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My puppy has diarrhea only at night. What causes it and how to help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | unspayed | 6 months and 10 days old

Juniper has had diarrhea for the last 3 nights. She wakes up every hour or two to use the bathroom and again this is only at night.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 27th, 2016

Poor pup! If she's acting normal otherwise, you can try feeding her a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next few days until her stool returns to normal. Also, if she hasn't been dewormed recently, I would suggest doing this also - intestinal parasites are a very common cause of diarrhea in puppies this age. If these things don't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as vomiting, acting lethargic, or not wanting to eat, I would recommend having her examined by a vet as these can be signs of a more serious problem.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 5th, 2019

    Poor Liberty! The diarrhea could be due to many conditions including eating something she shouldn’t have, bacterial over growth, parasites or even organ disease. If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have her examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check her for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. A good diet in general is Royal Canin. It is low residue and highly digestible. I hope Liberty starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    Answered By Ann Dion, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 1st, 2018

    Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would try boiled/boneless/skinless chicken breast and boiled rice in small frequent meals for a few days, as this bland diet can help with a simple gastritis. Also, try deworming Flash if he isn't dewormed already, or get a fecal checked by your vet to see if any other weird parasites/worms are present. Avoid feeding any bones or raw meat as both of these cause severe problems including perforations, obstructions, gastritis, paralysis, etc. Best of luck with Flash!

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 24th, 2021

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. It sounds like she is having a lot of diarrhea overnight. This can easily lead to dehydration in a puppy, even if she is still eating and drinking. The diarrhea will pull excess fluid from her body. As you mentioned, diet changes can cause gastrointestinal upset. However, in puppies, infectious causes such as parasites are very common. The veterinarian will examine her and test a fecal sample. Based on these results, medication will be prescribed to stop the diarrhea. A probiotic may also be used and her diet can be discussed. You have done a good job of managing her at home. However, since it has not resolved the issue, it is time to see a veterinarian. In the meantime, encourage her to drink plenty of water. Feed her small frequent meals. I don't want a young puppy to fast, but smaller meals will hopefully sit better on her stomach. I hope this information helps!

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