# does my puppy have a diarrhea?



## Optical (Mar 17, 2011)

i got my puppy 3 weeks ago, he is 4 months old and i remember my wife was giving him medications for worms? now she said his poop would be softer than normal. I beleive he stopped taking the medications 2 weeks ago but he's poop is still soft, not liquid but just really soft like when i scoop it, it leaves some stains in the grass.( sorry not trying to be gross).

And i noticed that he goes to poop 4-5 times a day now, but we only feed him twice a day. Maybe it's his food? I don't know the brand of the dog food that he is eating because it was just given to us by the breeder.


----------



## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

Yes, it could be the food. it also could be stress, or some snack he gets that doesn't agree with him. My 5 year old Herk has had a constant battle with runny poo that sometimes morphs into colitis (runny poo with mucus). I agree, it's a mess to clean up outside, never mind the carpets!

I recently switched him to Dr. harvey's which is a dehydrated mix of vegetables and oats to which you add warm water and a choice of protien. it is the only food that gives him firm poo and it's not stinky! I had tried many high quality kibbles recommended on this site and not one releived his symptoms. I was beyond frustrated. This food worked the first day and he gobbled it up. it's a little more trouble than kibble but it's worth the effort for the good result.

I would also watch any snacks or food other than the daily feeding(s). Malts and small dogs don't react well to processed snacks and I've always found that random human food snacking can lead to upset stomachs.

Good luck and welcome! Mary Anna :thumbsup:


----------



## Optical (Mar 17, 2011)

thank you for the tip, I am still on the edge on what dog food to buy next. Is pooping 5 times normal though? or does it come back down to the type of food again?


----------



## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

Five times a day is not normal, imo. Take him to the vet. They'll take a stool sample and probably prescribe flagel. It will help stop the symptoms for now. Other members have had good luck using canned food instead of dry kibble. You might try that. YOu can search this site for recommendations for canned food. There was a thread earlier tonight about canned food brands.

good luck, mary anna


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Pooing 5 times a day is a lot. that can happen w/ low quality dog foods that have a lot of fillers that go right through them.
Talk to your vet straight away about a high quality puppy food. check for coccidia and other parasites that wouldn't be seen by the naked eye,in the stools.
Maltese puppies don't weigh much and can get dehydrated and become hypoglycemic.


----------



## Optical (Mar 17, 2011)

thank you for all the reply and suggestions, yeah i've been reading around with some good food, i've read that innova and blue buffalo is really good but a bit pricy. I will look around more for maybe more affordble one's and hopefully his stool will be hard and he would only go twice a day. hopefully.


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

i feed wellness and it is not that much of a difference from the low quality foods in price . i love it because dolce poops about twice a day and its firm n it doesnt stink .


----------



## Optical (Mar 17, 2011)

Thank you, I will try that. hopefully he wouldn't have to wake me up at 4am to poop. 

Now if I start him with the new food, should i mix the old one and gradually decrease the old one so gets used to it or should I just give him the new ones right away?
I love it here people are so helpful.


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

yes start gradually til eventually he is only eating the new one.


----------



## Optical (Mar 17, 2011)

thanks, I followed your suggestion yesterday and bought wellness for puppies. When do you think we he'll decrease his number of poop per day? by the 10th day of the transition?


----------



## angelaplynn (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm not sure if he has a diarrhea or not but it's advisable to just bring him to your vet so you will not worry a lot. My puppy experienced a diarrhea so I rushed him to a vet and after some medication his poop went back to normal.


----------

