Analysis of causes of diarrhea in puppies

Common causes of diarrhea in puppies generally include bacterial enteritis, viral enteritis, parasitic infection, indigestion, etc. Different diseases have very different symptoms and treatments. The feces conditions of dogs with diarrhea: Soft feces: The feces is tangible but cannot be picked up. Loose stool: Although it is not like water, it is like thin mud. Watery stool: The stool contains a lot of water, is liquid, and may even contain blood.

1. Viral enteritis.

Viral enteritis is a common disease in dogs. This disease is more dangerous. If the dog's mother has not been vaccinated against canine parvovirus, canine distemper and other anti-viral vaccines, once infected, she is also likely to infect the puppies, which is almost fatal to the puppies. Adult dogs are more likely to be cured because they have a strong resistance. Therefore, prevention for puppies is very important. If you need to know something about dog vaccination, you can refer to the previous article "The Best Time and Precautions for Dog Vaccination".

Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can be contracted by dogs of all ages. Generally, puppies that have just been weaned to 90 days of age are more likely to have the disease, and the mortality rate is very high.

Canine distemper virus is also a highly contagious disease with a mortality rate of over 80%. The younger the dog, the higher the mortality rate. A puppy can contract the virus through contact with a mother who has the virus, or through contact with other dogs. Symptoms of canine distemper include cold, sneezing, increased eye secretions, lethargy, diarrhea, and elevated body temperature, which can reach 39.5 to 40 degrees.

2. Parasitic infection.

Common parasites that cause diarrhea include roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc. If there are parasites in the mother's body, the puppy will be infected by the mother's milk. Dogs infected with parasites may experience loss of appetite, vomiting, dysentery, stunted growth, darkening of fur, blood and mucus in their feces, and even worms in the feces of small dairy dogs.

3. Indigestion.

Because the gastrointestinal function of suckling dogs is relatively weak and the secretion of digestive enzymes is insufficient, they are more sensitive to food. For example, suddenly changing the food that the puppy has been eating may cause adverse reactions in the puppy's gastrointestinal tract and affect digestion.

For breast-fed dogs, the milk may be too high in fat because the mother has eaten food that is difficult to digest or greasy. Or if the mother's milk is too thick and she eats raw or cold food, it will also easily cause indigestion in the puppy, leading to diarrhea.

4. Bacterial enteritis.

Suckling dogs or their mothers eat spoiled or unclean food, which can easily cause bacterial enteritis, which is usually acute. It can also cause vomiting and diarrhea in dairy dogs.

Treatment methods for puppy diarrhea

1. Response to viral enteritis.

Common manifestations of viral enteritis include listlessness, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and bloody stools. After discovering the symptoms of diarrhea in your dog, you can measure your dog’s temperature. The normal body temperature range of puppies is 38.5 to 39.5 degrees (rectal temperature). The normal body temperature range of adult dogs is 37.5 to 38.5 degrees (rectal temperature). The temperature difference between day and night generally does not exceed 1 degree, and is slightly lower in the morning than in the evening.

This disease, if infected in a female dog, is easily transmitted to puppies. If the dog's body temperature rises or falls, accompanied by symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting, it should go to the pet hospital for treatment in time, and no self-medication is allowed. After the mother dog discovers the above symptoms, she should be isolated immediately, the feeding of the dog and the mother dog should be suspended, and drug treatment should be carried out according to the doctor's instructions.

2. How to deal with parasitic infection.

For puppies under 30 days old who are infected with parasites, as long as it is not very serious, it is not recommended to feed anthelmintics. If the parasites are severe, you must take medication as directed by your doctor. Try not to feed anthelmintics to lactating female dogs as they can have serious side effects and affect the nursing puppies. After the puppy is one month old, you can go to the pet hospital for deworming according to the doctor's advice. In future articles, I will share with you content related to dog deworming.

3. How to deal with indigestion.

(1) Prohibit or reduce the number of dog mothers going out. Prevent the mother dog from eating indigestible foreign objects such as plastic bags and ropes outside.

(2) Do not feed the mother dog raw, cold or greasy food, only feed the dog food.

(3) You can feed your puppy some dog-specific probiotics to help digestion.

(4) Feed the mother dog regularly and quantitatively, and do not overfeed to prevent indigestion from affecting milk secretion.

(5) If artificially fed milk dogs have diarrhea, the concentration of milk powder can be adjusted. Too thick milk powder will also affect the digestion of milk dogs.

(6) Keep the puppy warm. After the puppy catches cold, it will affect the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes and causing diarrhea.

(7) Observe the color and shape of the dog's feces. If the dog's feces is earthy yellow and loose, the problem is not big. If it is watery or bloodshot, it should be sent to a pet hospital for treatment immediately.

4. How to deal with bacterial enteritis.

(1) Measure the puppy’s body temperature. The puppy's body temperature is low for 1-2 weeks, about 34.5-36 degrees Celsius, and the body temperature is about 36-39 degrees Celsius for 2-6 weeks. If the dog's body temperature is abnormal and accompanied by diarrhea symptoms, the risk is high and it should be sent to the pet hospital for diagnosis in time. SIS and therapy.

(2) If the mother dog also has diarrhea symptoms, disinfect the mother dog’s eating utensils. Replace the kennel mats and keep them clean. Scrub the dog's mother's nipples twice a day. Use a sanitary napkin ball dipped in warm water to scrub. Wash your hands before touching mother dogs or puppies, to prevent bacterial infection.

(3) Check whether the milk powder fed to the puppy or the dog’s mother’s food has gone bad or expired. Especially in summer, leftover food eaten by dogs should be cleaned up in time. Make sure your dog’s diet is fresh and hygienic.

(4) If the puppy does not have high or low fever, and the vomiting and diarrhea are mild, you can feed a small amount of Mommy's Love or Smecta. Generally, it will get better after feeding it once. After a day of fasting, you can feed some rice soup in an appropriate amount to replenish water. Observe whether the dog's diarrhea is relieved the next day. If diarrhea still occurs, go to the pet hospital.

Warm reminder: Due to the special situation of lactating female dogs and puppies, if conditions permit, it is best to go to the pet hospital for treatment in time if any abnormalities are found. If you are unable to go to the pet hospital for various reasons, you can refer to the above methods appropriately.