods should dogs with colitis avoid?

Fatty foods such as ground beef, table scraps, raw foods, sudden diet changes and, for dogs with a food reaction, the protein that triggers it. During a diet trial, avoid all extra treats and chews.

How do you clear up colitis in a dog?

Most stress colitis settles in 3 to 5 days with small, frequent meals of an easily digestible food. See your vet to rule out worms and infections, and sooner if your dog is weak, vomiting or passing a lot of blood.

What can cause colitis to flare up in dogs?

Stress, sudden diet changes, table scraps or garbage, and food reactions are common triggers. Parasites and infections can also cause flare-ups.

Are scrambled eggs good for dogs with colitis?

There's no research on eggs for colitis. A small amount of plain cooked egg, made without butter or oil, is fine for most dogs if your vet agrees. Never feed raw eggs.

How do I calm my dog's colitis flare-up?

Offer small, frequent meals of a bland or gastrointestinal diet, keep water available, and ask your vet about adding psyllium. Call your vet if there's a lot of blood, black stool, vomiting or weakness.

Should I fast my dog with colitis?

Your vet may suggest a short break from food, but most dogs do well going straight to small, frequent meals of an easily digestible food. Don't withhold water.