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If your Papillon is experiencing diarrhea, gas, upset stomach, or vomiting, life can be hell for both you and your beloved pooch.

Papillons can experience gastrointestinal issues for a myriad of reasons, but fortunately, many of these issues can be alleviated at home with a few natural remedies or supplements. However, if your Papillon is consistently experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, make an appointment with your veterinarian right away.

Best Papillon Upset Stomach Remedies

1. Fast Your Papillon for 12-24 Hours

Sometimes all a dog needs is time for their gastrointestinal tract to heal and reset. Withholding food for 12 – 24 hours allows the system to flush out whatever nastiness caused the issue and reboot to a healthy state. It’s important to keep your Papillon hydrated, even during a fast. However, do not let them drink too much at once, as this could cause vomiting or set off another bout of diarrhea.

2. Give Your Papillon Bland Diet for a Few Days

At the end of a fast, it’s best to slowly introduce a diet of bland, easily digestible food. Try boiled, unseasoned, skinless white meat chicken shredded over plain white rice. For dogs on grain-free diets, substitute mashed overripe banana or canned pumpkin. Feed a few spoon-fulls every 2 – 3 hours and gradually increase the quantity over a 24-hour period.

Next, begin a slow re-introduction of their normal food by serving a 75% bland/25% regular diet mix for a few meals, followed by a 50/50 mix, followed by a 75% regular/25% bland, until your dog is eating dog food exclusively again.

3. Use a Multi-Strain Probiotic for Your Papillon’s Diarrhea or Gas

Diarrhea can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your Papillon’s gut, including the beneficial bacteria that support healthy digestion. A canine probiotic supplement can help maintain a balanced digestive system and support overall gut health. Pupkin Probiotics, Prebiotics & Postbiotics for Dogs with Pumpkin, Gut-Soothing Bone Broth & Mushrooms combines probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics with pumpkin to support healthy digestion and normal stool quality. It also includes gut-soothing bone broth and functional mushrooms, making it an easy-to-use option that can be added to your Papillon’s regular food for daily digestive support.

Using a probiotic is also helpful for reducing your Papillon’s gas or transitioning them to a new food.

4. Give Your Papillon a Prebiotic Supplement or Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filler!), slippery elm, chia seeds, and plantains are all forms of prebiotics, which are reported to offer natural GI-healing benefits. Prebiotics are a non-digestible ingredient that promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. In other words, PRE-biotics are basically the food that PRO-biotics need to thrive.

Pureed pumpkin is packed with fiber, which helps to bulk up the stool. Slippery elm is said to coat and sooth mucus membranes, including the GI tract. Chia seeds are packed with fiber and absorb excess water, and plantains have antimicrobial properties. As always, consult your vet before making changes to your dog’s diet. Some high-quality supplements, like this dog prebiotic chew, already contain pumpkin in them.

5. Try Giving Your Papillon Digestive Enzymes to Improve Digestion

Oftentimes, the cause of your Papillon’s stomach issue may be related to incomplete digestion. Some papillons have trouble digesting protein, fats, carbohydrates, or fiber. Digestive enzymes help your Papillon break down and absorb each of these nutrients. Failure to absorb nutrients can result in bouts of runny poos, so these vital enzymes can help.

Protease: Breaks down proteins into amino acids, improving digestion of meats in particular
Amylase: Breaks down starches into carbohydrate molecules that your Papillon can digest
Lipase: Breaks down fats in your Papillon’s gut
Cellulase: Breaks down fiber from plants & grains.

Any good digestive enzyme supplement for dogs should include all 4 of these enzymes.

If you were to give your Papillon one supplement, make it this one!

Providing an all-in-one probiotic, prebiotic, & digestive enzyme supplement is the easiest way to ensure that your pup is getting the microflora they need to encourage an optimally functioning GI tract.

Learn About the Pupkin Probiotics, Prebiotics & Postbiotics for Dogs with Pumpkin, Gut-Soothing Bone Broth & Mushrooms by iHeartDogs

Additional FAQs About Your Papillon’s Gastroenteritis, Gas, Diarrhea, Bloating, or Vomiting

1. Should I Use a Probiotic When Transitioning My Papillon to a New Food?

Probiotics are also very useful in preventing diarrhea when transitioning your Papillon to a new food. First, give your Papillon a probiotic for a week or so before introducing the new food. Then slowly increase the amount of new food while continuing to feed some of the old. During this time, continue giving the probiotic until the transition to 100% of the new food is complete.

2. My Papillon Recently Was Given an Antibiotic. Should I also Give a Probiotic?

Yes! Antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria in your Papillon’s body. Giving a probiotic while taking an antibiotic will help replenish the good strains of bacteria your dog needs in their gut.

3. Can a Probiotic Reduce My Papillon’s Gas?

Can your Papillon’s gas clear a room? Even something as trivial as your Papillon’s smelly farts can be helped by a good-quality probiotic. It’s an easy way to improve your home’s air quality!

4. What Causes Diarrhea & Vomiting in My Papillon? 

There are many possible causes of your Papillon’s tummy troubles:

Certain viruses can cause stomach upset, such as parvovirus in puppies
Eating a food not appropriate for dogs, especially fatty foods
A food allergy or intolerance
Swallowing a foreign non-food object
Sudden changes in food. Most dogs need to be transitioned slowly to a new food brand while taking a probiotic
Side effect of a medication, especially a new one. Antibiotics are notorious for causing diarrhea in dogs.
Intestinal parasites
Poisons or toxins
Pancreatitis
Chronic disease such as IBD  (inflammatory bowel disease)
Stress due to boarding at a kennel, visiting a vet, or rehoming. Dogs in shelters are particularly prone to bouts of diarrhea.

Always note the color and consistency of your Papillon’s poop or vomit. As unpleasant as it may be, take a picture you can show your veterinarian.

Helping Your Papillon Get Back to a Happier Tummy

Digestive troubles can be uncomfortable for your Papillon and worrying for you, but simple changes and the right digestive support may help with occasional tummy issues. Whether you try a bland diet, probiotics, pumpkin, or other gut health supplements, pay attention to how your Papillon responds and introduce changes carefully. If diarrhea or vomiting is persistent, severe, or accompanied by other concerning symptoms, contact your veterinarian to make sure your pup gets the care they need.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No product is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional.

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