My 3-month-old puppy has diarrhea after food change. Withhold food?

Switching foods too quickly can cause digestive upset such as vomiting and diarrhea. It would be best to return to Oli's original food until his stomach settles and then start a gradual change to the new food over a period of 7-9 days, slowly adding in more of the new food over time. This can help minimize stomach upset from the new food as he adjusts.

Poor Simba! It sounds like he definitely has an upset stomach. You can try withholding food for the next 12 hours to give his stomach a chance to settle, then feed a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next few days until things are back to normal. If this doesn't help, or if he continues to vomit or is acting lethargic or not wanting to eat, then it would be best to have him seen by a vet as these can be signs of a more serious problem.

It's possible the change in food could be causing digestive upset. The best way to start transitioning to solids is to make a slurry of their regular milk replacer that they've already been on combined with a little bit of the puppy food. This helps make it easier to digest without being too big of a change and may help settle their stomachs. Checking for any parasites with a fecal exam and deworming may also help, however if the vomiting or diarrhea continues, a vet checkup to rule out anything more serious is best.

You can consider stopping both foods and feeding boiled skinless chicken or hamburger with plain rice. The addition of a probiotic like Fortiflora would also help regulate any disruptions to the GI tract. After a few days, slowly resume whatever diet you intend on feeding regularly. If diarrhea persists in spite of this, the addition of an anti-diarrheal and/or anti-inflammatory drug may be required.

Human Cerelac is not an appropriate diet for a growing puppy. He should be fed a puppy milk replacer such as Esbilac or Pet-Lac. The diarrhea may be due to the diet or intestinal parasites (worms). Simba should be examined by a veterinarian. If left untreated, the diarrhea can lead to dehydration which is dangerous in puppies. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Consider a veterinary probiotic to promote gut health. You could also mix in a bit of plain yogurt if a probiotic is not available.

A sudden change in diet including switching brands can be enough to cause diarrhea in a dog. I can give you a home remedy to try for Chiquitin, and I would switch back to his normal brand of dog food. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, he starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Yes, this can be a normal reaction to a diet change. It sounds as though Simba's system is not digesting this food well. Dogs are just like people, some do well on certain diets and others don't. It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with that diet. It just means for whatever reason it is not agreeing with him. I'm not sure why you changed his diet in the first place but if his old diet was working well for him I would go back to that. If Simba was having an issue that prompted you to want to change the diet you are welcome to post again with a specific questions so we can try to steer you in the right direction. Hope this helps. Best wishes.