If you have a puppy – especially if you are a first time dog owner – it can be mighty worrying when you see that what they clear out of their bowels isn’t exactly as it should be.

There can be multiple reasons for upset stomachs, down to simply overeeding them – their tiny little tums can’t take too much so make sure you are feeding correct amounts and if you’re not sure – ask your vet!

It could also mean that they have an intolerance to the food they are being given. Ideally, breeder’s should provide new puppy owners with some of the food the puppy has already been eating, and if you do decide to change your pups food, this should be done gradually to avoid upset tums.

Obviously puppies are inquisitive little creatures and could end up with diarrhea due to eating something they shouldn’t. If you’re a bit of a gardener you should check that the plants you have aren’t poisonous to dogs – and if they are, either remove or protect them accordingly from doggy access.

Parasites can also cause excreta to look a bit different to normal so if you see tiny little objects that look a bit like grains of rice – time to get the wormer out again! Prevention is better than cure though so ensure you are worming and defleaing puppies as recommended. Again, if unsure, your vet should be happy to help!

There are instances when the reason for diarrhea could be a lot more serious and if you see blood in the stool, take your pup to the vets immediately.