What's normal poop for 9-day old puppies and their nursing mother?

Hello, congratulations on your puppies. In general they can have waxing and waning stool consistencies when they are this young. Most common causes for stool changes in puppies include parasites, dietary indiscretions, or changes in their GI tracts as they develop. Currently they are too young to deworm, however, as long as they are continuing to eat then you may keep monitoring them for any lethargy, worsening soft stools or diarrhea, or parasites in their feces. If you note any of these then contact your veterinarian to have them evaluated sooner. Otherwise, continue to allow them to nurse and begin to offer wet puppy food at 4-6 weeks of age. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It is very common for a mother to eat the stools of her puppies to keep the area clean. As long as the puppies are growing well, eating normally and are not straining to poop I would not be concerned. If you are concerned try separating the puppies from the mother and watch for stool.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is unusual for a German Shephard to have only one puppy, so having an x-ray to make sure no more puppies are present is a good idea. Black poop is normal as the mother dog usually eats the placenta, and this turns the poop black. A bit of red in the pee can be normal, as there can be some inflammation and blood present in the vulva, however large amounts is not normal. Best of luck with Brownie and the puppy!

This is likely just secondary to the milk replacement you are feeding him. Just keep a close eye on him and make sure he is eating well, continuing to have bowel movements and urinating. Also, make sure you are feeding him every 3 hours. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’d bring a collective stool sample from the puppies to the vet to check for parasites especially coccidia. You can start deworming the puppies at 2 weeks with pyrantel but that doesn’t get coccidia. Continue to weigh them daily. Their stool otherwise can be influenced by Lulu’s diet and any medications she maybe on. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

At five weeks you can start transitioning to a puppy food that is moistened with some KMR or other replacer milk, or look for puppy mousse (Royal Canin and a few other companies carry it) that is designed for transition from milk to solid foods. Otherwise, keeping him eating and drinking can also help, as can testing for parasites or other illness and deworming if the stool does not return to normal.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Soft stools can be normal as they transition from formula to kibble or canned food. If she is otherwise doing well, this may be ok. If it ever becomes consistent diarrhea, have her evaluated by a veterinarian before her scheduled appointment. Keep in mind that it may be best to continue the formula until she is 6 weeks old. Best of luck!