The joy of bringing a cute puppy is boundless. However, along with happiness, you are being assigned the responsibility of taking care of your cuddly companion. Puppies of all dog breeds are very inquisitive and many times, they end up ingesting things that they should not. And the ultimate result is digestive problems. Puppy diarrhea and vomiting are so common, and as a responsible pet owner, you should be aware of the probable causes behind these dog health problems and treatment options.

Causes

Examining your puppy's stool is probably the simplest way to determine whether your pet is healthy or not. If he passes solid, log-like feces, then he is fit and fine; whereas watery, runny or mushy stools indicate that something is wrong with your puppy. The causes of puppy diarrhea may be as simple as overeating, over excitement or stress. Very often, change in diet is a major reason of causing abnormal bowel movement in puppies and dogs. Or it can be severe like ingesting poisonous substances, viral infections (e.g., hepatitis), parasites (e.g., coccidia, giardia), worms and other diseases.

You do not have to panic if your puppy is defecating occasionally. However, if the frequency increases or if you notice blood in the stool, do not delay in getting your pet checked by a qualified veterinarian. Otherwise, it may lead to worsening symptoms like lethargy, dehydration and at times, fainting. To quicken the diagnostic procedure, you can carry a stool sample along with you. Once in the clinic, the vet will perform a thorough physical examination and if necessary, urinalysis and stool test. After confirmation, medications will be prescribed to treat the condition.

Treatment and Remedies

How to stop diarrhea in puppies? If you have been through the experience, where your puppy is having frequent bowel movements, you will come to know how painful it is to see your little companion suffering. The treatment depends entirely upon the underlying cause and severity of the condition. Following are some of the main causes of canine diarrhea along with their treatment options.

Food Sensitivity
In case, food intolerance is the reason behind puppy diarrhea, you need to introduce and eliminate certain food ingredients to identify the offending items. This may take some time to detect the foods and checking the associated symptoms. Once you are sure about the sensitive ingredients, restricting them in the puppy diet will help cure the condition.

Coccidia Infestation
The one-celled parasite coccidia is present in cat and dog stools. Accidentally, if your puppy ingests this parasite, it infests the intestinal tract and causes bloody stools. In such a case, the vet may recommend medicines to stop the multiplication of coccidia, as well as to expel them from the digestive tract of your puppy. Complete treatment may take somewhere from 2 to 3 weeks.

Giardia Infestation
Giardia infestation triggers your puppy to pass foul smell feces, along with other symptoms such as loss of appetite, vomiting and lethargy. This one-celled parasite infects the skin as well as the intestinal tract. Prescription of antiprotozoal medication is effective to treat puppy diarrhea resulted due to giardia infection. Also, bathing your puppy with appropriate soaps is imperative to get rid of parasites from the fur.

Other Dog Puppy Treatments
Viral infections resulting in diarrhea is common among puppies that have not received proper dose of vaccinations. So, it is recommended to deliver all the vaccine shots, as recommended by the vet. Likewise, de-worming at regular intervals is essential to prevent diarrhea caused by roundworm infections.

While coming to puppy diarrhea remedy, it is focused on alleviating lethargic symptoms and compensating loss of fluids. You can supplement healthy homemade foods to promote the immune system of your puppy and more importantly, to regain the strength of your little companion. Timely addressing the canine diarrhea problem and following proper puppy care will surely help combat the condition without complications.