We’ve already put together a guide on how you might clean up dog diarrhea.
However, the guide below is about the potential reasons for diarrhea in puppies and dogs.
If your German Shepherd Puppy has diarrhea, it can be an unpleasant experience for both owner and puppy.
You’ll want to identify the cause/s as quickly as possible so that you can address these causes ASAP.
This is always best done with the advice of your vet – especially if the diarrhea lasts for longer than 24 hours, or seems serious/severe in any way.
Younger dogs and puppies may have slightly different reasons for their diarrhea, so we thought we’d outline some potential reasons here.
Let’s take a look at them!
(NOTE: this is a general information guide only, and is not professional advice, or a substitute for professional advice. A qualified vet or animal expert is the only person qualified to give you expert advice in regards to your pet/s)
Potential Reasons For German Shepherd Puppy Diarrhea
Summary Of Potential Reasons For Dog/Puppy Diarrhea
– Stress
– Change in diet or food (or inadequate food intake)
– Eating or swallowing something they aren’t supposed to
– Parasites, worms, and internal upsets
– Viral infection
– Other health issues
1) Stress
Stress in puppies is usually caused by adapting to a new household, people and new routines.
When puppies are trying to take in all these changes, their internal body function systems may react to the stress with diarrhea.
Stress related diarrhea might last for a couple of days.
It can be minimised by keeping your puppy relaxed, making sure they have quiet and private time to themselves, allowing them to get plenty of sleep, and making sure they get plenty of water.
With the help of your vet – you can put together a stress management plan to help ease your puppy’s transition it’s new environment.
2) Change in diet and puppy/dog food
A change in the type of food can cause your puppy’s stools/poops to go from solid to sloppy/runny.
We are talking:
Changing the type of food
Changing the brand of food
Changing the quality of food
Changing from puppy milk, to semi solid to solid food
Changing from puppy to adult food
And so on
It’s actually something we’ve previously mentioned in our guide about the best foods for German Shepherd puppies.
Weaning and having a transition from semi solid to solid puppy food for example over a week or two period (and not just completely overnight), by gradually increasing bigger portions of the the new food, is a good way to control and manage the health and solidity of your puppy’s poops.
Definitely work with your vet to come up with a safe and healthy/balanced puppy diet formulated for your individual dog.
3) Eating or swallowing something they aren’t suppose to
Eating, swallowing, ingesting or simply tasting anything outside of a puppy’s normal diet might cause your puppy to get diarrhea, or in worse cases, get seriously sick.
This is why it’s important to supervise puppies until they are properly house trained and learn what they can and can’t play with and touch.
Keeping the inside and outside of your house puppy friendly is also helpful.
Human food, rotten food, meaty bones with harmful bacteria, grass/organic matter and other foods and objects can cause diarrhea or sickness in a puppy.
It’s also wise to keep a close eye on your puppy when you go for walks or to the dog park as anything can be laying around in public areas.
If you suspect your puppy has ingested something harmful or toxic – get them straight to the vet.
4) Parasites, Worms and Internal Upsets
Puppies should have a worming and flea prevention routine as standard precautions.
However, maybe your puppy is born with worms or they get infested by transmission from another dog or something in the external environment.
There are several different types of worms and parasites that can wreak havoc with the insides of your puppy and cause diarrhea.
Worms are pretty easy to treat with medication if you go see a vet, and you’ll want to ask them what the best course of action is to keep worms and other parasites away.
5) Viral infection
Viral infections can be very serious for puppies, and usually come with other symptoms that you’ll notice in your dog like vomiting and appearing to not be able to move very well.
You’ll want to see your vet immediately if you think they have a viral infection.
A virus is usually passed onto your puppy by way of feces from an infected dog.
Although infections are not common, you may want to keep your puppy away from sniffing or getting close to other dog’s faeces until they are a little older, and you’ll definitely want to keep all your dog’s vaccinations up to date.
6) Other health issues
There are a whole range of other health issues that can cause diarrhea and might be specific to your puppy.
Things like tumors, internal obstructions, IBS and other health issues might arise.
Pet Education actually has a really great table which lists some causes of diarrhea.
They mention German Shepherds might be most at risk of Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, Idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, and Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth – all of which can cause diarrhea.
What Might It Mean If My German Shepherd Has Diarrhea With Mucus?
Mucus in your puppy’s diarrhea could be a sign your dog has an internal worm or parasite infection.
The same way as if you see blood in your puppy’s poop, if you notice mucus, you’ll want to see a vet ASAP.
What Might Be The Best Food For A German Shepherd With A Sensitive Stomach?
Sensitive stomachs in German Shepherds could be caused by a whole range of things.
It could be an infection, parasites, allergies, a medical condition, a sudden change in diet, or really anything.
The best thing to do might be to identify the cause of the sensitive stomach with your vet, and work with them develop a plan (including a good food diet) to manage a sensitive stomach.
What Might It Mean If My German Shepherd Has Diarrhea, And Is Vomiting?
If your German Shepherd has diarrhea and is vomiting, this is usually not a good combination or sign.
It usually means there is something serious going on inside your GSD like an infection or virus.
They could also have swallowed something toxic and their body is trying to get rid of it.
See a vet immediately.
What Might It Mean If My German Shepherd Has Diarrhea And Is Losing Weight?
Mild wild loss can be common in some causes of diarrhea, however if it’s major or it persists, you’d want to see a vet.
Furthermore, if your dog is either not eating, or eating but not putting on weight – these can be signs something serious is going on.
What Might It Mean If My German Shepherd Has Diarrhea With Blood?
Like mucus and vomiting, blood in your German Shepherd’s diarrhea can be serious.
If you notice blood, see a vet immediately.
German Shepherd Puppy Diarrhea Resources
1. Pet Education.com
2. Pets.Webmd.com
3. HealthyPets.Mercola.com
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