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Puppy's loose stool, mucus, and sleeping after food switch. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 16 days old | 15 lbs

I’m wondering what is wrong with my puppy. She’s 13 weeks and we switched her from grain food to barley and natural food. Her stool is loose, not smelly, and she’s been sleeping. She’s keeping up water intake but her last stool had a mucus membrane in it. It didn’t have blood in it- just very globby like.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on October 1st, 2017

Rubik's diarrhea could be due to the food switch, especially if you didn't make the switch slowly. Dogs are very sensitive to dietary changes, and if they aren't done slowly, then it can cause GI upset. She could also have intestinal parasites, may have eaten something rotten, or could have a GI illness. Make sure she is up to date on her deworming treatments, and I can give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps. Withhold food for 6 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. I hope this helps!

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