Help ! I have a litter of one week old puppies who have had runny poo since birth. On day 2, I took them and their mum to the vet. The vet said he thought that mum's first milk was too rich for them. He gave the mum a long-lasting antibiotic jab as a precaution and a vitamin B jab to help her appetite but said he didn't think there was anything wrong. He advised me to take the pups off mum for 24 hours and then return to her feeding them and he was sure everything would be fine. I bottle fed them for the next 36 hours and their poos improved a bit but were still a little loose. I returned the pups to mum as instructed but the stools became runnier again. I have hand-fed them over the weekend and they still have very loose stools. Apart from the consistency of the poo, they are thriving really well. They are gaining weight steadily every day, sleep contentedly between feeds and are very strong. In fact they are the stongest litter I have ever had and are almost up on their legs already. However, I am very worried about the constantly runny poo. I have asked the vet to put them on Synulux drops but he doesn't think it's necessary as he doesn't think they have an infection. His reasoning is that they would not have developed a viral or bacterial infection immediately they were born as it would have to incubate. I have tried adding more water to their bottles to dilute the milk further but this has made no difference. Has anyone else had this problem ? Do you think they should be on anti-biotics ? Is there anything else that I can give them that will improve the consistency of their stools ? This is the fourth litter that I have bred, some of the pups have had to be hand-fed in the past but I have never had a problem like this before. The vet is being fairly dismissive and seems to think I am over-reacting but their poo is definitely not "normal". Any advice would be greatly appreciated. At the moment I can't relax and enjoy my babies for worrying about what is wrong with them.

Not got lots of experience but have had 4 litters over the last 10yrs.

Puppy poo is always soft and smearable so are your puppies pooing very watery stuff??

Antibiotics  given to mum will go through to pups in the milk so that will make them loser.

I'm not sure i agree with what the vet said about milk being too rich - its mothers milk and made exactly to what puppies need just like breast milk to human babies. I certainly wouldn't have taken them off her milk its the most perfectly made and easily digestable stuff for a little pup. Formula will make them more solid as there is more waste as its not tailor made for them.

personally just get them back onto to mum UNLESS she is ill and unable to feed due to medication that may harm pups.

i agree mums milk is best , my girls litter before this 1 was bad with the runs my vet gave me meds for them and the poo became normal the pups where 3days old when thay started with runs tell your vet it could help it did for ours ,good luck i know how worring it is ,when the pups where feeding the poo would just come out on its own at 3 days old ,it smelt and the color was horrible green and yellow ...does this sound same ?

I had the opposite with my pups they were a bit constipated.. and id definately prefer runny poos at least they are getting out of their system haha!! I wouldnt worry if they are feeding and seem fine.. and if the vet is happy then thats ok...

puppies tend to have runny poos at first.. and the change to bottle feeding would have messed with their tummies even more.. so mums milk is definately best. :)

as i said i wouldnt rush into any more medication yet, just observe for now, check they are not dehidrated (pinch back of neck) and that they are feeding.. and your good to go

our pups where dehidrated so im sure thats why we had meds for them ...but like gundoggal said if there ok even with runny poo dont worry to much :)

If Mum isn't ill, and caring for them just fine, I wouldn't supplement them myself.  I find that everything goes through Mum to pups, and have had runny poo when the bitch has eaten too many afterbirths.  It has cleared up in pups once Mum clears up.

Puppies have been at the vet again today as they are no better. The vet now agrees that there is something more going on than just normal loose puppy stools and has placed them on anti-biotics and Diarsanyl for diarrahea. A stool sample has been sent off to the lab for analysis but results are not likely before Friday.
The pups are still feeding well, have strong suckling reflex and are not crying or appearing distressed so fingers crossed they can overcome this.

jaybyjasper good luck .!!! glad to hear vets gave meds now ,i do hope samples come back ok :(

its a worring time i remember it well ,i was beside myself and i amagen you are too !! let me know how u get on on friday and good luck x

can i ask how much u payed for poo sample to be sent off please?