10 week old puppy with bloody stools

by Stephanie B-P
(Savannah, GA)

My puppy was perfectly fine last week. On friday I took my 10 week old chihuahua to the vet and he was given his shots and de-worming medication. On Saturday he pooped a bit more than usual and his stools seemed a bit softer.

At 4 am on Monday (today) he pooped and his stools was very watery and has small amounts of blood in it. I took him to the vet and they gave him a fecal check, in it they found he has giardia, he was given medicine for it.

He has been just as active and eating and drinking plenty of water yet all day he's had diarrhea and there's still trace amounts of blood in his stool.

Is it from the giardia? Should I get a second opinion? Should I test him for parvo? I am a first time mom and I am just worried about my little chi.




Hi Stephanie
First of all, don't panic! It sounds as though you've done everything right so far and your puppy seems to be acting normally except for the diarrhea.

A puppy with Parvo looks and acts very sick. Diarrhea is severe and recurring, usually accompanied by vomiting and extreme lethargy. None of these seem to apply to your puppy, and given that she was examined by a vet too, I doubt that you have too much to worry about there.

Giardia is caused by tiny parasites that live in water (ponds, streams, lakes etc.) that are contaminated with animal fecal matter. If your puppy has been in contact with any stagnant water or sources similar to those above, she could have easily caught this illness. However, the medication Metronidazole (also knows as Flagy) is the usual treatment and is effective.

It also helps overcome any irritation in the colon caused by the diarrhea, and you should see her stools return to normal over the next few days, to a week or so.

The fact that she got her vaccinations and was also treated for worms, could also account for some of her diarrhea symptoms. Many puppies experience diarrhea or tummy upset after these procedures.

It is always better to be safe than sorry with a young puppy, as they can get sick pretty fast. But it looks as though you've 'covered all your bases' pretty well and your pup should be just fine.

However, if the diarrhea doesn't improve over the next few days, or she gets worse/seems ill or experiences any of the symptoms of vomiting, lethargy etc. I would recommend taking her back to your vet for another check up.

Hope this put your mind at rest somewhat. Best of luck with your little girl.