Dry food is NOT necessarily better for the GI tract or for keeping pet’s stools firm.
This myth gets supported by the experience of many pet owners whose pets are consistently eating dry food (especially the same exact type of food) for long periods of time, and thus get diarrhea when any soft foods or “people food” are introduced.
This type of scenario would be expected with anyone (including us) who eats the same diet with zero variety over a long period of time, and then ingests something new.
In fact, the absence of variety in the diet will promote these problems, and even promote allergies or intolerance to certain foods as the gut’s ability to digest different things is altered after years of no exposure to them.
One suggestion for an easy home remedy for pets with diarrhea, or to help support the GI tract during dietary transitions and exposure of new foods, is to add pureed pumpkin to the meals. Organic canned pumpkin can be easily found in many grocery stores and provides a healthy and nutritious source of dietary fiber which can help to resolve colitis (inflammation in the colon) and firm up the stools.
For volume recommendations, I would suggest 1/2 tsp for cats, 1 tsp for small dogs and 1 tablespoon for large dogs in each meal as needed.
Click image for homemade pumpkin puree recipe