Puppies are fun to be around. With all their cuteness and energy, you can never go wrong when you adopt a puppy today. But raising pets is not only about the happy moments, you also have to think about how you could raise them properly and protect them from illnesses, diseases, and other factors.
Food intolerance, recent dietary changes, allergy, medicine, illness or disease, parasites, and even stress are all possible causes of your puppy’s nighttime diarrhea.
The worst time your puppy can experience diarrhea is during the night which is why it’s important to contact your veterinarian if your puppy’s diarrhea persists or worsens.
In this article, we will discuss why puppies experience diarrhea at night, is it normal for them to experience it when you should worry, what to do to stop your puppy diarrhea, and what to feed your puppy.
Why Does Your Puppy Have Diarrhea at Night?
Diarrhea may be a frustrating sign for puppy parents because it could indicate anything from indigestion to a major illness. Diarrhea is a symptom of a wide variety of puppy illnesses, both minor and serious. This makes it difficult for owners to evaluate whether or not they should be concerned.
So, what could be the cause of your puppy’s nighttime diarrhea?
1. Dietary Changes
Nighttime diarrhea might be caused by a sudden adjustment in your puppy’s diet. Providing a sudden diet change can be difficult for your puppy’s tummy, whether a manufacturer quits making the food you’ve been giving him or you can not afford the same pricey brand.
Another thing to keep in mind is that switching from puppy to adult kibble can affect your dog’s digestive tract. It’s impossible to change your dog’s food all of a sudden since its intestines and stomach need time to adjust to absorbing new nutrients.
Veterinarians recommend a gentle transition to a new meal to allow your dog to acclimate and avoid nighttime diarrhea.
You should gradually introduce the new food into your puppy’s diet by mixing it in with the old food. Raise the quantity of the new lifestyle in the mix gradually until it is the only thing you feed your dog.
2. Stress
Dogs are emotional, and their bodies react to stress in a variety of ways. When a dog is stressed, its digestive system may react negatively.
If your dog is lonely or neglected, the same thing can happen. Emotional distress in your dog is common, and adjusting to it can sometimes be enough to cause nighttime stress-related diarrhea.
3. Illness or Disease
Your dog’s midnight diarrhea could be caused by underlying ailments or illnesses. Some of these illnesses are significant, while others aren’t.
Your dog’s diarrhea could be caused by something as basic as Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome or Colitis. It could potentially be something more dangerous, such as cancerous tissue in your dog’s intestine.
4. Parasites
When your dog has nighttime diarrhea, it could be an indication of something more serious, such as parasitic infections.
If your dog drank contaminated water, it could have contracted parasites such as hookworms, coccidia, giardia, or roundworms. Young puppies with underdeveloped immune systems are especially at risk.
5. Food Allergies or Intolerance
Food intolerance and allergies affect dogs in the same way they affect humans. Your dog could be allergic to gluten, fat, or dairy, regardless of breed.
Diarrhea may occur as a result of this sensitivity. Certain proteins, such as chicken or lamb, might trigger an allergic reaction in dogs, resulting in diarrhea.
6. Medication and Treatments
You might expect your dog to experience diarrhea for several nights if they start taking medication like dewormers or antibiotics. This is common, and your veterinarian will typically tell you about it before giving your dog medication.
Is It Normal for Puppies to Have Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a common occurrence in pups, and one or two minor episodes are not uncommon. Even a strong puppy will get diarrhea at some point.
This is due to the fact that pups’ immune systems are not fully functional. As a result, they are more sensitive to small and potential infection sources than adult dogs.
Diarrhea in puppies might be mild and go away on their own, but some occurrences can indicate a more serious issue.
Even though it’s common for puppies to experience diarrhea, you should keep a keen eye on your puppy to ensure it’s not something more serious.
When Should You Worry About Your Puppy’s Diarrhea?
As alarming as your puppy’s diarrhea is, it shouldn’t necessitate a trip to the veterinarian straight away. Even in healthy dogs, diarrhea occurs from time to time, and it is most common at night. However, it is possible that it is something more serious at times.
When you discover that your puppy’s diarrhea isn’t going away or is getting worse, you should be more vigilant. If the episodes grow more frequent each night, a trip to the veterinarian is necessary.
Also, if you observe your dog’s appetite changing, drinking more than usual, or becoming agitated and uncomfortable, it could be a sign of disease, poisoning, or other illness. If your dog’s diarrhea is accompanied by another symptom, you should take them to the clinic.
How Do You Stop Your Puppy From Having Diarrhea?
Does your puppy have diarrhea and you’re wondering how to assist your puppy to make them feel better? Here are the things that you can do to stop the diarrhea of your puppy:
- Obtaining medication for your puppy that does not cause diarrhea in his gastrointestinal tract. Your veterinarian should be able to help you with this.
- Switching your dog’s nutrition all of a sudden is not a good idea. Allow your puppy to transition to a new diet gradually.
- Ascertain that your puppy is emotionally comfortable and neither stressed nor neglected.
- Deworming should be done on a regular basis to remove parasites that can cause diarrhea.
- To avoid food allergies and intolerances, feed your puppy food that is appropriate for its breed.
What Do You Feed a Puppy With Diarrhea?
For your puppy who is experiencing diarrhea, you should first introduce fasting. Withholding meals for 10-24 hours and frequently giving small amounts of water can help clear the problem and let your dog’s digestive tract relax.
Before you start, make sure your puppy is strong enough to handle it and check with your veterinarian to see whether it’s a good idea. After a fast, gradually introduce food, starting with binders to restore normal stool consistency.
White rice, rice water, canned pumpkin, boiling peeled potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese, cooked oatmeal or macaroni, high protein diets like poultry or eggs, herbs like fennel, specially made dog foods for stomach disorders, and probiotics are examples of bland and readily digestible foods.
When to Visit Your Vet
It’s usually not a cause for worry if your puppy has just had one incidence of diarrhea and is otherwise acting properly.
Keep an eye on your dog’s bowel motions to see if anything improves. If your puppy has more than two episodes of diarrhea, there may be a problem, so consult your veterinarian if your dog has two or more episodes of diarrhea.
If your dog is struggling to pass the bowels but only passing little volumes of watery diarrhea, a painful blockage caused by the ingestion of a hard object such as a toy could be the cause.
This is an extremely serious condition that needs to be treated right away. Contact your veterinarian or go to the closest emergency vet clinic for help.
Repeated episodes of diarrhea over a short period of time can indicate a major health problem, particularly if your pet is extremely old, young, or has a weakened immune system.
Parvovirus infections are exceedingly dangerous, infectious, and life-threatening. If your dog has bouts of diarrhea or chronic diarrhea, see your veterinarian straight once.
If your dog is exhibiting other symptoms in addition to diarrhea, he or she should see a veterinarian as quickly as possible.
If your dog exhibits any of the following signs, contact your veterinarian right once to schedule an appointment:
- Lack of appetite
- Weakness
- Usual drooling
- Vomiting
- Blood in stool
- Signs of dehydration like dry sticky gums, dry-looking sunken eyes, or a dry nose
Contact your veterinarian if your new puppy exhibits any symptoms that you are concerned about. If your pet’s symptoms necessitate an examination, your veterinarian will let you know.
Conclusion
Diarrhea in puppies is quite normal, but it’s important that you monitor your furry friend. You can feed them the right food to help reduce or stop their stomach upset. When you notice any unusual signs from them, you should immediately visit your vet.
