Diarrea

Q: Hello Dr. Pup, My puppy has diarrea and so does its litter mate. Is it posible that they've got a bug of some sort? I've recently treated them for worms so I know it isn't worms and I iv'e tried yogurt with live cultures which hasn't really helped. Is there anything else I can do at home to comfort my dogs as this gets through their systems? They've received all 3 puppy shots including parvo so it can't be parvo either thank goodness. Any other ideas without an expensive trip to the vet?

A: Diarrhea in young puppies can have many causes. It sounds like your puppies are around 12 weeks old. If they are eating and drinking normally and their attitude is good you can give protectants such as pepto bismol or kao pectate at 0.5cc per pound body weight by mouth 2-3 times a day. Feeding bland easily digested foods such as yogurt, baby food or scrambled egg can give the intestine a rest. If your puppies are not eating well, if their attitude is not normal, or if the diarrhea has been present more than 2 days you should have them examined. See the gastrointestinal section of common conditions in the Doctorpup website for a discussion of some of the causes of diarrhea.