Puppy diarrhoea-- Please Help!

[RoryRawr]

Hi there, New to all of this

  Dont read ahead if your having food or have a dickie tummy! 

Bascially my 13 weeks old Cocker has been suffering with diarrhoea for the past 3 days, his stools have always been abit on and off- he was on James well beloved, but his trumps were violent and his stools were very soft.

I then put him onto Ian WainWrights (i feel a bit conned here, its an expensive food- next to James well beloved in pets at home, well away from the cheaper brands, but unfortunately is a very cheaply made food which i have since discovered, this food gave him very bad diarrhoea, like water almost. I starved him for 12 hours, his stool returned firm, fed him again, rest of the day water. Once again, and the same happened, i have done some research on food and i have now got him on Collards salmon and potato. (Luckily pets at home refunded the £40.00 i paid for the Ian WainWrights food without question or receipt)

Hes very well in himself, he hasn't changed any behaviours - energy.

Due to diarrhoea i have been giving him plenty of water- occasionally with 2 spoonfuls of sugar and a pinch of salt dissolved in, just to keep him hydrated.

Does anybody have any suggestions to help him get through this? If he hasn't cleared up by friday i will be taking him too the vets, iv stopped taking him for walks until its sorted, because when he poo's i can't pick it up its that runny and i feel awful if someone was to stand in it!!

Very frustrating, especially because he seems so well in all other ways. 

Thanks
xx

[abzy0309]

I'm new to this too.... So unfortunately don't have any suggestions. My 11 week old had bad runs but a change in diet helped.... My breeder did say tho that he had to be weaned off his old food as a drastic change could upset him tummy......

Poor pup, and poor you! I can imagine its not fun for you either! Hope he gets well soon!

[Archie bean]

Sorry to hear your little one isnt well. Fingers crossed things start to firm up soon.

When you changed foods did you do it gradually or just all in one go? James Wellbeloved does seem to cause loose stools in some dogs and pups (my Archie had the same problem) but a sudden change to a new food can cause even more of an upset. If you take a look at www.whichdogfood.co.uk and compare the three foods you mention you will see that there really isn't that much difference in them. They aren't the best but definitely not the worst either! (I'm assuming you are feeding the dry variety?)

If I were you I would give your little boy something very bland like plain chicken and rice or white fish and rice and see if his tum settles. If it does, gradually start to introduce the new food again. You could also add some probiotic natural yoghurt or get some pro kolin to help settle his tum.
It may well be worth taking a sample to the vet to get tested anyway. If he has been fairly loose since you got him, there could be something else going on like giardia. Probably not, but you might like to put your mind at rest. They can be such a worry.

[Pearly]

Hi,

Having a pup is a really steep learning curve! 

However upset his tum is please don't restrict his food - it's what we would do ourselves but he really is a baby still and needs regular food to keep him going / growing. 

Through trial and error I've discovered that Pearl is intolerant to sugar - she doesn't have 'human' food but got to some icing [I make cakes ] before I could get to it.....what came out was not nice Giving him sugar may seem like a good idea but if he has an imbalance of bacteria it could just be feeding it plus the salt will be dehydrating him, sorry!  Appreciate you will be doing this with the best of intentions but dogs digestive systems are very different to ours

3 days is a long time for him to have the diawotsits - I don't think I'd be leaving it til Friday to take him to the Vets.  Please do get him checked for any obstructions [cocker pups are notorious for eating things they shouldn't - I know first hand - "Sweetcorngate"] and some pro-biotic paste which should help him re-balance.

Hope he's soon back to normal,

Jayne
x 

[RoryRawr]

Thanks for your replies, i changed his food gradually, over a period of 5 days.

Im hoping this new food sorts him out as i've heard a lot of good reviews, especially regarding firm poo's.

Yes i think i may do that for him tomorrow, chicken and rice

The little devil did a poo poo in my living room while i nipped to loo, he ran through it, jumped all over my cream sofas through into kitchen and up the stairs - cream carpet. oh my gosh the smell!!! it took two days to get rid of it!, the sofa and carpets have been cleaned now.. i could of sent him for puppy meat- un till i saw his little face and just washed his little paws and cuddled him for hours because he's poorly!

this time last week i was discussing how easy this has been, and how well we are getting on that we contacted his breeder for another puppy soon- he must of though oh god no i'm not sharing my people, food, toys and beds! and since that day he's poo'ed all over! i can't have another pup! haha!

If his poo isn't firm by tomorrow afternoon i am going to book a vet visit and get a stool sample together!

