I have been away for a while and wanted to get back to my blog. I was greatly surprised when four of my five litters had 3 or more puppies. Wow did that increase the population. Ha-ha The babies are now 1 to 7 weeks old and you named it the dreaded diarrhea has appeared. We disinfect the flooring, bedding & toys daily. But, now and again.....someone decides to get diarrhea. After many a round with Diarrhea I thought I could share what I have learned. First and foremost Don't panic! I worm my babies with Nemex 2 every two week from birth until they go home. Mom's get wormed with Panacur along with the babies worming schedule. Now what do you do? They are wormed and still we have the runs. Often it is as simple as too much bacteria in their intestinal tract. A round of Metronidazole (as Benzoate) will solve the issue quickly. ThIS is veterinarian prescribed. Other medications to try Albon, Panacur for worm infestation. If you know it isn't any of the above issues. You little one is just not eating well and has the runs. Try either brown rice and chicken boiled together in chicken broth if you have it. Or baked potato and cottage cheese. Both of these are gentle on the tummy and often work to settle down an upset stomach. My vet says as a last resort try Gerber (because they don't add any onion or garlic) meats. If they will not eat that. It is serious and your little love needs to be seen by your veterinarian right away. The younger or smaller your dog the less stress their body can handle. So remember for an adult one day will not kill them to skip a meal or two. a one pound puppy can die very quickly from hypoglycemia. Low Blood sugar. So one missed meal could be very dangerous for them. I'll talk about Hypoglycemia in another blog. Back to diarrhea. Notice the color, is there mucus, is there red blood or is it black. Red means it is coming from an area close the anus. Black is much more serious, This color means the bleeding is higher up in the intestinal tract. And is normally much more serious. If there is color in the stool.... Example: I had a girl have a stool that was solid green. Ahhhh my mind goes to worst case issues. Upon a closer inspection....sigh.....it was all grass. and the next stool was normal. There are lots of theories as to why dogs eat grass. I don't think anyone really knows. Long and short, she was fine. But, it is very important to notice all the details. Take a sample into your vet, It helps a great deal for them to see the issue and they can look for parasites, bacteria or blood. It helps them a great deal and will most likely send you home to get a fresh sample and come back with it. Save yourself an extra trip. Diarrhea can in most cases be cleaned up quickly. Sanitation is the key. Wash everything with bleach. Unless you are dealing with babies. Babies can not handle bleach on the floor it affects their internal organs. So find something like Chlorhexidine Solution. Safe for babies and a good sterilant. Sanitize everything that your dog/puppies touch, lick or drink out of. Fresh water always. Babies poop everywhere, even in their water bowl so be observant. My rule number one is. IF IN DOUBT CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN.