PUPPY with DIARRHEA: What to do and what to give

The causes why a puppy has diarrhea They are diverse, but the color of liquid stools can give you clues about what may be happening in your body. There are mainly these types of colors in diarrhea or liquid stools.

• Puppy with green diarrhea: It is due to the fact that the intestinal transit of your dog is accelerated, because it has inferred food with a lot of green pigment (green leafy vegetables) or, even, a possible infection or infestation of parasites.
• Puppy with black diarrhea: It is due to bleeding, which can range from mild to severe bleeding, usually from the upper or upper part of the digestive system. Blood looks dark because as it passes through the stomach and intestines it has already been mostly digested.
• Puppy with gray diarrhea: this normally manifests itself abundantly due to poor absorption of nutrients in the intestine.
• Puppy with yellow and light brown diarrhea: Liquid stools of this color can mean rapid intestinal transit or intolerance to some food included in the dog’s diet, as these factors can leave a greater volume of bilirubin (yellow pigment) in the stool. They can also indicate intestinal parasites.
• Puppy with red diarrhea: The presence of blood in the stool can be due to an infection or other types of diseases, as well as a wound in the anal or rectal area. It may also appear deep red or somewhat darker in color, which has been described earlier as black diarrhea.

The most frequent causes for which a puppy has diarrhea are.

• By ingesting harmful foods for your stomach and intestines.
• By sudden changes in the diet.
• By intestinal parasites, which you can detect in the feces.
• By anxiety or stress, such as going to the vet, being with those who do not feel comfortable, knowing new environments and objects with high insecurity …
• By an infection viral, bacterial, or even fungal, such as yeast infection.
• For being lactating. Keep in mind that the diarrhea in nursing puppies, if they are still very young, newborns, it may be normal because their digestive system is just forming, it is gaining good intestinal flora, etc. However, if it is very abundant or if the nursing puppy is no longer very small and did not have loose stools before, it is advisable to speak with the vet.

Diarrhea can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as sickness or vomiting, which will also help the vet to discover what the underlying problem is.

It is common for vomiting to appear along with diarrhea. Faced with this situation, the cause is surely a enteritis or gastroenteritis, the first involves inflammation and possible infection in the intestines and the second involves inflammation and possible infection in the stomach and intestines.

That a puppy has diarrhea and vomiting It can be due to several causes such as intestinal parasites, that you have eaten some food in bad condition, changes in diet, medications or situations of anxiety and stress. In addition to diarrhea, which can sometimes be bloody, the dog may be listless and may have a fever.

In this situation it is important go to the vet, since in front of this the dog easily dehydrated and the professional will be the only one capable of detecting the cause that is producing this problem and applying the most appropriate treatment so that he recovers soon.

The most worrying situation when a dog has diarrhea is that it is bloody. Given this, the first thing you should think about is a viral disease such as canine parvovirus, since in most cases of this symptom in puppies this is the cause. This problem mainly affects the digestive system, causing vomiting and bloody diarrhea in puppies, which have a characteristic fetid odor, can also cause fever, pain, apathy and anorexia in some cases, as well as dehydration due to abundant and constant losses.

The veterinarian is the only one capable of helping your dog in this situation, since because the disease is of viral origin, it will not stop with antibiotics, only support therapy such as gastric protectors, fluid therapy, antipyretics, control can be applied. followed by vital signs and whatever the vet deems necessary depending on the severity of the situation.

Learn more about why my dog ​​makes bloody stools in this other oneHOWTO post.

Depending on the cause that is causing the puppy’s diarrhea, you can do something to help him, or on the contrary, it will be your vet the person in charge of applying a treatment, for example, if it is a severe viral disease such as canine parvovirus. If the diarrhea is not very abundant and does not appear very often, in addition to not being bloody, you can try to make it stop by following these basic guidelines on what to do to help a puppy with diarrhea:

• Take your puppy out of his usual food and fast for 24 hours.
• Give him water intermittently, every little while and in a small amount, as it is very important so that he does not become dehydrated.
• If after 24 hours the diarrhea improves, the diet will have to be adjusted, as we will explain later, to prevent the diarrhea from returning, as well as to get it back to its original consistency.
• If after 24 hours the diarrhea does not improve or stop, go to your veterinarian to examine your dog and end this problem as soon as possible.
• Avoid that your dog has contact with other dogs and other animals to prevent contagion, since viral diseases are very contagious.
• Keep your furry in a quiet place, with a suitable temperature, without drafts or stress, as these factors can worsen their health, and let them rest and sleep as long as they need. However, be careful with this aspect, since it is not advisable for him to sleep much more than usual and you will have to make sure how he is every little while. Wake him up a bit and watch him, but let him rest, don’t stress him out by making him play or go for a walk if he doesn’t feel like it.

In addition to taking this into account, you can consult these other oneHOWTO articles on Home remedies for diarrhea in dogs, Can you deworm a dog with diarrhea? and How to treat my dog’s diarrhea.

In a puppy that has diarrhea, food plays a very important role, so if the diarrhea is due to minor causes, such as stress, sudden or inappropriate changes in diet or that he has eaten something in a bad state, you can help him to These cease by giving him adequate food and rest. Take note of what to give a puppy with diarrhea:

• As we have mentioned before, it is necessary that your puppy does not eat anything at all in 24 hours, so that his stomach and intestines can expel toxins from the body as soon as possible and the situation does not worsen.
• Only give him water from time to time ensuring that he does not drink it too quickly and in quantity, since otherwise he may vomit. If he does not want to drink by himself, you can give him some water with a syringe, especially if the diarrhea occurs continuously, since puppies tend to dehydrate earlier than adult dogs so you can give him water in small quantities but frequently.
• If the diarrhea is of mild cause, it will surely stop in 24 or 72 hours. After this time, feed him small amounts of low-fat, highly digestible food for the next two to three days. Then you see gradually introducing your usual diet.
• The most suitable foods to offer are cooked white rice, cooked skinless chicken, cooked minced meat, hard-boiled egg or cooked pasta and all without added salt. You can combine these foods, such as boiled chicken with white rice, to make it more appetizing. Here we explain more about what a dog with diarrhea should eat.
• You will have to give the dog small amounts of these foods but frequently, without forcing it since the problem can get worse.
• If you notice that diarrhea improves, you can gradually introduce your usual diet into the diet, unless the cause is some kind of food tolerance, so …