For a mild upset stomach in an otherwise healthy dog, you can usually help at home with a short rest from food, a bland diet, and careful monitoring, but you should never give human medications without a vet’s explicit guidance.

First: when to call the vet immediately

Skip home remedies and call your vet or an emergency clinic right away if you notice:

  • Repeated vomiting or diarrhea for more than 12–24 hours, or vomiting every time your dog eats or drinks.
  • Blood in vomit or stool (red or coffee‑ground vomit, red or black/tarry stool).
  • A bloated, hard, or very painful abdomen, or your dog crying when touched there.
  • Lethargy, collapse, pale gums, fast breathing, or your dog seems “not themselves.”
  • Known poisoning risk (trash raid, human meds, chocolate, xylitol, grapes/raisins, etc.).
  • A puppy, very small breed, senior, or dog with other health problems (they dehydrate fast).

If any of these apply, do not wait to see if home care helps.

What you can usually give at home

Always check with your vet first if your dog has other illnesses, is on medication, is very young or old, or is a brachycephalic (flat‑faced) breed.

1. Short food rest (fasting)

  • For a healthy adult dog with mild vomiting or soft stool, many vets recommend a brief fast of about 8–12 hours from food (water stays available) to let the stomach settle.
  • Do not fast puppies under about 6 months, toy breeds, or diabetic dogs unless a vet tells you to; they can become low in blood sugar quickly.

2. Bland, easy‑to‑digest food

After the short fast (or immediately, if your dog just has mild loose stool but feels well), you can offer small, frequent meals of a bland diet for 1–3 days.

Common options:

  • Boiled chicken and white rice
    • Skinless, boneless chicken breast, boiled in water and shredded; no salt, oil, garlic, or seasoning.
* Plain boiled white rice (not brown; white is gentler on an upset stomach).

* Mix about 1 part chicken to 2 parts rice, start with a few tablespoons for a small dog or a small handful for a large dog, every 3–4 hours.
  • Boiled turkey
    • Lean boiled turkey (no skin, no bones) is another gentle protein, especially if your dog is sensitive to chicken.
  • Plain canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
    • Use 100% pure pumpkin only; pumpkin pie filling includes sugar and spices that can make things worse.
* Typical amounts vets suggest are about 1–4 teaspoons for small dogs and 1–4 tablespoons for larger dogs, mixed into their food, depending on size.

* It can help both mild diarrhea (by adding soluble fiber) and mild constipation.
  • Cooked sweet potato
    • Plain boiled or baked sweet potato, peeled and mashed, with no butter, oil, or seasoning.
* High in fiber, gentle on the gut, and often used similarly to pumpkin.

You’d typically feed the bland diet for 1–3 days, then slowly transition back to your dog’s regular food over another 2–3 days by mixing in increasing amounts of their normal diet.

3. Hydration support

  • Keep fresh water available at all times.
  • If your dog tends to gulp water and vomit, offer small, frequent amounts (for example, a few sips every 15–30 minutes).
  • If they are reluctant to drink, you can:
    • Offer ice cubes to lick.
    • Offer a little low‑sodium, onion‑ and garlic‑free bone broth to encourage drinking and provide gentle fluids.

If your dog cannot keep water down or hasn’t urinated in 8–12 hours, that’s a vet‑visit situation.

4. Gut‑support supplements (only dog‑safe products)

Many vets also recommend:

  • Dog‑specific probiotics or “GI support” powders/chews to help restore healthy gut bacteria in mild diarrhea.
  • Some natural options like small amounts of ginger are sometimes used (for nausea or motion sickness), but the dose and form really matter, so this should be discussed with your vet first.

Stick to products made for dogs; avoid improvising with human supplements.

What you should NOT give

Some things that are often suggested online are actually dangerous:

  • No human stomach meds (like Pepto‑Bismol, Imodium, or antacids) unless your own vet tells you exactly what and how much; they can cause toxicity or hide serious disease.
  • No painkillers like ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen; these are very dangerous to dogs.
  • No fatty, greasy, or heavily seasoned foods (like burger meat, bacon, or leftovers), which can worsen stomach upset or trigger pancreatitis.
  • No dairy like milk or ice cream; many dogs are lactose intolerant and will get worse diarrhea.
  • No grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, xylitol‑containing products, chocolate, or alcohol—these are toxic and require emergency care.

When in doubt, call a vet before giving anything that is not a plain, known dog‑safe food.

How long to try home care

  • If your dog is otherwise bright, alert, drinking some water, and only has mild loose stool or a little vomiting, you can usually try bland diet and monitoring for about 24 hours.
  • If things are not clearly improving within that time, or if new symptoms appear, schedule a vet visit.
  • If your dog gets completely back to normal, gradually reintroduce their usual food over a few days so you don’t shock the digestive system.

Simple HTML table of safe bland options

Below is an HTML table, since you requested tables in that format:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Food</th>
      <th>How to prepare</th>
      <th>Why it helps</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Boiled chicken</td>
      <td>Boil skinless, boneless breast, shred, no seasoning.[web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>Lean protein, easy to digest, supports recovery.[web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>Avoid skin, bones, oil, and spices.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>White rice</td>
      <td>Boil plain white rice in water only.[web:5]</td>
      <td>Bland, gentle on stomach, firms stool.[web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>Use white, not brown, for upset stomachs.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Boiled turkey</td>
      <td>Boil lean turkey, remove skin and bones, shred.[web:1]</td>
      <td>Gentle protein, good if sensitive to chicken.[web:1]</td>
      <td>No seasoning, fat, or skin.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Plain pumpkin</td>
      <td>Use 100% canned pumpkin or cooked, pureed fresh pumpkin.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
      <td>Soluble fiber helps with mild diarrhea and constipation.[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
      <td>Avoid pumpkin pie filling (spices and sugar).[web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Cooked sweet potato</td>
      <td>Boil or bake, peel, mash, no additives.[web:1][web:7][web:9]</td>
      <td>Fiber and vitamins, gentle on digestion.[web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>Serve in small portions mixed with bland diet.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Low-sodium bone broth</td>
      <td>Offer cooled broth without onions, garlic, or spices.[web:3]</td>
      <td>Encourages drinking, provides gentle fluids and nutrients.[web:3]</td>
      <td>Use only dog-safe recipes or products.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Quick story‑style example

Imagine your dog eats a bit of something off the floor and later has one bout of soft stool but is still playful. You might skip dinner for about 8 hours, then offer a small portion of boiled chicken and rice with a teaspoon of pumpkin, watch them closely overnight, and slowly return to their normal food over the next 2–3 days as long as stools stay formed and they act normal.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.