Puppies have a way of getting into—and eating—everything! Trash, sticks, bird droppings and even other dogs’ poop might find their way into your pup’s diet. And unless your puppy has a stomach of steel, this indiscriminate eating leads to one of the most common puppy issues: diarrhea. Follow these steps to get your puppy’s bowel movements back to normal!
- Decide if it’s serious.
When your puppy has diarrhea, the first order of business is to determine if it’s time to visit your veterinarian. If your puppy is lethargic, refusing food, vomiting or has blood in their stool, don’t try to deal with this at home; take your best friend to see their veterinarian right away. If you aren’t certain whether your puppy needs to come in, contact your VCA care team or Live Chat on the myVCATM app to help you determine what the next step is.
- Bring a stool sample in for a fecal test.
Assuming that your puppy is lively, scarfing down food as usual, not vomiting and has no blood in their diarrhea, then your next step is to collect a stool sample and bring it to your veterinary hospital for a fecal test. The fecal test will check for worms and other parasites that might be causing the problem. To identify the parasite, the stool needs to be fairly fresh, so although it may not be the most pleasant thing, try to collect the sample immediately.
- Contact your veterinarian to see if they recommend a temporary diet change.
The old “chicken and rice” option is no longer recommended in most cases. There are specific veterinary diets that have been balanced and designed to use short term to treat diarrhea. Your VCA care team can let you know which one they recommend for your situation. They may also recommend supplements like probiotics or others. Please do not use human products for your pets; they are not the same.
Once your puppy has normal stools again, you can start slowly mixing in their regular kibble over the course of a few days to get them back to a regular diet.
- Pick up medications (if needed).
Based on the fecal test results, your veterinarian may prescribe dewormers or antiparasitic medications, as well as recommend cleaning your home to remove possible sources of infection in the house or yard.
- Reassess.
If your puppy fails to improve while on medications or if the diarrhea persists for more than 2 days, then it’s time for your puppy to visit their veterinarian. Of course, if at any point your puppy shows warning signs like lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting or blood in the stool, you should contact your VCA care team immediately.
Fill out this Diarrhea Questionnaire before you head to the veterinarian to help determine the cause.