Puppy teething, loose stool, and eating rocks: How can I help?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Congratulations on the new puppy! These signs can definitely be due to nerves or the anxiety of being in a new place. It is hard for puppies to be separated from their littermates or mothers, go in a car they've never been in, and be surrounded by people they've never met. He likely won't take very long to adjust- young puppies tend to feel like part of the family very quickly - it sounds like he is playing already! He should get an appetite and start eating a puppy diet well. There should be a recommended feeding amount on the side of the puppy food bag. His stools should start to firm up - if they remain soft or become liquidy, he may have gastrointestinal parasites/worms that need to be treated - even if wherever you got him from treated him already. I hope this is helpful!

Puppies absolutely do like to get into things they shouldn't, as frustrating as this can be. Exploring their environment, including rocks, is in most cases a normal developmental stage. To keep Atlas safe from the possible harmful effects of eating or chewing on rocks, such as broken teeth or intestinal concerns after ingestion, such as blockage, try to remove rocks from her environment as much as possible. One reason why puppies are known for their destructive or explorative tendencies is they are in need of more stimulation, or experience anxiety when separated from you. There currently are several toys on the market which will interact with Atlas and release treats, that can be used while you are out. Atlas also possibly benefit from plenty of exercise, as well as puppy socialisation classes. Though less likely, there is also a possibility that Atlas could have something else wrong that causes him to seek out strange foods. For instance, metabolic disorders, parasites, and vitamin deficiencies can all be underlying causes. In order to rule out these causes a trip to the veterinarian would be needed. The vet would check on the parameters of Atlas's blood, and check a fecal sample for parasites. Hope that was a helpful answer! Warmest regards and best of luck to you both

Certainly sticks and stones are not good for Teddy's GI tract. They can cause irritation, ulcers, and can get stuck and require surgery to remove them. You can try keeping Teddy on a leash to be able to keep him from the sticks as he learns what is ok to chew and what is not ok. I also recommend always having something to redirect his behavior when he does things like grabbing a stick. Things like chew toys or balls to fetch can be helpful tools to redirect Teddy's behavior to something more appropriate to do besides chewing sticks and stones. I always tell clients that animals cannot change behavior in a vacuum. Meaning just saying, "Teddy No!" When he chews sticks or digs in the yard is only one half of the equation. The other half is to give him something that IS ok to chew on or play with. Eventually with consistent redirection your little guy should get the hang of it. Keep in mind, also, that digging is a part of normal puppy behavior, even though we need to stop them from doing it or our yards will look like disaster zones. You can try this same redirecting trick with digging. Also make sure not to leave Teddy unattended outside until he gets the hang both of not digging and not going after sticks and stones. Best of luck with your sweet little trouble maker!

Congratulations on your new puppy! Mylo is adorable! From the photos, he looks like he is in good condition, however, he may actually be thinner than he appears because he is so fluffy. You should be able to feel his ribs and spine, but they should be covered by muscle and fat. Essentially, you should feel bones with a slight amount of pressure, but not when only running your hands over him. Loose feces is common in puppies, but should be evaluated by a vet. It can be caused by intestinal parasites, inappropriate or quick diet changes, I recommend having Mylo seen by a vet as soon as possible, you can bring a fecal sample with you in a disposable container so your vet can test for parasites. Regarding Mylo's biting, this is very common in puppies as they are teething. It is a behavior that is undesirable and can be trained out. When Mylo bites, I recommend ignoring him and stopping what you are doing. This will let him know that the behavior is unacceptable, and that he can only have your attention when he is not biting. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loose stools can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. This is not likely at all to be due to you taking the temperature. It is possible that this is just from eating the bone which could have caused some mild gastrointestinal upset. If no improvement is noted in the next 48 hours or he develops diarrhea, I recommend that you have Cooper evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for loose stools depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend using bitter apple spray and apply this to the rocks to prevent red from chewing on the rocks. If it is a big enough problem to the point where he is interested in swallowing the Rocks, I would invest in a basket muzzle whenever he is outside going to the bathroom near the Rocks so that he does not swallow the rocks and cause an intestinal obstruction. If you end up resorting to the basket muzzle, you will need to get new sizes of basket muzzles as he outgrows the previous ones. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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!