Diarrhea in Puppies...

 

This information is intended to help people understand and recognize puppy diarrhea. It is not intended to diagnose all of the causes of diarrhea or even to tell the reader how to cure the problem under every circumstance. It is simply FYI in an effort to prepare the puppy owner
for treating a change from normalcy in their puppy quickly, in the event you see a deviation from
their normal stools.  For a puppy, it is important not to let this situation go untreated...

To be an informed dog owner, you must be aware of the health and normal behavior of your puppy on a day to day basis.  When I see pudding diarrhea I immediately start to observe this puppy, carefully scrutinizing  it's eating behavior, it's interaction with the other pups in the litter, and it's overall state of daily actions as they relate to normalcy for this particular  puppy.

What I recommend new puppy owners do when they get their pup is to become familiar with what a healthy puppy feels like. Know what he normally acts and feels like, in the way of  how loose his skin is, his eating habits, his activity level, the warmth of his nose, and the look in his eyes...  A healthy pup has skin that moves easily on his body when pulled up with your fingers, or moved along his back.  He should not be listless or unresponsive.  His nose should normally feel cool to the touch, and not be dry or cracked.  His eyes should be wide open, alert and bright.  You can  see how the dog is feeling by looking into his eyes. Partially closed eyes with the lower inner eyelids up, or with discharge present in the eyes,  are cause for concern and merit close observation of your puppy.

 

THERE ARE 4 BASIC TYPES OF STOOLS SEEN IN  PUPPIES

1- Normal Firm Stool

2- Pudding Diarrhea- soft stools that will mound up

3- Brown Liquid Diarrhea

4- Brown Liquid Diarrhea with blood

We all strive for our dogs to have normal stools. If my dogs have a normal temperature (101 to 102 in dogs) and if they are laying logs I know that these are two important indications that the dogs are healthy. There are always exceptions to this rule (i.e. a dog with cancer) but in general this is are pretty accurate statement.

PARASITES AND DIARRHEA:

If a dog gets diarrhea as a result of parasites, the most common causes are Coccidia or Giardia. Both will cause diarrhea, but each requires different medication.

All dogs have some level of Coccidia in their gut. It is present in the dam and frequently passed to the pups when they are born. It is very common that when a dog is stressed (separated from their mother during weaning process,  being shipped, moving into a new environment etc ) the stress can cause the Coccidia to bloom and flair up, causing diarrhea. Oftentimes the pup is not greatly affected by these changes in their daily routine, but when they are, the solution is to give the dog ALBON. The quantity required for your pup and how it is administered is a question for your vet.

Humans get Giardia when they drink water that has fecal matter in it. When you go camping and drink water from a stream you can get Giardia. When dogs get Giardia they need to be treated with METRONIDAZOLE.  It is difficult for a Vet to diagnose Giardia from a stool sample, and can be helpful  if the dog is taken to your vet,  who then is able to obtain the stool sample directly from the rectum of the dog. By doing this the sample is fresh and its easier to see the Giardia.

Both Coccidia and Giardia need to be diagnosed by a Vet and the medication needs to be dispensed by a Vet.

 

PUDDING DIARRHEA

When a dog has pudding diarrhea , this is the first sign that something is out of the ordinary with this puppy.  Soft mounting stools should be a warning to keep an eye on the puppy, so that it does not progress into something life threatening if left unattended.  It is imperative that this pup be closely monitored and proper actions taken, until it is again producing normal firm stools.

Pudding diarrhea can be caused from:

• changing the food our dogs eat
   
• over feeding
  
• eating garbage
  
• stress  (weaning, sending to new home, shipping)
  
• exercise or excitement
   

 

For quick results to get control of runny stools, I recommend  Kaopectate to my puppy clients.  This is readily available in most Grocery  or Pharmacy Stores, and is very easily dispensed to the puppy.   You can also use Imodium AD (A full human dose either in liquid or pill).  I prefer the liquid for a puppy, which  is more easily administered and readily absorbed by them.  You can also obtain very good results by adding a little canned pumpkin into their daily food ration. It is interesting to note that canned pumpkin not only helps firm up stool's on dogs it also helps when they are constipated.  For those feeding a natural diet it is a simple thing to add pumpkin. The dogs will easily accept it. If you feed a kibble diet they may not want to eat it. In which case you may have to think about medication if the stools get too loose. If diarrhea continues beyond 24 hours from the first sign of your pup having diarrhea, or progresses to bloody diarrhea, do not wait.....TAKE YOUR PUPPY TO THE VET!!!  It is far safer for the pup to get started on treatment before a serious medical emergency is under way...

BROWN LIQUID DIARRHEA

Brown liquid diarrhea is a serious situation, and is a sign of sick puppy.

