My 11-week-old puppy has diarrhea but is still playing and eating.

I can certainly understand being concerned about Apollo! Given that he is up to date on his vaccines and deworming treatment, it could be that the diarrhea is caused by a GI illness, eating something rotten, or a foreign body. Keep in mind, however, that at 10 weeks of age he isn't old enough to be fully vaccinated, so there is always a chance it could be something more serious like parvovirus or distemper causing the diarrhea. I would keep a close eye on him, and if you see blood in his diarrhea, he starts vomiting, he becomes lethargic, he starts having diarrhea more frequently, he develops a high fever, he becomes very lethargic, he has reddened eyes, and/or he develops a nasal and eye discharge, have him seen by a vet immediately. Having diarrhea three times over a nine hour time period with no other signs isn't excessive enough to warrant a trip to the animal ER, so I will give you a home remedy to see if that helps. Withhold food for 6-8 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. As I said above, monitor him closely for the signs I mentioned earlier in my answer, and rush him into a vet right away if you see any of them. Good luck, I hope this helps and thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concerns!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach. It is good that your puppy is still playful and drinking. Diarrhea in a puppy this age is very common as a direct cause of: parasites (even though a dewormer was given), abrupt change in diet, or viral infections of the intestinal tract. It is important that his feces are tested for parasites and possible viral infections (depending on his vaccination status) by your veterinarian as soon as he can be seen. Your veterinarian will also be able to provide medications for the diarrhea as well. Make sure you keep him eating and drinking, and continue to monitor carefully.

If Chaco is otherwise still active, playful, eating, drinking, and has not been vomiting, I think it is ok to just keep an eye on him for a couple more days. Offer a bland diet (such as plain cooked chicken and white rice) and monitor his appetite and activity level. If he hasn't been dewormed in the past 4 weeks, that would also be advisable. If his stools are not looking more normal in a few days, or if at any point he starts vomiting, acting like he doesn't feel good, or the stool becomes bloody, take him to your vet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor pup! No, it's not normal for her to have diarrhea, especially if it's been going on for a week now. I would be concerned that she may have an intestinal parasite of some kind, or possibly an infection causing the diarrhea. I would recommend taking her to the vet today if you can for an exam - he/she can do a fecal exam to check for parasites or other problems, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat the diarrhea depending on what is found.

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 pup! Diarrhea with no obvious cause can definitely be frustrating. If no parasites were seen on her fecal exam and she's acting normal otherwise, then it may be a food allergy or intolerance issue - I have seen this a number of times in puppies with diarrhea who tested negative for all the usual suspects, but did very well with a diet change. You can try feeding her plain boiled chicken and white rice for the next 3-5 days to see if the diarrhea resolves - if so, then she may need to stay on a special, easily digestible diet such as Hills i/d or Royal Canin GI diet.

At this point, I don’t think it’s the soup. Common causes of persistent diarrhea in a puppy would be intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral infection, continued dietary indiscretion (meaning he keeps eating things he shouldn’t), or, less commonly, a food sensitivity to his current puppy food. Since this has lasted longer than 24 hours, I would recommend taking Sunny to the vet for evaluation. They can check a stool sample for parasites and evaluate his vaccination history to make sure there weren’t any gaps, then proceed with a recommended treatment.