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My 12-week-old puppy has diarrhea, won't eat. Is it giardia?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | White Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 24 days old | 18 lbs

My 12 week old puppy has been having diarrhea on and off for almost a week now. She got sick last Sunday. First it was diarrhea and vomiting. Then it went away for a few days. But now it's back. I have fed her boiled chicken and rice. But she refuses to eat that now. Though she does seem hungry but when it comes down to actually eating, she won't. She'll sniff the food and not eat. There's no blood in her stool. She'll go outside, but without much enthousiasm. Is it giardia?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 9th, 2018

Poor girl. Giardia can very well be the cause, but it can’t be confirmed without a Giardia test done through your vet. Other possible causes of dereased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting is parvovirus (if Khaleesi isn’t fully vaccinated) or a bacterial infection. I would definitely take her in to your vet at this point since it seems to be a continued issue that isn’t resolving with a conservative bland diet. The most concerning symptom right now is the fact that she doesn’t want to eat. I would recommend taking her in right away. If you can’t get her in until morning, you can try offering Khaleesi slightly warmed cans of baby food (meats and vegetables) to see if that will entice her to eat and give her some much needed nutrition. Best of luck with your puppy Khaleesi and o hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Take care.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 21st, 2019

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Stella. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian again. It is unusual for a puppy to go so long with a decreased appetite especially since she is receiving treatment for her intestinal infection. I worry that she will become dehydrated. There may be an problem in addition to the giardia or she may require some additional care to get her feeling better. Some dogs will not eat due to nausea. There is medication to help if this is the case. Continue to give her the Nutrical in the meantime. I hope this information helps!

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