What is a Bland Diet?

Written by Dr. Gloria Ku (with some collaboration from RVT Katie & Vet Assistant Danielle)

If you’ve had a pet that has been feeling ill, having stomach problems or diarrhea, there’s a good chance you’ve heard your Veterinarian say, “We are going to start your pet on a bland diet.”

But why is that?  And what exactly is that diet?

“A bland diet allows the pet’s GI tract to recover by being easy to digest.  We usually recommend feeding a bland diet until the pet returns back to normal (i.e., if the pet is having diarrhea, the stools return to normal).” 

                                        –Katie, Registered Veterinary Technician

At our hospital, we have several bland diet options.  The first being prescription diet brands formulated for GI upsets.  There are several veterinary diet brands that have special gastro-intestinal options, for example:

• Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D
• Royal Canin’s Prescription Diet GI Low Fat or GI Fiber Response
• Purina’s Prescription Diet EN

These specialty foods are only available through your Veterinarian.

You can also make your own homemade bland diet using a combination of easy to digest protein and carbohydrate sources for dogs:

• Baked or boiled skinless deboned chicken breast with no seasonings (salt, pepper, paprika, etc.). 
• Cooked white rice with no butter, salt, pepper or other seasonings. 
• Low fat cottage cheese (in lieu of chicken).

Brown rice is not usually recommended with GI upset because it has different fiber content compared to white rice.  This can make it harder for pets to easily digest brown rice. Sometimes we will suggest boiled potato or pasta as a variation for the cooked white rice, but it depends on the pet’s condition and diet history. 

Each pet is different and so it varies when it comes to how much to feed, how often, and for how long.  Generally, small amounts of the bland diet is offered throughout the day (for example: 1 tablespoon every couple of hours) and gradually increased until the pet is fed a normal amount of food (for example: a small 10 lb. dog could get 3 tablespoons of boiled chicken and rice fed three times a day). If your pet is vomiting, you will want to limit water intake to small amounts at a time as well, but offer if frequently enough to satisfy your pet’s hydration needs.  Hopefully, a few days later, once your pet is feeling better, it’s time to gradually mix the bland diet with the pet’s regular diet.

For smaller dogs and/or cats, we will sometimes suggest all meat chicken or turkey baby food, or a prescription diet like Hill’s a/d. Because cats are more strict carnivores, we usually will not add a carbohydrate.  But for most dogs, we will tend to balance the protein and carbohydrate ratio 1:1 during this period. 

Most passing gastrointestinal problems (e.g. vomiting or diarrhea) that will respond to a bland diet change should resolve within 24-48 hours.  If your pet’s issue continue for longer, your pet is very lethargic, painful, febrile or dehydrated, you should see your veterinarian as soon as possible.  Also, persistent vomiting can lead to dehydration quickly, especially if your pet is not holding down water, and you will need to seek veterinary care more urgently.  Monitor stools and urination to be sure they are still happening and notify your veterinarian if they are absent.   And finally, if this is a chronic issue for your pet, while a bland diet may be helpful, you will likely need to determine the underlying cause with your veterinarian to ensure a longer term solution and proper nutrition in the long run.