White mucus balls in loose stool of new chihuahua puppy

by Michelle
(Key West, Florida)

My 12 week old 1.6 pound new female chihuahua puppy has some white mucus in her loose stools. We have her sister puppy also and she doesn't seem to have the same stools even though both have fairly loose stools. They have been in our home for 1 week.

We have 2 other female dogs. One is a yorkie and the other a year old chihuahua, all females. The 1.6 pound plays normally, but at night she poops in the bed before we can get her up and outside for a middle of the night pee/poo session. She makes no noises like the other dogs to let us know that she has to go. We're assuming it is the 1.6 pound one named Pemfeld. Her sister is 2.6 pounds much larger and much more active. Pemfeld is aloof and wants little to do with us while her sister, Danger Mouse, is full of energy and free with her kisses and wants attention.

They were wormed the day we got them 1 week ago. I found a couple of fleas on them but have that situation under control. What is with the white mucus balls in the feces, and why is she not affectionate? Any help would be appreciated!

The Vet said maybe she has colitis and to add white rice to her food and that she still could have worms even though she was wormed. I talked with her on the phone. What do you think?






Hi Michelle
There are a couple of possibilities here. These pups have only been with you a short time, and the combination of the stress associated with that sort of big upheaval, a possible change in diet, and deworming could all result in loose stools or even a bout of puppy diarrhea.

The mucus you notice simply indicates that there's some inflammation or irritation in the colon/bowel. This can happen due to dietary changes, stress, or even as a result of a the loose stools themselves - a sort of vicious circle. If your pups are up to date on all their puppy shots, and seem happy and healthy apart from this, then hopefully this situation will be short lived and their stools will firm up within a day or two.

The other possibility is that Pemfeld has developed a case of Coccidiosis. This is a parasitic illness which can flare up in a pup who is under stress, and is actually pretty common in puppies when they first come into a new home. It's generally not serious but does need to be treated by a vet as a sulfa-based antibiotic is needed to clear it up.

I'd recommend that you have your pups examined by your vet who can take a stool sample and will be able to tell if they (or one of them) has coccidia.

Pemfeld is pooping in her crate right now because she needs to go URGENTLY (and probably doesn't get much warning so that she can let you know what's happening) and she can't help it, hopefully as soon as her bowels settle down this will end.

All puppies are different in their personalities and temperament, and it may just take this little girl a bit longer to 'warm up' and come out of her shell. Or she may just always be a reserved type of pup/dog. Either way as long as she's healthy and happy I'm sure all will be fine.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with both these little ones.