Puppy Diarrhea

When a puppy has diarrhea it is a symptom and not an illness. It is a sign that something is not right with the puppy's body. There are many causes and it is important to find out what the cause is so that it can then be treated properly.

When there are no other symptoms, this is called Simple Diarrhea, therefore when a puppy does not have a temperature or any abdominal pain, it can often be treated at home. The causes of Simple Diarrhea in puppies can be anything from stress to overeating to worms.

It is important to note that if there is no improvement after 24 hours, the veterinarian should do testing to determine the cause. It is also important to note that if the diarrhea has a very strong and offensive odor, contains blood or mucus or if the pup has any other symptoms such as fever, weakness or anything else, a vet must see him or her right away.

What will the veterinarian do? In most cases, the puppy will receive an injection of antibiotics and perhaps cortisone. If the dog is experiencing cramping and pain, Buscopan may be given. If the vomiting is very severe, the vet may give the dog an injection of an anti-emetic to help control it.
If severe dehydration has occurred due to the dog throwing up too much, he or she may need to be given fluids via an IV.

During the time that the puppy is recovering from this, it is often suggested to offer him or her probiotics. What are probiotics for dogs? It is a mixture of live viable microbes which benefits the dog by improving the intestinal balance in the body. When used every day, it can help to maintain a balanced digestive system, and therefore optimizes the digestion of food. Probiotics are safe, non-toxic and residue free.

Offering this to your puppy can help during times of stress. A puppy can become stressed out if the household is not a calm environment, if there are any changes such as a new canine or human addition to the house, if the family moves to a new home and other reasons.

There are other issues that can cause stress related diarrhea such as extreme temperature changes, pregnancy, overcrowding, being transported in a car and certain medications.

There may need to be some changes in food. It is often best to not feed red meat. Dairy products should be limited. A return to a normal diet should be gradual and done slowly over the course of about two weeks.

If your puppy or dog has had canine diarrhea and the cause is simple stress, one should do all that they can to keep the household calm. No yelling is a must. Many owners not realize that this means more than just not yelling at the dog. For example, in some homes, after a person cooks dinner it may be normal to yell that dinner is done. When you have a dog that is sensitive to stress, one should be aware of these types of things and not yell out loudly.

Everyone should speak calmly and in matter-of-factly tones. Try to not rush around while the dog is underfoot. Do all that you can to keep the household happy and calm.