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Golden Retriever puppy diarrhea.

Species: Dog
Breed: Golden
Age: Less than 3 mon
Dr,

All of a sudden last Sunday my 8 week old male Golden had two large stools once per hour, then his 3rd stool started to get soft with liquid at the end.

I brought him to the clinic. He tested negative for parvo and for worms. They prescribed .5 ml metronidazole BID ending today.

By Monday morning stools were back to normal. They have been normal up until now.

10 minutes ago he had a normal solid stool. Then less than a minute later, had a mushy-soft stool.

He stays indoors all the time and has no access to other dogs.

His activity level is high and appetite good. Any ideas?

Jay


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Jay and thanks for your question!

Soft stools are unfortunately a common problem in puppies. It sounds like your vet is doing all of the same things I would do. The first step I usually take is to check a fecal sample for parasites and then if I don't find anything I will usually do a course of 5 days of metronidazole.

The metronidazole is an antibiotic but it also has properties that help with inflammation in the bowels.

I have a few puppy patients in my clinic right now that have very similar symptoms where they get better for a while and then have diarrhea again.

The first thing I usually do is repeat a fecal exam. Some parasites will go through stages where they don't shed eggs and we don't see them in the fecal.

I would likely also cover him with a broad spectrum dewormer such as fenbendazole (panacur) which is a prescription medication that is good for getting some of the uncommon parasites.

I may also recommend putting him on a bland food such as medi-cal/IVD gastro or Hill's i/d.

If this doesn't work then I usually recommend sending away stool to the lab to do a diarrhea panel. Our lab does a series of DNA tests on stool which tell us about certain types of bacterial problems and viruses.

Has he had any new food or new treats lately? There are some dogs who are super sensitive to any change in diet and this could be the culprit.

Another possible treatment that would be less expensive than doing all of the above tests is to ask your vet if he could simply have another course of metronidazole. Sometimes this works as well.

I hope everything clears up soon!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.