Nothing is better than bringing home a new puppy to brighten up your home. They are eating their food and playing well. Cuddling with you at night. Then, one morning you notice that your new pet is not the same. This is a good time to talk to your veterinarian or reach out to an emergency clinic.

Why? Because just like children, puppies have less reserve to fight illness when they are sick and may need extra support and possibly hospitalization to get well. Diarrhea is a common reason for puppy visits to the vet, so here is a brief introduction to causes and how to prevent it.

Diarrhea – common causes:

1. Parasites – these can be picked up in environment, which is why it is often recommended to deworm puppies at their first vaccine visit and then to start on a monthly parasite treatment after that. There are some parasites that are not treated with dewormers. These include:

   1. Giardia – active protozoa that is in the environment and can cause repeated bouts of diarrhea. Dogs can be bright or ill. Diagnosis is by fecal testing

   2. Coccidia – another protozoa that is in the environment. Puppies are more prone when stressed and also because of their immature immune system. Diagnosis can be done with a fecal test by your veterinarian.

      1. Coccidia can cause illness in kittens. This can be ruled out by a fecal test.

2. Virus – Common causes:

   1. Parvovirus – parvo is everywhere in the environment and can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in puppies. Pups will usually need hospitalization to get over this infection.

   2. Coronavirus, Distemper, Adenovirus – less common but all can cause diarrhea as well. Covered by vaccination and can cause diarrhea in puppie.

3. Stress/ Diet Change:

   1. A new house and food can also lead to diarrhea as stress can change the microflora of the gut and also cause inflammation of the colon – leading to large bowel diarrhea

4. Ate the wrong thing:

   1. Whether it is a sock, bacon or chocolate, sometimes we see diarrhea when there is something that was eaten that is not kibble.

What to do when your puppy gets diarrhea:

1. Call your vet.

   1. If your pup is not able to keep food down, does not want to eat and/ or has bloody diarrhea, call an ER if you are not able to see your vet

2. Bring a poop sample.

   1. This helps to rule out parasites as many vets can either run the tests in house or send to a lab.

3. Have a history of food/ treats/plants, etc.. listed

4. Vaccination history

Generally, your vet will be able to come up with some differentials to rule out based on history and will recommend tests to confirm what is making your pup ill.

How to prevent diarrhea:

It is nearly impossible to prevent all diarrhea in puppies as their gut is changing as they grow and, sometimes, something as simple as a treat can trigger soft stool. But a bright puppy with soft stool may get over it with no changes at all. But, there are steps that you can take to help prevent diarrhea in your pup:

1. Slow introduction of new foods. If you are changing kibble, it is always good to have a gradual change over 4 – 5 days

2. Use probiotics – probiotics will help maintain GI flora in times of stress and diet change

3. Get all core vaccinations completed and keep pup out of public spaces until after your veterinarian states it is safe to go out.

4. Keep puppy on a monthly preventative for worms - often heartworm treatments will cover this.

5. Keep food bins and compost secured so that pup does not help themselves to some bad snacks

When in doubt, contact a veterinarian!