Puppy Has Diarrhea But is Still Playful – Why & What to Do Next

You have to be watchful of your puppy. Definitely, you want her to be healthy, but it’s easy to lose track as a pet owner, because she is still at a stage where she explores the world with her snout and mouth. She can easily swallow different objects which can give her an upset stomach and loose stool. What would you do if your puppy has diarrhea but is still playful?

What Are the Common Causes of Puppy Diarrhea

As mentioned, you have to prepare yourself because your puppy will always be in explorer mode during this age. Eating something that she shouldn’t have is one of the main causes of diarrhea. She might have an irritated digestive system and her body is expelling the contents through the back-end.

Similarly, diet could also play a big role. Remember that the young stomachs of puppies aren’t very developed yet, so it might take a while for her tummy to get used to new dog food or a new diet. It’s also possible that your pup could have developed a sensitivity to certain food ingredients. you mgiht want to change to a higher quality of dog food.

Parasites can also be another cause of puppy diarrhea. Whether she got it when she was born or from her environment, parasites like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia, and giardia can all cause loose watery stool.

On top of that, your pup could also get a viral infection called parvo (in cases where she’s still hasn’t been immunized with the parvovirus vaccine). One symptom of the parvovirus is diarrhea since it messes with a dog’s digestive system first.

What You Can Do at Home When Your Puppy Has Diarrhea But is Still Playful

If you notice that your puppy has diarrhea but is still active, you could just be looking at a mild case. The good news is that you can do something at home to treat her diarrhea.

First, try offering a soft diet of white rice and chicken that’s unsalted. You can also try adding vegetable broth to enhance the taste. Your puppy can also benefit from eating cooked sweet potato and plain canned pumpkin as they are “binding” foods that help normalize stool.

While you’re at it, you might want to give yogurt a try. It’s good bacteria, after all. And, it’s going to help calm your pup’s stomach down and normalize it. Granted that it may not taste very appealing, try mixing in dried food or some treats with the yogurt.

Make sure that she is fed on time, with the right amount of puppy food, served with enough water. Because she has an upset stomach, you may want to reduce your portions, but increase your feeding time. So, it will be small frequent meals until her watery stools turn to normal.

When to Go to the Vet

Now, when do you know if your puppy’s diarrhea is severe? You’ll definitely see some other signs like vomiting, bloody stool, pale gums, and signs of pain or discomfort (just to name a few). Most importantly, even if your puppy has diarrhea but still playful, it’s ideal to call the vet if the episodes of passing watery feces has been happening for days.

If it’s a mild case, diarrhea will usually just resolve itself in about forty-eight hours. Anymore days than that, you are risking dehydration. You never want to put off going to the vet if you’ve already spotted a slew of warning signs. Aside from dehydration, you are also going to risk further infection and the decline of your pooch’s immune system because you didn’t go to the hospital on time.