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My puppy has dark, frequent diarrhea for 24 hours. Is it urgent?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | unspayed | 15 lbs

My 12 week old puppy has had diarrhea for almost 24 hours and it is becoming darker. She's still eating and drinking and isn't acting any way out of the ordinary, but she keeps having to use the potty every 30 minutes to an hour. Please help

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on November 21st, 2016

As long as Stevie is bright and active, you can try withholding food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of unflavored PediaLyte or similar sugar free electrolyte solution. Resume feeding a bland diet in small, frequent amounts. Feed until the stool is normal before slowly transitioning to the regular diet. A bland diet can be plain white rice mixed with one of the following: boiled boneless/skinless chicken breast, ground beef (cooked drained), ground turkey or cottage cheese. One teaspoon per 10 lbs body weight of plain canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) can be mixed into the food once or twice a day. If the diarrhea does not resolve or if she develops other symptoms, have her examined by your veterinarian.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Stevie! When a puppy has had diarrhea for more than 24 hours, the time has passed to try home remedies and a vet visit is required. I'd also be concerned that the cause of the darker diarrhea is due to blood in her feces. She could have eaten something rotten, have a GI illness, intestinal parasites, or a foreign body. I'd bring a sample of her diarrhea along with you for the vet to examine. The vet can diagnose the cause her diarrhea, and can give her an appropriate treatment. Given that she has been having it so frequently, she may need IV fluids for hydration. Please bring her into the vet now.

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