9Wk Old Puppy with the runs

Steve.N

Hi,

Need some advice - My little Shihtzu/Poodle mix has developed the runs since yesterday. We got her last week and her tummy has been up and down but generally OK. We're feeding her the food the breeder gave me with her and have kept to that.
She is drinking plenty and is in great form running around with no whimpering, but she's pooing weird green runny poos.

Any advice would be welcomed!

Xiney

It could just be the shock of being away from her littermates and so on - but I would take her to the vet to be sure that it's nothing more serious as she is very young.

Steve.N

I forgot today was Easter Monday and had planned to take her this morning - will take her tomorrow.
Is there anything that I can do today to alleviate the symptoms?

crotalus667

Steve.N wrote: »

I forgot today was Easter Monday and had planned to take her this morning - will take her tomorrow.
Is there anything that I can do today to alleviate the symptoms?

give plain boild food chicken or spuds or rice (but only give one dont mix them) and lots of freish water, my pup had the same prob the vet said not to let it go more than 24 hours

Xiney

whatever you do - do NOT give her anything like imodium or any other diarrhea remedies intended for humans. You could cause a bowel obstruction, which at worst is fatal, and at best will cost you hundreds of euros in vet care.



If you want you can give a small bit of carob powder. This is used as a remedy for diarrhea in babies - and it is not toxic to dogs. It contains a lot of natural pectin which will help firm up the poo. I would only give a teaspoon at a time to your pup though.

An alternative if you don't have carob powder would be a finely grated apple that has been let sit out until very dark - the oxidized pectin does the same job here. Make sure you don't include any of the core or seeds though as these contain cyanide and your dog is very small!


I would not change the food until you've tried the above as this might make things worse if stress is the cause.

Steve.N

Thanks for the replies.
One minute her poos are soft but solid, the other she has a very runny one that's mainly water.

She is the most 'unstressed' puppy ever and seems in great form, but I agree about not changing her food yet - I was planning in starting gradually introducing it today but will hold off until her tummy settles.

As she hasn't had her last vaccination yet we have kept her mainly indoors with brief outings into the garden, but we were working outside most of he day yesterday and she spent most of it happily playing and running around outside with us. We fed the lawn lastweek but thought it was properly watered in - I hope to god that we haven't caused this by letting her out onto the grass incase she licked any of the feed??

If she's no better it's the vets tomorrow!

Is it ok to feed rice to a puppy??

Sigma Force

When a dog or pup has the runs DO not feed them anything!
Even boiled chicken will go straight through them at first.
You need to give the stomach a chance to empty out completly but do make sure the puppy is drinking plenty of water. Feeding the pup anything will just prolong the runs. After 24 hours then start introducing food like boiled chicken gradually.

The pup could do with some thing like lectade in the water it's a good idea to always have some handy.

At 9 weeks old I would take the pup to the vets regardless, such small puppies can become very ill very quickly and dehydrated.

What brand of food is being fed at the moment?
Do you know if the pup had siblings and if any of the litter has become ill?

tk123

Steve.N wrote: »

Is it ok to feed rice to a puppy??

Rice is fine for them. Guineapigrescue's advise is spot on as usual. Fast for 24 hours then rice and chicken. But with a pup so young I'd take them to the vets too to be safe. Also if you start seeing blood/mucus don't freak out - the vet told us that this usually means an infection/upset in the lower intestine so not as serious as you assume when you see blood.

roxiesmammy

Is the pup up to date on her worming programme. Ideally she should have been wormed every 2 weeks from 2 weeks of age and continue until 12 weeks. Then once a month till the pup is 6 months, then again at 9 months, 12 months and then every 3 months.
Needs to be done with a good puppy wormer that u get at vet, not the s**t you can buy in pet shop or supermarket

crotalus667

tk123 wrote: »

Rice is fine for them. Guineapigrescue's advise is spot on as usual. Fast for 24 hours then rice and chicken. .

the advice i got from the vet's for my 14 week old was keep feeding but plain boiled food only (one type ie rice or chicken not both) and bring him in if it lasts more than 24 hours


Ps

OP it may be a flower or some thing in your garden keep an eye on the pup next time and see if it chews on anything

Steve.N

Hi,

All her worming is up to date - the breeder gave me a detailed data sheet with all relevant dates of when done last and next due.
Contacted her earlier today, she gave me the same advice Guineapigrescue gave to let her stomach empty fully and not feed her for 24hrs.

I'll call into the vet tomorrow regardless.

To look at her behavior you'd be hard pushed to think anything is wrong with her - Poor mite!!

What's that stuff 'Lectade'? Where do you buy it?

Thanks guys!:D

Sigma Force

Lectade is used to rehydrate dogs, cats etc. it's a powder that contains electrolytes and what not. Keeps the critters going esp. if they have to fast and have lost a lot of liquid through the runs.

You can get Lectade from the vets some co-op or farm shops do it too, I think it comes in large packets but you'd be better off with a couple of sachets of it. You mix it in warm water, since it's a small pup perhaps give 1/4 at a time or a little less but regularly.

My dogs like it not sure why but they usually drink it all whatevers in it must encourage them to drink which is good.