My puppy has watery, smelly diarrhea and is lethargic. What to do?

Hi there! Sorry to hear that Mazy is not feeling well. The clinical signs you describe are concerning when they occur in a puppy as they can be seen with serious gastrointestinal infections such as Parvovirus. Other possibilities include intestinal worms and dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. The sooner these conditions are treated the better the outcome tends to be. For this reason, I recommend that you have Mazy evaluated by your veterinarian to check for these possibilities and to start therapy based on findings. At the very least they can address dehydration if present and start her on anti-diarrhea medications. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed for your girl!

I am very sorry to hear that California is experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of watery stool, including dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. Because you have only noticed one watery stool I would continue to monitor California at home. Here is what you can do; Rest Her gastrointestinal tract by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and white rice diet and provide plenty of fresh water. I also find that boiled, mashed skinless sweet potato is helpful for diarrhoea, and preferable to banana. If California does not improve, has profuse vomiting or diarrhoea, you notice fresh blood, She seems lethargic, in pain or depressed I would advise a trip to the veterinarian. Here are some links to helpful resources for you; https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that California feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kisses! My biggest concern is how young and small Kisses is. With severe watery diarrhea she is at an increased risk for dehydration and low blood sugar. Causes of diarrhea in puppies are: intestinal parasites, viral (parvo or distemper) or bacterial infections, dietary indiscretion, food allergy/intolerance, reaction to a new food/treat/table food. Sometime we never know the exact cause. Since she is so young and small I would take her to the Vet today. If you can get a stool sample bring it with you. If she isn't up to date on vaccines they may test her for parvo virus. The Vet can send her home with medications to make her better faster. I hope this helps and I wish Kisses a speedy recovery!

It always concerns me when young puppies get lethargic. Puppies are more susceptible to the effects of dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) than adult dogs, so diarrhea is more serious for Wallace than it would be for an adult dog. If he's back to acting normally, eating, drinking, and doesn't have further diarrhea or vomiting, it's perfectly fine to continue monitoring him at home. However, if he remains lethargic, has more mucousy diarrhea, begins to vomit, or refuses to eat or drink normal amounts, then you should have him examined by his vet. Your vet will need to do a physical exam. Depending on their suspicions based on their exam findings, they may recommend some diagnostic testing or may opt to start him on some medications. Possible causes of this type of issue include stomach upset from a virus, intestinal parasites, among many other issues. If your vet finds that Wallace is dehydrated, they'll also be able to give him some fluids. I hope that he feels better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lulu. I would recommend that she sees her veterinarian. You have given it long enough for the diarrhea to potentially resolve on its own. She will likely need fecal testing and a medication at this point. Being a puppy it is easy for her to become dehydrated from losing excess fluid in her stool. Offer her plenty of water. She may be experiencing intestinal parasites, a bacterial infection or overgrowth related to stress or a diet change. Other times a definite cause is not determined and supportive treatment is recommended. I hope this information helps!

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!

Poor precious. Make sure she is eating about 5-6 small meals a day to help keep her blood sugar up. Since she is having vomiting and diarrhea I would really concerned about her getting dehydrated and weak. She could have something serious going on like parvo virus or a lot of intestinal parasites. I would strongly recommend to get her in to see your vet as soon as possible so they can test her for parvo and worms. They will be able to make sure she has the appropriate medicine to make her feel better and make sure she isn't getting dehydrated.