Puppy with diarrhea.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Amy,

I bet Gunnar is a gorgeous little guy. OES puppies are so adorable. I'm sorry to hear that he is having issues with diarrhea. It is definitely a little bit unusual to have a bowel movement go from normal to projectile in the same session. I can't say that that means anything in particular. But, I can say that projectile diarrhea in a puppy is definitely not something normal.

If this were my case I would likely be repeating a fecal exam. Even though the fecal exam was negative there may be something there that is difficult to pick up. It could be something like giardia or coccidia and these parasites need special medication to be treated. They will not go away with regular dewormers. If it is giardia or coccidia the other pups may or may not be affected.

It sounds like he is still bright and happy which makes something serious like parvovirus much less likely.

It is unlikely to be related to his food if he has been on the same food all along. The only exception to this would be if he got into something he shouldn't have, or if someone gave him a new type of treat or table food. This could cause some temporary diarrhea.

It would be very rare to see things like food allergies or food intolerances at this young age. By far the most common causes of diarrhea in puppies are parasites and viruses.

If this were my case and the fecal exam didn't show anything unusual then I likely would be putting Gunnar on a course of metronidazole. Metronidazole kills giardia. (Often we can't see giardia on a fecal exam). Metronidazole also has properties that help with inflammation in the intestines.

If this keeps up it does sound like a vet visit is necessary. I don't give puppies with diarrhea more than a day or two before recommending a vet visit as they can very easily get dehydrated.

I hope things are better soon!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

No, drinking too much water or using water soaked kibble is definitely not going to cause diarrhea.

I can't legally discuss dosages online. Plus, you shouldn't give any medication without it being prescribed by a vet first.

Sorry to hear about the glass ornament. The bread is a good idea. But if he ate an inch and a half of glass I would actually recommend an emergency visit. The vet may simply prescribe a medication called sucralfate (which actually could help with the diarrhea as well) but if enough glass was ingested, surgery may be necessary!