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Help! My 4-month-old puppy has constant diarrhea. What's the fix?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 3 months and 29 days old | 7 lbs

my 16 week old kelpie cross pup has been having constant diarrhea, what do I do?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 25th, 2016

Poor Savannah! If she's been having diarrhea for longer than 24 hours, she will need to see a vet. This diarrhea could be caused by GI illness, parasites, eating something rotten, change in diet, or a foreign body. If she isn't up to date on her deworming treatments, you will need to get one from the vet. I would take her into the vet today if she has been having diarrhea for longer than 24 hours, and the vet can diagnose what is causing the diarrhea and how best to treat it. If it's been less than 24 hours, you can try a home remedy before having to take her into the vet. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the diarrhea continues on the bland diet, she starts vomiting food, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    Submit a stool sample to your vet to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Deworm or treat if indicated. Search the house and yard for anything Savannah may be getting into causing the diarrhea. Withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Feed a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until her stool is normal then transition slowly to the regular diet. A bland diet can be plain white rice mixed with plain chicken breast or ground turkey or cottage cheese or ground beef (cooked/drained). If the diarrhea does not stop of if Savannah develops lethargy, vomiting or loss of appetite, see your veterinarian.

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor girl. You have to find out the underlying cause of the diarrhea (i.e. intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, foreign body ingestion, etc). If Savannah has not been dewormed yet then this is the first place to start. She needs a fecal examination (through your vet) and a dewormer (i..e Fenbendazole or others depending on what worms are present). For general diarrhea treatment, you can give her daily fiber (i.e. 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin-not the filling), and a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese for 4-7 days, then slowly transition her back to her normal diet.

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