A prescription gastrointestinal (GI) diet is a vet-authorized food that is easy to digest and meant to settle a pet's stomach and bowels, and it is sold after an exam. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Cary is a vet in Cary, North Carolina, with an on-site pharmacy for the pets it treats, and its vets recommend a GI diet when an exam shows food will help the gut recover.
Pet vomiting or has loose stool? Call (984) 203-9092, book online, or walk in.
Why are most prescription diets stomach diets?
Upset stomachs are the most common reason pets go home on a prescription food. Across all Petfolk clinics, 84% of prescription diets sent home were GI diets (October 2025 to September 2026). A gentle, easy-to-digest diet is a simple, useful part of treatment for many of those pets, and the team can often send it home with you the same visit so your pet starts eating it right away.
What does a GI diet do?
A GI diet is made from highly digestible ingredients, usually with moderate fat and added fiber or other gut-friendly nutrients, so the gut has less to work on while it heals. At Petfolk Cary, the vet chooses between dry and canned and between formulas for dogs and cats. The goal is steady, calm digestion, not a cure for every cause, so the exam comes first.
Is a home bland diet enough?
For mild diarrhea, sometimes, and only for a short time. Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center says boiled chicken and white rice can work at home, that this meal is not balanced enough for long-term feeding, and that loose stool lasting more than two days calls for a vet visit. Call Petfolk Cary if your pet has vomiting, black or bloody stool, or no interest in food, and the vet can decide whether a GI diet fits.
When food is part of the plan
A prescription diet is one piece of treatment, not a fix on its own. The Petfolk Cary vet may also test a stool sample, check for parasites or run lab work to find the cause. Our pet nutrition advice page covers everyday feeding for pets that do not need a medical diet. Many pets go back to their usual food once the gut settles, and the vet tells you when. Keep a short note of how often your pet vomits or has loose stool, since that helps the vet judge whether the food is working.
How do I switch my pet onto a GI diet?
Mix the new food into the old over about a week, adding a little more each day, unless the vet says to switch faster because your pet is sick. Feed only the GI food and approved treats while the stomach settles, since rich snacks and table scraps can set things back. Tell the team if your pet turns the food down; there is often another formula or a canned version. Ask about refills and online-order approvals, and see our pet pharmacy page.
Gentle, Fear Free handling is standard at every Petfolk clinic, so rechecks and any stool or blood tests go at your pet's pace. You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit.
When should vomiting go to a 24-hour emergency hospital?
Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital if your pet keeps vomiting and cannot keep water down, stops eating, seems very weak or has a swollen, hard belly. A male cat straining in the litter box with little or no urine needs one right away. Petfolk Cary is a primary and urgent care clinic, not an emergency hospital.
Find us at Waverly Place
Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Cary is at 316 Colonades Way, Suite #214C, Cary, NC 27518, in Waverly Place, with free on-site parking. Families come from Lochmere and Preston too. We are open weekends and offer same-day appointments. Call (984) 203-9092 or book online.
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Upset stomach and special food
Stomach diets at Waverly Place