[HiTideGoldens]

Has anyone had an experience with a puppy having mild diarrhea but only having it at night?

Kira's stool is totally normal during the day and in the evening, but for the past week off and on she has woken up in the middle of the night with mild diarrhea. Two of the times we didn't hear her whine and woke up to a lovely smell in our room (including last night). It's not watery or super runny, it's like pudding consistency. We're going to the vet anyway on monday, but I'm curious if anyone else had experienced this with a dog or puppy. Nothing is different at night and the same things are in her crate day or night, so I don't think that's the culprit. We also don't give her treats, she literally only gets her kibble (we use kibble for training). She's doing really well on potty training otherwise, and it doesn't happen every night so I really don't think this is a behavior issue. Any ideas?

 

[Florabora22]

I wish I could help... do you make sure she goes #2 before you guys head off to bed? That still doesn't explain the presence of diarrhea though. Is it possible she gets too much food in the evening and it upsets her stomach?

 

[HiTideGoldens]

Yes she is taken out before bed and almost always does both #1 and #2. Last night I took her out at about midnight and she went #2 and then we were woken up at 3:30 to diarrhea in her crate.

She eats less food at night actually, she gets 1 cup in the morning, 3/4 cup at lunch and 1/2 cup at dinner. It's just not making sense to me at all...

 

[Bentley's Mom]

We had that problem too. I ended up cutting his lunch and breakfast by a little (figured I was underestimating the amount of kibble I gave for training) and it stopped. I hope it's something that easy for you and Kira as well.

 

[IowaGold]

Sage was that way as a pup-fine during the day, but loose at night. I was just starting vet school at that point and was working at an absolutely horrible vet. So he never had a fecal test done and she didn't even carry metronidazole. It finally got better (after several months) when I switched foods (from ProPlan to EaglePack).

Were I faced with this now, I'd have a stool sample checked (probably multiple times). And try a round of metronidazole. Then switch foods if it continued.

 

[A1Malinois]

I would try a food change and cutting back on the morning meal before I ever put my dog on a drug known for its toxicity with the only symptom being the runs in the middle of the night. Though I do agree with getting the stool checked a few times. If something is found, then treat it

Thats my opinion anyway

 

[Sally's Mom]

I agree with IowaGold.

 

[Sally's Mom]

I'm also a fan of probiotics, specifically for dogs and cats.

 

[Ranger]

Could be too much food. My foster puppies started doing that and it was a sign to cut back on the food a little. Try 3/4 cup in the morning and keep everything else the same.

 

[A1Malinois]

I agree with IowaGold.

Ofcourse you agree with IowasGold. There is no need IMO to pump a dog full of medications without trying something like a food switch first and some probiotics

 

[HiTideGoldens]

Thanks for all the replies.

She's already on Natures Farmacy Probiotic Max and I've given her the probiotic paste a couple of times and it seems to help firm things up by morning. Although I don't know if it's just coincidence and everything is out of her by that time as well. We originally thought the culprit was a Red Barn filled bone that was in her crate from her breeder, but it's continued on and off since that was taken out last weekend.

Iowagold, interestingly Kira is on Proplan LBP food. We have never fed this before but it is what her breeder started them on. We are planning to transition her at about 4 months old but may do it sooner if it could be a food issue.

So, we'll get a fecal done when we're at the vet on Monday and go from there I guess. It's just so weird....

 

[Ljilly28]

Ofcourse you agree with IowasGold. There is no need IMO to pump a dog full of medications without trying something like a food switch first and some probiotics

Please offer your opinion without being combative or addressing the other posters negatively and specifically.

 

[Ljilly28]

I had this issue with Tango, and switched feeding to early am, 11ish am, and 3 pm so she would be super empty for bedtime. It is no fun waking up that way.

 

[HiTideGoldens]

I had this issue with Tango, and switched feeding to early am, 11ish am, and 3 pm so she would be super empty for bedtime. It is no fun waking up that way.

Ugh, tell me about it. Waking up to poo smell in our bedroom and getting to clean a crate and puppy is just ick. :yuck:

 

[Ljilly28]

Bathing baby puppies at 2:45 am. . . You havent lived until you've done it, lol.

 

[sameli102]

I would have her checked for coccidia, perhaps the stress of moving to a new home has brought about a flare up.
I don't know if it was coccidia or not but when Parker was a pup he went through a bout at about 4 months old where he woke us up every night around 2 or 3 am and had to go out with diarrhea, during the day he was fine. It lasted less than a week.

 

[sameli102]

Bathing baby puppies at 2:45 am. . . You havent lived until you've done it, lol.

How about bathing 2 full grown "just skunked" dogs at midnight when you have to get up for work at 5?

 

[w00f]

Sage was that way as a pup-fine during the day, but loose at night. I was just starting vet school at that point and was working at an absolutely horrible vet. So he never had a fecal test done and she didn't even carry metronidazole. It finally got better (after several months) when I switched foods (from ProPlan to EaglePack).

Were I faced with this now, I'd have a stool sample checked (probably multiple times). And try a round of metronidazole. Then switch foods if it continued.

With my dog, it always meant that a food switch was needed. However, treating for parasites isn't a bad idea either.

 

[3goldens]

I totally agree with running a fecal.

I wonder if sometimes this can just be a "puppy" thing? I know when I have had a puppy, they would intermittently have sloppy poops, but I don't recall it being on a specific schedule like your puppies? Could it be to much water as well?

Just throwing that out there

 

[HiTideGoldens]

I'm sure you were all anxiously awaiting a poop update.

Yesterday I tried feeding Kira earlier in the day with her last meal at 3:00, as Jill suggested. The one change I remembered we made last weekend was that instead of cutting open her fish oil and putting it in her food, I was giving her the capsule in her food. Yesterday I cut it open again (throwing away the capsule itself) and there was no middle of the night diarrhea. So either the capsule containing the fish oil, or the time of day she's eating seems to be the culprit. Still doing a fecal tomorrow and talking to the vet, but if there's no diarrhea tonight I think we have the solution for the time being.