Jedi's Tummy Troubles

I haven't found any formula that work as

well as the original -- skip the knockoffs!

Today I'm talking shit -- literally!

Jedi had an upset stomach last weekend, causing some pretty ugly accidents on my carpet. Thank goodness for Nature's Miracle! Except for the diarrhea, he seemed healthy and normal. Had he been bloated, lethargic or otherwise uncomfortable I would've taken him to the vet right away. However, this isn't my first poop rodeo, so I thought I'd see if we could cure it at home first.

Use100% pumpkin, not the

pumpkin pie filling.

The first thing we tried was canned pumpkin. Pumpkin is an interesting little vegetable as it helps with both diarrhea and constipation. However, it didn't help this time. Jedi ate around the pumpkin and crapped behind the couch.

We then moved on to the broth and rice regimen. Logan had a sensitive stomach so I learned to keep cooked rice in the freezer and chicken broth in the pantry. With Logan, we would skip the first meal after he threw up, and the next three would be white rice and chicken broth. By the third day he was always good to go. Unfortunately, Logan's remedy didn't quite work for Jedi. I found this rice water/chicken and rice combo and it did the trick.

Here's the recipe for a happy tummy:

LOVE the calrose rice! It's

sticky and flavorful.

• 2 cups regular white rice (not par boiled like Minute Rice)
• 2 quarts water
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4-6 jars strained chicken baby food

Put rice and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the water is white, resembling skim milk.

In a separate pot, boil chicken until well done.

Once cooled, strain rice from water. SAVE BOTH. Put rice water in clean container. Put half of the rice in a large bowl. Freeze the other half for another time. Note: you've boil the hell out of the rice and it doesn't have much flavor at this point. I label it "dog rice" and use it for upset tummy at a later time.

Once cooled, shred the chicken and combine with the reserved rice. You may want to add a little of the rice water to ensure the mixture is moist. Save the water the chicken was boiled in. I like to freeze it into cubes for summer treats.

DAY 1: Every few hours offer about 2 cups of rice water with a jar of baby food stirred in. Very important: make sure your dog has access to fresh water all day.

DAY 2: The first meal of the day is about 2 cups of rice water with a heaping cup of the chicken and rice mixture stirred in. Second meal is 2 cups chicken and rice.

DAY 3: Both meals are half regular food and half chicken and rice. If all goes well, return to normal diet the following day. Freeze any leftovers for next time.

I'm happy to report that Jedi's tummy is back to normal, no shit! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) -- K