Is Puppy Diarrhea upsetting your best friend?

Is Puppy Diarrhea upsetting
your best friend?

Puppy Diarrhea can upset your little friend and means you have more work to do with cleaning up. It can have many causes, some more serious than others.

Due to your puppy’s small size, any diarrhea can cause a significant problem. Loss of fluids and much needed nutrition at this growth period are the main concerns.

Puppy Diarrhea can be caused by something as simple as a change of diet. This usually occurs the breeder has been feeding a diet that you have not followed on with.

The best way to go about changing your puppy’s diet is to gradually mix the old with the new and slowly change to your preferred or veterinary recommended brand.

Parasite control is also very important in all aged dogs, but especially in your young puppies and can also be a cause of your puppy's upset tummy. Your puppy can often get worms from their infected mother during nursing.

The best way to avoid this is to regularly de-worm your pup and to follow veterinary advice. Worming your puppy can be as often as every 2 weeks, eventually moving to every three months as adults (this will depend on the product you choose).

Please see Puppy Worms for more information on the prevention and treatment for your friend.

One of the more serious causes of your new family member having diarrhea can be Parvovirus. This is a serious virus that attacks the body at a cellular level and has the most devastating affect within the gastrointestinal tract.

Large amounts of diarrhea and vomiting leaves your puppy with extreme fluid loss and dehydration and unfortunately often their little bodies can’t handle the virus and it commonly results in death.

This is a good reason to have your puppy fully vaccinated as they are most at risk and to limit their interaction with others to only fully vaccinated dogs in order to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

Other reasons for puppy diarrhea upsetting your pooch can be…

Distemper. A virus which is passed through the air that dogs breathe which can cause many symptoms including diarrhea and is avoided by vaccination.

Salmonella. This is an infection that usually begins with contaminated food which is often raw. You can avoid this becoming a problem for your pup if you ensure that food is cooked in order to rid it of parasites and
bacteria.

Rotavirus. This can be another cause of puppy diarrhea and is spread through your puppy sniffing or eating the stools of an infected puppy. This is not one of the more serious viruses and is best to keep fluid intake up and follow any veterinary advice.

Coronavirus. This is not as severe as the Parvovirus as it is not known to cause death as often. It is also spread through your pooch sniffing or eating the faeces of an infected puppy or dog. In areas where the virus is prevalent, a vaccination can be given to your puppy to avoid this occurrence.

Puppy diarrhea is a serious concern as it
can have such a harmful affect on your pup’s small growing body. That is why it is so important to seek veterinary advice if you have a sick puppy.

If your puppy has one of the more serious problems such as Parvovirus, you should expect them to have a hospital stay of anywhere from 3-7 days for intravenous fluid therapy, antibiotics and monitoring.

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Puppy Care

Puppy Vaccinations

Puppy Worms and Fleas

Puppy Teething Pain

Parvovirus

Distemper