My new puppy has soft poop and drinks a lot. Is it normal? What to do?

I'm sorry Boss has diarrhea! The mince may be causing the diarrhea. He doesn't need mince, feeding him puppy food will provide all the nutrients he needs to grow correctly. In addition, the mince is extra calories, which can lead to excess weight gain. I would not give him the mince, and feed him only puppy food. Make sure as well that he is up to date on his deworming treatments, as intestinal worms occur commonly in puppies and also cause diarrhea. Have him seen by a vet on Monday or Tuesday if the diarrhea continues after removing the mince from his diet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Personally the color doesn't bother me but the consistency does. That is diarrhea. It is too soft and not formed. I would go back to the Royal Canin food as it sounds like he digests that one better. Be sure though that he has had his stool tested for intestinal parasites and is up to date on his DHPP vaccines. Good luck!

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!

Soft stool has multiple causes. It may be gastrointestinal upset or inflammation, intestinal parasites or due to dietary indiscretions just to name a few. As long as Remy is acting normally, you don't necessarily need to take him to your veterinarian. You should submit a stool sample though to diagnose intestinal parasites. Try withholding food for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until the stool is normal then transition slowly to his regular diet. If the soft stool does not resolve or if Remy develops lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or vomiting them have him examined by your veterinarian.

Aw, what a cutie. 6 weeks old is pretty young to be away from his mama. These guys are often fed by their mom until closer to 8 weeks. A good quality puppy food, probably canned or kibble soaked in warm water will be necessary. At this age he probable won’t eat dry kibble. It is best if you feed the same thing the breeder fed in the beginning. This will help with the soft stool and keep him from diarrhea. Once he eats that well, you can transition. I would choose a high quality large breed puppy food for the first year. I like Merrick, if your budget allows. If you need a grocery store available food, try Purina One. If his stool is really soft, he needs to have a fecal check with your vet as he may need deworming.

Diarrhea in a small puppy are concerning because of dehydration concerns as well as the risk of possible infectious diseases. The diarrhea could be due to parasites, bacterial or viral infections or even dieatery indiscretion. I would recommend you take your puppy to the vet as soon as possible for testing and treatment. If you notice any vomiting, you should seek emergency veterinary care for Henry.

That depends on how soft it is and how frequently that is happening. For some dogs, their ‘normal’ is firm in the beginning of the stool and then softer (but still formed) at the end. If every thing else seems to be normal and you don’t see any problems with the whole stool being soft/loose and no liquid/unformed stool at the end, you may do nothing and just monitor for now. It may also be beneficial to take a photo of the questionable stool and post again so that we can see what you are seeing. I assume you have done all the parasite testing (including giardia) and routine deworming to rule out parasites? If I have a patient who is continuing to have a softer stool, I will often treat them with a 5 day course of Panacur just to be certain no parasites remain. I agree that if the metronidazole does not seem to be making a huge difference, I would probably shy away from that. If I suspect a bacteria cause to continued soft stool, I will often treat for 6 weeks with an antibiotic called Tylosin or I will treat for 10 days with a sulfa-type antibiotic. Lastly, a continued soft stool could also be related to food allergy. The diet you are feeding is excellent. It’s meant to break down easily and decrease the work load on the cells. This diet is very good for dogs who can’t handle the richness of most dog foods. It is not however formulated for dogs who have food allergies. That is a different immune process. Don’t be tempted to put him on a grain free diet. Most dogs who do have legitimate food allergies are not allergic to grains. Instead know for sure if it is a food allergy. The diet I recommend is made by Royal Canin and called hydrolyzed protein adult HP. Since Bentley is a boxer puppy, he is still growing. This diet is formulated to meet the requirements of growing puppies so it will both help with food allergy as well as support normal growth of his bones and soft tissue. You would conduct a food trial on him which will last for 12 weeks. The stool is normal at the end of 12 weeks, then you know it’s an allergy. I recommend to discuss any of these options with your veterinarian if the stool is still abnormal or if Bentley continues to get problems with a loose stool in general. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!