New puppy has pink diarrhea & constant hunger. Should I worry?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ludo. He will need to see his veterinarian regarding the diarrhea. Being a young puppy, intestinal parasites are common. He could also be experiencing a bacterial imbalance secondary to the diet change and the stress of coming to a new home. His veterinarian will likely perform fecal tests and prescribe a medication and possibly a probiotic. In the meantime, encourage him to drink plenty of water so that he does not become dehydrated from the diarrhea. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Waffle and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. This blood in his diarrhea could be due to intestinal worms, eating something rotten, a foreign body, parvo if he isn't vaccinated, or a severe stomach illness. He should definitely see a vet for this. As long as he is otherwise ok, it can wait until the morning. If he starts vomiting, has more bloody diarrhea, is very lethargic, stops drinking water, or is vomiting water, take him into an ER vet immediately. I hope this helps!

It is very common for puppies to have diarrhea. This can happen with intestinal parasites, infectious diseases such as parvo virus, change in diet or even stress from the change in homes. It's possible that he also picked up and ate something off the grass that upset his system. If he's normal otherwise (no vomiting, good appetite, normal activity level) you could start by giving him plain boiled chicken breast and plain white rice in a 1 to 1 ratio. You can also add a small amount of pumpkin puree as the fiber can help firm up the stools. If the diarrhea continues or he becomes ill, starts vomiting, acting lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, I would strongly recommend taking him to a veterinarian right away. They will most likely want to do a fecal exam to check for parasites, a parvo test to check for this very serious illness and may even do blood work and x-rays to look for evidence of a stomach or intestinal blockage. This is very common in puppies since they like to chew on and swallow things they shouldn't.

Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Puppies frequently acquire roundworms from their mother or environment. The paper likely would not cause an issue unless it was a large quantity. Make sure he continues to eat and drink normally. A bland diet and/or a prescribed dewormer may firm up his stool. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting or persistent diarrhea.

We can have diarrhea due to stress (of a move to new home) or diet changes, however in young dogs we also worry about intestinal parasites (both worms and Protozoa that aren't killed by deworming) and in some cases depending on vaccine status parvovirus. For this reason it is best to have your pup checked at the vet and bring a stool sample for them to test. Until then you can pick up a probiotic for dogs at the vet or pet store and try feeding plain cooked white rice and boiled shredded chicken breast for a day or two.

Your pups are so cute! Diarrhea and reduced appetite could be caused by parasites, change in diet, toxin ingestion, infectious viral diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. Parvovirus is also a possibility, particularly in a dog as young as Rocky, as you mentioned he is too young to have had all his boosters yet. Please make an appointment to have Rocky seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as diarrhea can easily lead to dehydration in such a young pup, and can be very dangerous if left untreated. In the mean time, if he is not eating well, you can try boiling boneless skinless chicken in water, shredding the chicken, and feeding her small amounts of the resulting chicken broth and cooked chicken with boiled plain white rice once it has cooled. I recommend taking in a fecal sample from Rocky to your vet as well, as that may aid them in making a diagnosis. Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Diarrhea can be caused by many things such as diet, intestinal parasites and viral infections. I would recommend initiating a bland diet as outlined below. However, with the symptoms you have described, it sounds as though he may also be dehydrated. I would recommend taking him in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. He may need fluids administered under the skin for hydration and further testing (parvo testing) since he is so young and still has the potential to come down with parvo if he has come in contact with it. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.