This cannot be ignored. When a puppy has watery diarrhea you need to be very careful that the pup does not get too dehydrated. If you cannot stop the diarrhea within 24 hours you need to take it immediately  to a vet.

If your puppy becomes dehydrated,  you need to re-hydrate this pup as quickly as possible.  A healthy well hydrated pup has loose skin on his back. You can grab it and it will pull up and away from the muscle structure of the dog. When a pup begins to get dehydrated the skin feels tight. It is more difficult to pull it away from the body , and will stay in the position it has been pulled to for a period of time and not reposition itself back as it was before your pull test was performed. 
Start by making sure he has plenty of water to drink. You can also give the pup Pedialyte.  Go to the baby section of Wal Mart and buy unflavored Pediatric Electrolyte. If the pup will not drink this by itself then try adding a little chicken broth (also found in the soup section at the grocery store).

If you cannot get fluids into the pup, you must take him to the vet. If a pup will not drink then it may be necessary that your vet put the pup on IV fluids and it receive appropriate medical treatment.

When a dog has diarrhea it is a helpful to take the dog off solid food for a day. This allows the gut to rest. Dogs and pups can easily go for a day without food. They cannot go without water. So a dog that is drinking plenty of water is not as serious as a dog that will not drink.
 

BROWN LIQUID DIARRHEA WITH BLOOD

If you see brown watery diarrhea with blood in it you have a medical emergency. You need to get this puppy to the vet right now. If you wait for a day or two you may have a situation that can not be reversed, and very possibly could have a dead puppy. 

Pups can dehydrate very quickly and can easily die within 24 to 48 hours unless they have medical treatment. It is beyond the ability of most pet owners to deal with blood in diarrhea.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

It is recommended you or your vet do not administer any vaccinations while your dog has  loose stools. You would also not want to give vaccinations while your dog is taking antibiotics. This can lead to long term health problems.

If your pup continues to have long term soft stools you may want to observe the puppy to see if it is ingesting items that you are not aware of.  Farms with livestock can create a haven for pups to find their "daily supplemental treats" from the animal droppings. This can create a problem with both diarrhea and parasites, so monitor these pups closely to alleviate this until they  can be taught this is unacceptable.  Also take a look at what you are feeding the dog. Dogs can be sensitive to certain dog foods.  To determine if this is the problem you should try and isolate the source of their difficulty.  Did you change your feeding routine?  Did you add a new ingredient to the diet??  Did your puppy  get into the feed bag of cat food while you weren't looking???  If you are feeding a natural diet stop feeding grains and veggies temporarily. Just feed meat for awhile....  then start them back slowly and sparingly on the vegetables once the diarrhea has subsided, to see if this is the area that has been the problem for your pup.  If you feed kibble, feed something like California Natural, or Sensible Choice, which do not have a wide variety of ingredients to cause problems with your pup.. or go to your vet to have them recommend one of their RX diets which help to isolate the problem your pup may be having with it's food sources..

OTHER DANGERS;
 

Another danger is mushrooms...there are many pups who begin to eat these when they come up from the ground.  Many mushrooms can cause serious diarrhea for a pup, as well as an adult dog.  However, some types of mushrooms can be poisonous and can kill your pet, or at the very least make it become deathly ill.  If you think your pet has eaten a poisonous mushroom, take the mushroom and the pup to the vet;  the pup needs treatment immediately.

On a different note but one of the same importance, ingesting small pebbles and rocks can create an intestinal  blockage in your pup.  This can be in the form of partial or complete blockage,  causing intestinal inflammation and the probability for not allowing anything to pass  through it's system.  This is a medical emergency and the pup must go immediately to the vet.

I do not allow my pups to play with pebbles or rocks, as this can sometimes develope into a long term habit when they become adult dogs when left to their own devices, or they become bored while you are away.  This not only poses the problem for ingesting them into their intestinal tract, but can crack or break off teeth or wear them down to appear as they have been filed away. 
 

A FINAL NOTE;

 It should be noted that your dog is a direct result of what it eats as a puppy;  feed it the best quality food that you can feed them, especially when they are young and growing.  Remember, that more is not better for your pup.  Think Quality over Quantity...Many well meaning owners have unknowingly contributed to causing long term problems by feeding far too much food...and/or supplements...to their puppy/young adult dogs, believing they are doing what is best for them.. Overfeeding your pup and causing them to become too heavy, or to grow too rapidly during their growth period,  can contribute to them having bone and joint disorders, arthritis, and becoming obese as adults,.  This in turn also contributes to creating chronic heart problems for them in later life, due to the strain that being overweight puts on their systems.  

 Important Related Articles for Growing Puppies...   

 *    What is  Coccidia