My puppy has diarrhea, lethargy, no appetite. What can I give?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | American Bully | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 29 days old | 43 lbs
i have a 6mos american bully puppy and has diareha for 2 days sleeping alot and no appetite what can i give him to stop diarreha?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 26th, 2019
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Diarrhea can be caused by many things such as diet, intestinal parasites and viral infections. I would recommend initiating a bland diet as outlined below. However, with the symptoms you have described, it sounds as though he may also be dehydrated. I would recommend taking him in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. He may need fluids administered under the skin for hydration and further testing (parvo testing) since he is so young and still has the potential to come down with parvo if he has come in contact with it. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 25th, 2017
It's probably a gastrointestinal infection, it could be parvo virus infection as well. you must take her urgently to the vet for treatment, she will need antibiotics and some other meds to get better.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 31st, 2017
She could have a parasite, infection, or some colitis from something she ate. It is a little concerning that she is lethargic. Take a stool sample to your vet and have it tested for parasites. She may need to be dewormed. You could also offer her a bland diet, like boiled chicken and white rice and see if that helps. If her signs persist or worsen then she needs to be examined by a vet to determine the cause.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 11th, 2017
Poor Piper! It sounds like something is definitely wrong. Problems with growth, low energy levels, and diarrhea with blood can be caused by a number of different things - she may have a severe case of intestinal parasites, some type of infection, or even an internal birth defect such as a liver shunt. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as possible, as this sounds like it may be a serious problem. He/she can do a fecal exam to check for parasites, and may recommend blood work or other testing if needed to help make a diagnosis and see what can be done to treat the problem.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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