Why is my 7-month-old dog having diarrhea and house training issues?

We can have diarrhea due to stress (of a move to new home) or diet changes, however in young dogs we also worry about intestinal parasites (both worms and Protozoa that aren't killed by deworming) and in some cases depending on vaccine status parvovirus. For this reason it is best to have your pup checked at the vet and bring a stool sample for them to test. Until then you can pick up a probiotic for dogs at the vet or pet store and try feeding plain cooked white rice and boiled shredded chicken breast for a day or two.

It sounds like Dobby may have a urinary tract infection or urinary stones. I would highly recommend having him checked by your vet soon to get his urine tested and treated based on what the underlying problem is. Your vet should be able to get to the bottom of the issue quickly with in house testing. The diarrhea is likely due to stress from the urinary issues. You can give him 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in his food daily to help solidify the stools as well as a probiotic (Culturelle found over the counter at any pharmacy) daily. I hope that Dobby's urinary habits and stool improve soon! Best wishes and take care. : )

My first guess would be intestinal parasites for the diarrhea. The treatment for this depends on which parasite is causing it, so I would get the puppies tested if this happens again (or find out what parasites were found if the puppies in question were tested) and talk to your vet about what to do. For the UTI, in a really young puppy, I would be most concerned about a congenital issue if they really got a UTI. If the urine wasn't cultured to confirm the UTI, it could have been a misdiagnosis. If it really was a UTI, you might consider taking that puppy's parents out of your breeding stock.

Poor Bella. This may be behavioral or there may be something going on causing her to have accidents. I would first want to rule out any medical issues. I would have your vet take a look at her and check her fecal for parasites including giardia and campylobacter as these can cause a loose stool and even just an increased urgency to go to the bathroom. I would also have them check a urinalysis to ensure she doesn't have a urinary tract infection (UTI), UTIs commonly causing them to have accidents in the house. If everything is normal, I would start back at basics with training. I personally like to crate train dogs because I feel like it works the best. I will attach more info below. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-tips-to-potty-train-your-dog-young-and-old/

Hi there! Although dogs can get diarrhea from worms, there are other reasons why, including bacterial infections, or even dietary indiscretion (eating something out of the ordinary that they shouldn't), that can cause it. From the description of the mucous, it could very well be colitis - or inflammation of the colon or large bowel. Also, fleas carry tapeworms, so sometimes the over the counter de-wormers don't take care of those. You can try a fast of 12 hours of no food, and very little water. After that period of time, 1/3-1/2 of their normal portion of food in the form of boiled or steamed lean protein such as chicken breast or ground turkey (no sauce or seasoninng) can be introduced. If the diarrhea seems like it's improving, or it stops, every 12 hours you can increase the portion little by little until it's back to the normal portion of food. If the diarrhea is not improving, both dogs should be evaluated by their veterinarian. It is important to make sure that the dogs are not getting too dehydrated from the diarrhea (as even though they may be drinking, they lose way more fluid than they can take in sometimes with diarrhea). The veterinarian can also give them some medications to help with the diarrhea, like, for example, some antibiotics to help re-balance the bacterial populations in the gut. At any time, if vomiting starts in addition to the diarrhea, I always advise to have the pet(s) evaluated immediately, because this can indicate an intestinal blockage, or a severe gastrointestinal infection or diffuse inflammation. All of those issues need to be addressed immediately. If the diarrhea does improve with the bland diet, I always advise to feed it until there is 48-72 hours of normal, solid stools. Then, you can transition the dogs back to their normal diet, gradually, over the course of 5-7 days (as switching too quickly can actually cause diarrhea). You can find a food transition guide here: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/how-to-transition-my-dogs-food Best of luck!

As most of these episodes are dietary related I would suggest to start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

As far as the change in urination, I would certainly have your vet evaluate a urine sample to evaluate for a UTI. It will make housetraining much more difficult (or impossible) if there is something medical going on. So, that could certainly be a reason for the backsliding with his training. You may also check a fecal sample. One of my dogs started pooping in the house at 6 months of age, and we found an intestinal parasite was to blame. If there isn't anything medical going on, then it's time to work on housetaining. It is common that we see a little backslide in housetraining around 6 months of age because as owners we think they are doing well, so we get a little more slack in our training. I recommend going back to square one. Keep Max in a kennel or on a leash in the house so he is under very direct supervision. Take him outside immediately after eating or playing. Go outside with him and reward him for going outside. The longer Max goes in the house, the harder it will be to housetrain him, so put in the time and effort now. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.