Puppy diarrhea with metallic smell: Could it be parvo or parasites?

Coccidia symptoms include watery, mucousy diarrhea. explosive diarrhea that may eventually become bloody, lethargy and weakness, dehydration, abdominal discomfort and tenderness, vomiting., weight loss, and little or no appetite. The symptoms for parvo are very similar. In the picture your puppies still look pretty bright so this is a very good sign. Use unflavored Pedialyte or low sodium chicken broth to keep them hydrated. If they will eat, feed them small amounts of their regular puppy food, moistened with broth or Pedialyte to encourage them. If they continue to vomit though you may want to hold off on solid food as vomiting will dehydrate them faster and undo the good work you've been doing.

It very well could be parvo. I suggest you get her to your vet ASAP for an exam and testing. You really need to know if it is parvo or not. Either way, your vet will help you determine the cause of the bloody diarrhea and give you treatment options. Then, once this diarrhea is cleared up you can get her started on her vaccines. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Usually dogs with parvovirus or distemper are very lethargic and ill. If your dog is eating and drinking fine and has lots of energy then I don’t think the diarrhea is from either of those diseases. I do recommend a fecal exam soon, perhaps you can drop one off before your appointment to check for intestinal parasites that could cause diarrhea. Also I would monitor what she’s eating and check to make sure she’s not getting into things she shouldn’t in the yard. She’s a puppy and they love to eat anything! Should she become lethargic, stop eating or the diarrhea worsens then don’t wait, take her in to a veterinarian right away for treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

Poor Baby. This could be parvovirus but usually parvo doesn't wax and wane like this. If Kyle hasn't been fully vaccinated, I would have him tested for parvo to ensure it is negative. I would also make sure they test him for different parasites including giardia. Giardia can be difficult to get rid of and they can easily reinfect themselves. The rotting meat smell is likely due to the blood in his stool. I would also feed him a bland or sensitive stomach diet. If you recently opened up a new bag of food before all this started, I would throw that bag out as it could be a bad bag. If he doesn't have any parasites, I would talk to your vet about additional diagnostics like a pancreatitis test, blood work, and x-rays. This may give your vet more information about what is going on and how to treat him. I hope this helps!

I would be concerned with Parvovirus which is highly contagious and often fatal if not properly treated. Given the duration of thee symptoms, however, it seems less likely. I would want to ensure, once well, they get at least 3 DAP vaccines 3-4 weeks apart, plus rabies. Sometimes I will see blood in diarrhea from hemorrhoids from straining against soft stool. In this case, treatment for the underlying cause of the diarrhea will be needed. This could include some Metronidazole, a probiotic, and further deworming. In these cases it is usually a small amount of blood whereas with Parvo it is a large amount of very bloody, foul smelling stool.

Poor pups! The most common cause of diarrhea in puppies this age is intestinal parasites, so I would recommend taking a fecal sample to your vet to be checked tomorrow morning, if you can. He/she can prescribe an appropriate dewormer or other medication if needed, depending on what is found. If the fecal exam is normal, then it would be best to bring the puppies in for an exam sooner than next Monday if possible since they may need an antibiotic or other medication to treat the diarrhea - it's best not to let this go too long, since young puppies like this can get very sick, very quickly.

Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Supportive care (IV or subcutaneous fluids, anti-emetics, anti-diarrheals and parenteral nutrition) may be indicated until a diagnosis is reached or until your pup recovers.