Ask the Veterinarian/pitbull puppy

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Expert: - 2/21/2011


Question
i have a 4 week old pitbull puppy who has loose stool ive heard stories that pitbull pups with loose bowels is a sign of worms or parvo so im wondering why his stool is loose?

Answer
There are many reasons that puppies have loose stools, most likely from worms, or diet changes. However, at 4 weeks, this puppy should still be on the mother or a bottle of puppy milk replacement, and this will cause loose stool anyway. No puppy on milk will have a solid stool.

If you are weaning this puppy to solid food, it could also cause loose stool.
Parvo virus can strike a puppy at any age, but the signs of parvo is bloody, smelly, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy and dehydration.

If this puppy has any of those symptoms then you need to rush this puppy to a vet. Parvo is not something you can treat well at home and expect the puppy to live.

If he doesn't have them, then he needs to be wormed most likely. Do NOT feed this dog any cows milk at all. Cows milk will only cause diarrhea and all pets are lactose intolerant once they are off of their moms.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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