Having a puppy in your home is like having another baby. You are constantly trying to get foreign objects out of their mouths while trying to keep track of their vaccination schedules. It can be a tiring and stressful task and puppy diarrhea only makes it more stressful.
One way to stop puppy diarrhea from happening is to make sure you do not switch their diet on them. You can if it is a gradual switch and not a sudden one. A sudden switch can lead to puppy diarrhea which can take a few days or more to rectify.
Or your puppy has a food intolerance which requires a vet to find out and give you a new course of action when it comes to food. Keep reading to find out more.
How to Train A Puppy Not to Jump? Click here to learn more.
What Causes Watery Diarrhea in Puppies?
Two of the causes were just mentioned. One is where you suddenly switch their menu and the other is that your puppy has a food intolerance to certain ingredients.
There are a few other sources that cause the same result:
1. Bacterial Infection- Salmonella, E. coli, Clostridium, and other bacteria will cause puppy diarrhea.
2. Viral Infection- Parvovirus and distemper virus are two examples and these can be fatal if your puppy is not vaccinated against them.
3. Eating the Wrong Things- Your puppy may have eaten a poisonous plant or some other item. These non-menu items will cause diarrhea to appear. Eating garbage would belong in this category.
4. Parasites- Or more specifically, worms. There are different worms your puppy can get through different means. These parasites often induce diarrhea, and which is a sign of the presence of worms.
5. Stress- There are many reasons why your puppy gets stressed. When he or she does, then that feeling can result in diarrhea.
How Can I Firm Up My Puppy’s Stool?
There are many different ways you can go about doing this task. Here are some of those ways:
- Cut down their exercise time
- Reduce their food intake
- Feed him or her yogurt or some other probiotic made for dogs
- Do not feed your dog any food for 12 to 24 hours (unless your dog is a small breed or a puppy)
- Add more fiber to their diet through different food items like fruit
- Feed them bland food
- Identify the cause and treat it not the symptoms
- Feed your dog canned pumpkin
- Your dog may be lactose intolerant so getting them off milk products is a good option
- Deworm your puppy through medication or pumpkin seeds
- Keep your dog stress free
- Gradually change your dog’s diet to something better and healthier for them
- Watch the treats you feed him or her. Not all human food is good for your pet
- Keep their water bowls very clean
When it comes to water bowls, make sure you wash them every day and use hot water to kill any bacteria or other germs. There are other options you have available like cutting out the fatty foods or adding in more dry food.
If you are still not sure or these options do not work for you, then talk to your vet for more possible solutions.
Need to know How to Get a Puppy to Eat? Click here to find out.
How Long Does Puppy Diarrhea Last?
There is no set time limit but if it lasts longer than one day, then your dog can become vulnerable to dehydration. Some dog diarrhea lasts for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months.
If it gets to that length of time, then you should talk to your vet. But make sure to implement some of the solutions above to help your dog out. When your dog has diarrhea for a while there may be a medical issue behind it.
That is why it is important to talk to your vet to see if your dog is sick and tell through its diarrhea, he or she has a problem. When to go to your vet is after the second day your dog has diarrhea.
Have a puppy that won’t drink? Click here to check out our post “How to Get a Puppy to Drink Water”.
Some Final Words
Diarrhea is a common ailment in many dogs. The most common source for it is your dog’s eating habits. If they eat a lot of garbage, then you can expect them to have diarrhea soon after that bad meal.
Don’t starve your dog when you see that they have this ailment. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink to help avoid dehydration. Then offer easily digestible, low-fat, high-fiber food to help calm your dog’s stomach.
Fending off puppy or dog diarrhea is not a tough task. You just need to know the cause to treat it effectively
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