Yes Pearl, that has been my biggest fear right now, as we are in between insurances (that 2 week clause) and an operation of that sort would pretty much clear me out, Oh i do hope it isn't that! ... vets tomorrow its looking like, i'm such a worrier and was hoping it would pass, oh dear! I'm going to ring them in the morning.

My poor baby!    

[panda66]

Lila had very bad diarrhea when she was small and the vet advised cooked chicken & rice or scrambled egg, also gave her dioralyte which she loved.  We went every day for a week and she had to stay in and have fluids.  Puppies can get ill very quickly.  Didn't get the money on insurance KC as they said she probably had it when I got her.  Hope he is better soon 

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

I'd definitely recommend the boiled chicken and rice option - it seems to be the one thing that calms puppies' and dogs' stomachs down after a bout of diarrhea. A few days of the c&r is often what is needed - and in my pup's experience it sometimes completely stopped him pooing for a couple of days. The vet will probably give you pro-kolin. Unless you have a sample then they can't really do much more, and that probably takes 5-7 days to get the tests back (they have to grow a culture). Can you go to the vet surgery and get the vet nurse to give you some pro-kolin (pro-biotic paste) in the meantime?

My dog had a few stomach upsets (campylobacter, and then tapeworm and roundworm) in Feb this year (aged 9 months) and I took in endless samples - it costs quite a lot to get the tests done, and I was quite surprised with what came back! I live in quite a densely-populated area and my dog eats lots of sticks and grass and drinks from stagnant puddles. As a result he now has worming every 3 months (instead of 6) and I'm rigid about giving the flea treatment every 4 weeks (not waiting a few more days inbetween doses). Some dogs just pick up lots of stomach bugs, and some can't tolerate certain foods.

Good luck, hope the poor little chap gets better soon.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I agree with chicken and rice, however, for us, Charlie and chicken don't mix, he can have a little bit but not loads. I used to give him mince (dry fried and dried to get the fat off) and chicken. But certainly try chicken and rice and see how it goes

Prokolin is definitely worth having in

[RoryRawr]

Yes, Chicken and rice for the next couple of days!.. i will call the vet in the morning and ask about this paste  

i tell you what when he has a firm poo i'm going to put it in a bag and run round the estate with poppers and balloons!

Puppys are harder to look after than children, they are a lot more mobile and by their nature if they are ill they don't show  

When i first brought him home he did have a bout of diarrhoea and chicken and rice did sort him out, i would of had him on that before now but is breeder advised me against it, saying he will not eat his kibble after having that and ill be left with a very finicky dog that chooses his food.

oh well, id rather had him choose his food than wash my floors in poo!

smelly pup!  

[Helen]

Surprisingly chicken can be hard to digest for pups - I would try something like white fish and potato or white fish and sweet potato. And yes, I'd take him to the vets tomorrow and push for tests for campylobacter 

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

Henry's been on chicken and rice about 3 times in 14 months (he picks up everything!) and he's never complained when he goes back on his kibble (he does seem particularly hungry when he's on the c&r). He's the least fussy dog you could imagine, though - wolfing his kibble down in 30 seconds, so I wouldn't worry about that. The only fussy dogs I know are those that feed their dogs hooman food (like steak) and then wonder why they're picky!!

[Landy andy]

We've just been through this with Monty. Since being poorly we have been feeding him fish and rice, which he loves, we starved him for about 12 hours, then fed him five times a day, but smaller portions, as advised, and also used pro kolin. He was all well and just as norm, but things did not clear up. We then met a vet at a dog show and asked his advice. He said everything we had done was correct, BUT we should have starved him for 24 hours, we did this and things are greatly improved. This is due to not feeding the bacteria. So I would also suggest just water during a fast.

Andy

[RoryRawr]

His poo looks amazing this morning (oh god i need help!) well as great as poo's can look   

Very firm and dark, if this carries on to his lunch time poo, i am going to send this food manufacturer a great big hug 

He likes the food too which is always a plus.. hoping afternoon poo is good, then it saves a vet visit

How embarrassing, my first post is about poo's 

[fiona2]

i wouldn't worry we are all poo obsessed on here 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Henry's been on chicken and rice about 3 times in 14 months (he picks up everything!) and he's never complained when he goes back on his kibble (he does seem particularly hungry when he's on the c&r). He's the least fussy dog you could imagine, though - wolfing his kibble down in 30 seconds, so I wouldn't worry about that. The only fussy dogs I know are those that feed their dogs hooman food (like steak) and then wonder why they're picky!!

Charlie is very fussy but he will happily go back to his normal food after chicken