My 10-week-old puppy has watery diarrhea. What should I do now?

It is very common for puppies to have diarrhea. This can happen with intestinal parasites, infectious diseases such as parvo virus, change in diet or even stress from the change in homes. It's possible that he also picked up and ate something off the grass that upset his system. If he's normal otherwise (no vomiting, good appetite, normal activity level) you could start by giving him plain boiled chicken breast and plain white rice in a 1 to 1 ratio. You can also add a small amount of pumpkin puree as the fiber can help firm up the stools. If the diarrhea continues or he becomes ill, starts vomiting, acting lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, I would strongly recommend taking him to a veterinarian right away. They will most likely want to do a fecal exam to check for parasites, a parvo test to check for this very serious illness and may even do blood work and x-rays to look for evidence of a stomach or intestinal blockage. This is very common in puppies since they like to chew on and swallow things they shouldn't.

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 Chaw! Unfortunately it's impossible to know the cause of the diarrhea by looks alone. The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including a change in diet, bacterial over growth, parasites or other even parvovirus. Chaw is very small and I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian today. Small puppies can become very sick very fast and so need aggressive, early intervention. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check her for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A good diet in general is Royal Canin. It is low residue and highly digestible. I hope Chaw starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions!

At Peanut's age I would recommend seeing a veterinarian for any diarrhea. Intestinal parasites are very common in puppies and could be causing diarrhea. There are several other diseases that could cause diarrhea as well, and puppies can become dehydrated if they have frequent watery diarrhea that is not treated promptly.

Your pups are so cute! Diarrhea and reduced appetite could be caused by parasites, change in diet, toxin ingestion, infectious viral diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. Parvovirus is also a possibility, particularly in a dog as young as Rocky, as you mentioned he is too young to have had all his boosters yet. Please make an appointment to have Rocky seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as diarrhea can easily lead to dehydration in such a young pup, and can be very dangerous if left untreated. In the mean time, if he is not eating well, you can try boiling boneless skinless chicken in water, shredding the chicken, and feeding her small amounts of the resulting chicken broth and cooked chicken with boiled plain white rice once it has cooled. I recommend taking in a fecal sample from Rocky to your vet as well, as that may aid them in making a diagnosis. Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!

I would have Otis checked out by a vet to rule out intestinal parasites, especially since he goes to Doggy Day Care. If there are no parasites, then the vet can discuss his dietary and medical history to see what could be going on.

Thanks for the question. I'm glad to hear that Fenris is still playing and eating, but I am concerned that the stool is so watery. Yes, it is always possible that this is just a dietary issue, however because it has been going on for 4 days, and is so watery, I'm concerned that this is something infectious. At 11 weeks my main concern is parvovirus, however most of these pups act really sick, but it is still possible. Other possibilities are things like giardia, coccidia, or a viral infection. I recommend collecting a sample of the diarrhea in a bag or container and bringing it to a veterinarian for testing. They will be able to determine if there is a specific medication that is needed to fix the problem. Puppies this age don't have a lot of reserves, and can become dehydrated quickly. I'm happy that Fenris seems to be otherwise feeling okay so far, but I would feel better getting the diarrhea under control before it becomes a more serious problem. I hope Fenris is back to normal soon.