mucus diarrhea and bloated tummy in 7 week old puppy

My cocker spaniel who we picked up on Friday has has diarrhea with a bit of mucus and blood, she also has bloated tummy.

She is very alert and lively. I am feeding her on rice and chicken. What do you think it could be?
Many thanks





Hi
If she seems fine apart from the loose stools, chances are this is due to the stress of the move to a new home, plus a change in diet.

Puppy diarrhea is pretty common and can be caused by these simple issues, or by parasites, infection and a number of serious dog illnesses, the key is usually in how the pup is behaving and what other symptoms are present.

You may want to check out my Bringing Home A New Puppy page to learn a bit more about what to expect during the first week or so with a new pup.

The bloated tummy could be due to puppy worms, most pups have them. It's important to have a new puppy checked over by your own vet within a day or two of bringing them home, that way you can be sure there aren't any underlying health issues, and routine stuff such as puppy shots and dewormings can be taken care of.

Traces of mucus and/or blood generally indicate irritation or inflammation in the colon, and again this can be caused by a change in diet, or an illness, stress etc. etc. It's never a good idea to take chances with a puppy though, so if your little girl shows any other signs of illness, the diarrhea becomes worse, she starts to vomit or anything like this, get her to your vet right away.

Hope this helps some, best of luck with your pup.