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PUPPY DIARREAH When you bring home a new puppy, it's a pretty safe bet that you will see some puppy diarreah, and probably sooner than later! You want to keep your new puppy healthy and happy, so it's only natural to worry when your puppy's poop does'nt seem normal. Puppy Diarreah is very common. And can be caused by many factors. So before you start to panic, read the guide below for common causes and helpful home remedies! The Most Common Causes For Puppy Diarreah Diarreah in puppies can take range from a soft pile to a jet of liquid..... and just about everything in between! If your puppy's stools are just of the soft, chocolate pudding variety - there's generally no need for instant panic. There are several possible reasons for the change in consistency, these include: Switching your puppy from one brand of food to another or from switching from dry food to canned or homemade food are all very common reasons for loose stools. To help avoid this, be sure that any change in diet is made gradually, over atleast a week. Begin by replacing a small amount of the regular food with the new one. Then over the next seven days or so, gradually increase the new food while decreasing the old. By the end of the week, your puppy should be happily eating his new dog food without very much, if any tummy upset. Puppies have very delicate digestive systems and are often affected by stressful situations. Things such as leaving their mom and siblings, adjusting to their new home, a ride on a airplane, a visit to the vet, excess excitement- etc, can trigger puppy diarreah. It will usually right itself over the course of a few days. You should make sure that your puppy is drinking plenty of water to make up for the fluids lost through diarreah. Little puppies are endlessly curious, and often seem to believe that EVERYTHING is edible, until proven otherwise! If your puppy has been snacking on left overs from the garbage can, the flowers from the yard, or something of that nature, puppy diarreah is most likely going to happen. When you're dealing with a fairly mild case of puppy diarreah, focus on eliminating the cause and replacing any lost fluids with a constant fresh water supply. You can also use Pedialyte (located in the baby section of any grocery store) to help replenish your puppy's lost fluids. Offer it alone or mixed with your puppy's water. If your puppy is drinking well, is bright eyed and lively, and is nt getting worse or showing signs of other illness (vomiting, lethargy, etc), you can probably afford to just monitor the situation. You can give a 1/2 teaspoon of Pepto Bismol for every 10lbs of weight, every 4 hours, up to a maximum of 8 doses. This will coat your puppy's intestines, in turn, giving them a chance to heal and eliminate the diarreah. If your puppy is not showing improvement by the 8th dose of Pepto Bismol, you should, at that point, consider taking your puppy to the vet to have him checked for parasites, worms or disease. You can also add a tablespoon of Vanilla or Strawberry Yougurt to your puppy's meals to add good bacteria back into the stomach. Puppies LOVE yogurt and it is very good or them! Last thing that I would like to offer is, if nothing above works and your vet has ruled out parasites and other harmful causes for your puppy's diarreah, you can switch your puppy to a bland diet for a week. This consists of rice with no seasonings mixed with plain cooked hamburger meat or chicken (skin removed). This combination is very easy on a puppy's stomach and can be used in pro-longed puppy diarreah cases. In some cases, loose stools have been known to last up to 6 months of age... with no known cause except for a dog with a very sensitive stomach. Dont worry, it may take a while in these cases, but it WILL eventually get better. 
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