Why does my 6-month-old puppy have loose stools only in the evening?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. Diet and parasites are the most common causes of loose stool in young puppies. If his stool is clear of any parasitic, bacterial or viral infection, then I would consider a new diet. I would consider a sensitive stomach formula such as Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. Gradually transition to the new food over 5 or so days. If this does not help within 2 weeks, then you may want to consider a prescription low fat and highly digestible diet from his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for posting! Very cute picture too! The first thing I would make sure you do is have his stool tested by your veterinarian to rule out a bacterial or parasitic infection that could be causing his stool be loose. If your veterinarian does not suspect a health issue as a cause, then you may want to try changing the food to a sensitive stomach formula such as Hill's Adult Sensitive Stomach food you can find over the counter at your local pet supplies store. Adding extra fiber to the diet can also help firm up the stool a bit. You can try adding 1/4 cup of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to his food twice daily. I hope this helps and thanks for posting!

There are many causes for loose stool in puppies and in some cases the bowel is just slow to develop and adapt to the demands of a rapidly growing dog! My preferred option is royal canin gastrointestinal junor, which should be fed for at least 6 weeks to promote bowel development. Probiotics such as fortiflora can also be very effective and a fibre supplement such as profibre may be added alongside the kibble or wet food

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Giacomo. I'm sorry to hear you are having all of these problems with him. About 75% of the time ongoing diarrhea in puppies is related to intestinal parasites or diet. So have your veterinarian ensure he does not have any parasites including giardia. If he is negative and has been properly dewormed, I should start him on a prescription low fat diet that is highly digestible. I use Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets EN as it is safe for use in growing puppies. If this diet does not resolve the diarrhea, he may require a diet for a food allergy such as a hydrolyzed formula. I hope this information helps!

Poor Aiko! Some of the most common causes for soft stools in puppies are GI parasites, the addition of new foods or treats without a transition period, and stress. The fact that the stools are sometimes firm makes me a bit less concerned that this is a more serious cause, but we should investigate what the problem may be. Firstly, I would recommend having a stool sample submitted to your vet to look for parasites. Vomiting and loose stools can sometimes be a sign of gastrointestinal parasites. Secondly, Aiko should be eating a well-balanced puppy diet. New treats and foods should be slowly added to his diet. Avoid items with high fat as this sometimes causes tummy upset. Make sure he isn't eating things he shouldn't be. Puppies have pretty sensitive stomachs. Excessive stress and/or exercise can sometimes cause loose stools too. For today, withhold any treats so his tummy can settle. Offer him his next meal and see if he is still vomiting. If so, you should call your vet. Hopefully, this problem can be resolved soon! Good luck!

At 6 weeks old, your pet should be well on puppy food with no milk. You should go ahead and go forward with Royal Canin regular puppy large breed food with no additives. If Arjun happens to be having a hard time eating the kibble, then you can certainly add in some canned food at this point, but most puppies this age can no longer digest milk or cerelac, so it should not be given to them anymore. If your puppy just seems to not like Royal Canin anymore, then some other suggested brands are Hill's Science Diet, Eukanuba, or Purina. The amount to feed should be based on the guideline on the back of the bag, but it isn't a perfect science. Pay attention to your pet and feed less than what is recommended if he seems to be leaving a good amount still in the bowl. A good rule of thumb here is that whatever is suggested on the bag is likely going to be an over-estimate of the amount of food he will likely consume. To help with the loose stools, you should add in a probiotic such as Fortiflora or over the counter Culturelle for the next 7-14 days. This should help resolve it, but if not, then a vet visit is recommended. I hope that this new formulation helps Arjun keep normal bowel movements moving forward. Best of luck and take care. : )

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Rusty isn't feeling well. I recommend taking Rusty to the vet with a fresh stool sample. There is a possibility he has microscopic intestinal parasites. This is common in puppies and causes diarrhea. I would not change his food as that is likely to make the loose stool worse. There is no deworming medicine that treats all parasites so even if he has been dewormed, it doesn't mean there isn't something there. Good luck and kisses to Rusty!