Dear Dogs Life, do you have any hydrating tips for a puppy that has had the “runs”? We live in a hot climate. He is a good drinker anyway and I have been giving him ice cubes to lick, but is there anything else I can do to help him rehydrate? Perhaps I could add something to his water?
– Trudy Gadaleta, via Facebook
Dr Michael Archinal says: How great that a puppy has come to join and enhance your family, but not so great that he has the “runs”. Diarrhoea means any loose poo, which can vary in consistency from watery to just a sloppier form of normal.
It is not normal for any dog to have loose poo. There is always an underlying cause, even if it has only been happening for a short time. The most common cause in puppies is usually related to a problem with the diet, anything from eating something they shouldn’t, to feeding a food that is too rich for their developing intestinal system (such as raw kangaroo meat or adult dog food).
Other common puppy causes include parasites, like worms and Giardia. Some of these can transfer to people so it is very important that you take your pup along to the vet as soon as you can.
A simple way to rehydrate dogs is to feed them more tinned food than dry food and you can try adding doggy electrolytes to his water but sometimes they turn their nose up about this. Best advice is to drop into your local vet as soon as you can to get to the “bottom” of this problem.
