Is my 5-week-old puppy's soft stool and vomiting due to overfeeding?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Zeus! Since he is so young and has been vomiting all morning I would make an appointment for today. WE do not like babies getting dehydrated and if they can't eat they can get low blood sugar. Causes of vomiting in puppies are: intestinal parasites, viral (especially parvo) and bacterial infections, ate something gross, foreign body causing a blockage, toxin ingestion, reaction to new food/treat/table food, food allergy or intolerance. I wish Zeus a speedy recovery!

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!

It is not uncommon for puppies to eat more than they should, and they typically vomit as a result of that. If Diesel is bright and active as normal you just need to monitor him at home. You need to offer him smaller portions of food every few hours. Please, follow the feeding instructions on the package regarding the amount food he should be getting. It is very easy to overfeed a puppy if you don't stick to the recommendations.

It's possible the change in food could be causing digestive upset. The best way to start transitioning to solids is to make a slurry of their regular milk replacer that they've already been on combined with a little bit of the puppy food. This helps make it easier to digest without being too big of a change and may help settle their stomachs. Checking for any parasites with a fecal exam and deworming may also help, however if the vomiting or diarrhea continues, a vet checkup to rule out anything more serious is best.

I recommend making a puppy mush to help Zeus get used to puppy food. I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with puppy formula to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and puppy formula you use until he is eating the dry puppy food only. I hope this helps!

As in puppies this presentation is commonly dietary related, I would suggest to withhold food for the next 6 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 4 hours for the following 48hours. Other potential common causes are intestinal parasites and bacterial infection, but self limiting episodes dietary related are by far the most common ones. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice diarrhea, more vomiting, lethargy or inappetence.

Poor Blue! Small breed young puppies are delicate and they are extremely prone to low blood sugar if they don’t eat well. This condition can be fatal. There are many causes for vomiting including worms, change in diet, bacteria over growth and Parvo. I recommend to have Blue seen today by his veterinarian. It’s very important to get these little puppies eating and not vomiting to avoid low blood sugar. The doctor will need to run some tests to determine the cause. Offer him boiled white meat chicken and boiled white rice. This is a bland diet which can help to settle his stomach. Smaller, more frequent meals are better than two large ones. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.