Puppy Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one of those frustrating symptoms for owners because it could mean that your puppy has anything from a potentially lethal virus to simple indigestion. Many serious and minor puppy ailments list diarrhea as a symptom, making it hard for owners to determine what is serious and what is not.

Don’t Stress! Diarrhea can be very common at times in puppies. There are six main causes of diarrhea in puppies that you need to know about:

• Diet change or food intolerance

• Bacterial infection

• Viral infection

• Ingestion of garbage, toxins, or foreign bodies

• Parasites

• Stress

Sometimes the reason behind puppy diarrhea is simple. Stress can cause diarrhea in dogs just like it does in humans, and puppyhood is certainly a stressful time. Your puppy is constantly meeting new people and exploring new things, and adjusting to the routine of your household is sometimes enough to trigger stress-related diarrhea by itself. Going from our home as the breeder to their new forever home with you can trigger all sorts of "poop" issues. Even blood in the stools. Even though a puppy has been wormed multiple times and has negative fecal at the vet, moving to their forever home can kick all of this up again in their stools.

Stress colitis is one of the leading causes of large bowel diarrhea in all dogs. Whatever the cause, the inflammation in the colon results in reduced water absorption and decreased ability to store feces in the colon. This causes the classic symptom of frequent small amounts of diarrhea, often with mucus or blood.

Stress is a known major factor for diarrhea in both animals and humans. Puppies that have been separated from their mother and the rest of the litter to be transported into a new and frightening environment often experience stress-induced watery stools. It can even trigger dormant worms in their gut as well as Giardia and coccidia even though previously treated and without any symptoms.

In addition to the separation anxiety, most owners are so excited about the new member of their household that they ceaselessly shower the puppy with attention. It takes time for the puppy to adjust to their new environment and the abrupt behavioral changes could have an impact on the gastrointestinal tract, causing bouts of diarrhea..

Sudden Diet Modifications and Diarrhea

Another common explanation for the fluid stools is that the new owners are unfamiliar with the puppies’ past diet when they decide to adopt him. Consequentially, they feed him foods that the puppy’s organism isn’t accustomed to. It’s necessary to point out that diarrhea may occur even if the food you’re feeding the young dog is qualitatively superior to the old diet and more appropriate for the specific breed. Vets recommend learning what your pet was fed before you adopt him and gradually introducing him to the new food, by placing increasing quantities of it in the bowl.

 Having ingested foreign objects

Puppies, but older dogs too, display a propensity towards chewing and swallowing various non-food items, in an attempt to understand them. Should the puppy swallow a dangerous or toxic foreign object, diarrhea is probably the least problematic outcome. To prevent the young canine from exploring the environment using his teeth and tongue, constant monitoring and physical barriers – cages, kennels, etc. – can be utilized.

Parasites

Young puppies are prone to parasites. Whether they are born with parasites or pick them up from the environment, parasites like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia, and giardia all cause diarrhea in puppies and all require veterinary attention.

Preventing Diarrhea in puppies

Most cases of diarrhea in puppies are preventable. Here are some tips to help keep your puppy’s digestive system working smoothly:

• Transition your puppy to a new diet slowly. Or better yet, keep them on their current diet.

• If your puppy is in a kennel with other dogs, keep the facility clean and use the right disinfectants

• Vaccinate your puppy at the appropriate age and keep unvaccinated puppies away from unvaccinated dogs and public places like dog parks and kennels.

• Kennel your puppy when they are not supervised to prevent accidental ingestion of garbage and toxins.

• Talk to your vet about parasite prevention!

• Pick up after your dog.

Diarrhea is your puppy’s way of letting you know that something is wrong. Whether the cause is an upset stomach or a viral infection, observing your puppy’s bowel movements is one of the best ways to monitor their health daily.