German Shephard 7 yr.old dog

Question
We were told by our Vet, that Pepto Bismal will help for diahrrea problems with rice/ground meat or chicken/rice diet. Since moving from area,how long to do keep up the diet and return to regular food. His feces are formable,yellow,rice,but not solid. And what type of food would be good for this dog? We realize Ger.Shep. have sensitive stomachs,etc.Is there anythingelse we can give him over the counter to help his stomach condition? TY in advance.Lois

Answer
Hi Lois!  Usually the rice/chicken or meat diet is fed for up to 5 days.  On the 6th day, incorporate a bit of his regular diet, increasing his regular diet every feeding in small amounts until he is completely weaned back on to his normal diet.  This helps avoid any additional stomach upsets.  Pepto Bismal should work very well to cure a simple upset stomach.  If this is not working after 2 days, this diarrhea may need some prescribed medications.
Some medications that your veterinarian can give your dog would include the following:
Centrine-this medication slows digestion, giving stool a chance to form better.
Reglan-to help an upset stomach
Carafate-this medication coats the stomach and intestinal tract which soothes and helps eliminate ulceration of the digestive tract.
If you have been feeding him the rice and chicken diet for more than 3 days and are not seeing any major improvement, I would recommend taking a fecal sample to your veterinarian to check for intestinal parasites.  This is a very common cause for diarrhea.
If the fecal testing comes back negative, a vet visit would be necessary to pin point why the diarrhea is being persistant.
Some good foods you can feed him as his regular diet would include the following:
Hill's Science Diet I/D
Purina E/N
Purina Sensitive Stomach
Iams Sensitive System
Remember though, every food change needs to be gradual.
Any diarrhea that persists for more than 7 days should be checked by a veterinarian to avoid any further ailments.
I hope this is helpful!
Hilary