Puppy with the runs

[highflyer]

Picked up our new addition to the family last sat she is an 8 week old working cocker spaniel unfortunately she has had the runs for nearly a full week now it's very yellow and runny.
The breeder gave us some puppy dried food which he was feeding her which we have now mixed 50% with our new food which is Wainwrights puppy hypo allergenic recipe, due to the runny news we are now just feeding her cooked chicken and rice on our vets advice.
She is totally ok in herself runs around playing you would never think anything was wrong apart from when she goes to the loo.
Any help or suggestions to firm her up would be appreciated thanks
Regards Russ

[highflyer]

Ps
She came out of a shed with shredded paper as bedding and her brothers and sisters for company to a house with an 9 year old WCS and a 13 month old WCS we used a baby monitor and from the very 1st night she cried to go out at 2.30 am and 5am to go to the toilet on the grass outside, in a week we have only had 1 wee in the breakfast room,
How awesome is that ?

[bexVN]

She could have Giardia or campylobacter. Has she seen a vet yet (wasn't sure if advice was over phone or by appt). A week is a long time for a pup to have diarrhoea and the two things I mention are not uncommon in pups and should be tested for.

[highflyer]

Hi Bex
I was hoping you would reply
Yes been the vets and she in on some antibiotics a tiny brown tablet capsule shaped one twice a day and a small round blue tablet half twice a day she has improved very slightly this morning at 5 am still on chicken and rice
Called the breeder he said probably the change of food although it was mixed very carefully 50/50 with the one we have.
Fingers crossed for the weekend
Thanks Bex
Kind regards Russell

[bexVN]

Yes change in food is absolutely possible but if not improving over next 3-4 days reassess. Usually we advise a very slow change over ie 10% new food, 90% old then very gradual change over the next 10 days. The slight issue can be the longer the diarrhoea the longer to recorrect the gut flora and get things back to normal.

Do you know why the vets prescribed antibiotics? I'm not sure what you have been px.

Was there soft motions/ diarrhoea before you started to change the food?

Are you using any gut protectants, they may help stabilise the gut flora which may improve the diarrhoea more quickly.

Fortiflora or Protexin paste are two that can help (usually one or other, not both

PS, we are missing the obligatory pics!

Edited by bexVN on Saturday 2nd May 10:01

Edited by bexVN on Saturday 2nd May 10:07

[highflyer]

she is on
clavaseptin pal 1 twice a day
Metronidazole 0.5 twice a day
yes she was runny b4 we changed the food to 50/50
as you can see she has settled in ok this was taken about an hour after we got her home

[highflyer]

[anonymous-user]

try mashed up charcoal tablets.

And then count blessings that he/she is a small dog - our mastiff pup had the runs for a few days when he was a pub. Jesus Wept that was grim!

[highflyer]

Just an update
She has finally had a couple of almost normal motions having been on chicken and rice for a couple of days little but often.
Ayianna is so full of life and Meer has finally started to associate with her and play thank goodness.
Thank you BexVn for your help
Regards Russell

[bexVN]

No probs but not sure I actually helped much in the end. You will need to get slowly back onto her normal food (not enough nutrition in ckn and rice for a growing pup ok short term) I would add just a few grams a day over next few days. Any flare up definitely get more tests on a faecal sample.

My only alarm bell is the fact she had soft motions before she came to you, doesn't quote fit with the breeder's reasoning of diet change being the only cause (would have exacerbated it though).

Glad she is doing well .

She's a lovely looking pup, don't see her colour that often in the working line. Lots of fun times ahead!