Why Has My Puppy Got Diarrhea At Night?

In this research you will know the answer to the query “Why Has My Puppy Got Diarrhea At Night?“.

When your puppy has diarrhea in the middle of the night it can be a little frightening. 

A new puppy can be a lot of fun but it can also be stressful. When you add a health issue no matter how minor it can add to that stress. 

Its only natural to become upset when our pets are not feeling well as they are a part of our family. 

The purpose of this research is to outline what could cause diarrhea in your puppy as well as how to treat it.

What are the main causes of puppy diarrhea?

The cause of your puppys diarrhea may be one of the things that worry you most.

By looking online you can further stoke your fears. 

Its easy to be concerned about all the potentially serious things it could be like bacterial infections viral infections parasites intestinal blockage or ingestion of a poisonous substance. 

It is common for puppies to suffer from diarrhea but you should give your vet a call if your puppy experiences any of the following symptoms: bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has gone on longer than one day or if you think your puppy has swallowed something that is toxic or foreign.

As soon as we get that out of the way lets talk about some of the more likely causes of your puppys diarrhea. 

Stress is a common cause similar to what humans experience. 

Your dog could become stressed for a number of reasons. 

When it comes to puppies they are experiencing so many new things that it is normal for them to feel a bit stressed. 

Moving into their new home can also be a big trigger and you should probably prepare yourself for some nerves. 

Diet changes are another common cause of diarrhea in puppies. 

You may have to change some things after talking with your veterinarian if it appears that your puppy has developed a sensitivity to their food.

Four reasons why puppies have diarrhea at night and not during the day?

Diarrhea your puppy has might be caused by the fact that they wouldhave pooped anyway. 

It follows that the first reason your dog could have diarrhea at night could be that it ate too late and then had to get up in the middle of the night to poop whether it was diarrhea or not. 

Therefore does your puppy need to be fed much earlier in the evening?

Based on my personal experience I have a second reason. 

Your puppy might find something to snack on when they are out for their final toilet break before bedtime.

Moreover whatever they eat gives them diarrhea because their stomach does not agree with it.

Next to my home is a field of horses where my dogs go to the bathroom just before bed.

My adult dogs do not eat horse poop that often but if I got a puppy again I could imagine it would be tempted to do the same. 

It is far more likely that puppies who use a park or a field for their bedtime toileting will engage in opportunist snacking rather than puppies in a garden.

We have less potential for nasty surprises in our gardens because of this!

If your dog gets nervous around bedtime then diarrhea may be caused by stress. 

Thirdly I have a stress-related issue. 

Diarrhea in your puppy is caused by their anxiety and stress.

They might be suffering from separation anxiety and the fear of the dark makes them feel so anxious because they would not be with you at night.

Bringing a new puppy home is a common experience for puppies who are still relatively young.

Nervousness causes diarrhea which is the culmination of this nervousness.

However there are also other reasons why your puppy might be freaked out during the night.

Perhaps after everyone goes to bed and the puppy is left there is a lot of shouting or arguing between family members and the puppy finds these exchanges very disturbing.

The puppy could be scared half to death if something happens in the middle of the night.

Are your neighbors arguing or are there frequent loud noises at night in your neighborhood?

Lastly and this should have been explained earlier in the section your dog is eating or chewing on something he or she is finding in the house.

It may be that they are able to open the trash can and rummage through it. Are there any leftovers or food on the surface? 

I have found that puppies adore using chairs to reach work surfaces!

How should you treat a puppy that has diarrhea at night?

If your dog isnot showing any other symptoms that suggest its seriously ill and if you know your pup hasnot ingested anything harmful then you should not have to take him to the vet until the next day at the latest. 

It would be better to clean up the mess and the puppy note the consistency of the diarrhea and let your puppy rest.

That night you should not feed your dog anything since it might upset their stomach again or just make them wake up another time to go to the bathroom. 

Make sure your dog has plenty of freshwater to prevent dehydration and of course some extra love and pets to comfort it before it goes to bed.

How do you stop a puppy from having diarrhea at night?

You can prevent puppy diarrhea at night by following the same prevention techniques as you would during the day making sure your puppy is vaccinated at the appropriate ages and keeping unvaccinated puppies away from other unvaccinated dogs. You should also keep your puppys kennel clean and disinfected especially if it shares one with another dog.

keep your puppy in a kennel when you’re not watching it to prevent it from ingesting anything dangerous and if you need to change its diet do so slowly and gradually.

In the event that diarrhea seems to be related to stress around bedtime stick to a consistent schedule so that your puppy gets used to it. Or if there are any changes you need to make to the routine make them and stick to them. The routines of puppies must be stable just like those of babies.

Should you starve a puppy with diarrhea?

In order to let your dogs stomach calm down you should refrain from feeding it for twelve hours. However you should not withhold food for longer than twenty-four hours unless your veterinarian recommends it. 

You might want to have your pup lick some ice cubes if they refuse to drink water. 

After a period of twelve hours you can put them on a bland diet for a few days until their stomach feels better.

If you want your dog to eat a bland diet you should give them white rice or soft cooked macaroni in a no-salt chicken broth since salt is toxic to dogs. 

Alternatively you could give them yogurt to help them regain some of their beneficial digestive bacteria. 

You could also add a little pumpkin flavor to their food both as a treat and because pumpkins contain a lot of fiber. 

Constipation and diarrhea can both be relieved by fiber.

Why can diarrhea be dangerous in puppies? Why Has My Puppy Got Diarrhea At Night?

Diarrhea can be dangerous for a variety of reasons but the most obvious is the cause and whether it is something serious.

A few other things need to be considered if the cause isnot serious.

The duration of the diarrhea is a major factor to consider since prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration as well as metabolic disruptions after a while.

In this case your dog may have to be hospitalized for intravenous fluid therapy.

It is also more dangerous for very young or very old dogs small or old dogs or dogs with health problems to get diarrhea. 

The signs of diarrhea in your dog include loss of appetite and/or thirst lethargy depression pain and discomfort blood in the stool vomiting and reduced or absent urination. In case your dogs diarrhea causes them to become seriously ill you should contact your vet.

Are certain breeds of puppies more prone to diarrhea than others?

Many dog owners are aware that some dog breeds are more prone to certain health problems than others.

It is part of the process of breeding purebred dogs as well as giving certain breeds specific aesthetic or non-aesthetic characteristics.

You might wonder if certain breeds of puppies are more likely to get diarrhea than others because of this. Its a good thing the answer to this question is for the most part no.

Its not a disease so dogs can not be genetically predisposed to diarrhea. It is true though that if you have a breed that might be prone to nervousness or maybe one that likes to explore and eat strange things more than normal puppies then you will have a puppy that may be prone to diarrhea.

In general little diarrhea in pups is okay. As long as they are not exhibiting any of the warning signs we have discussed in this research you should not worry too much about it.

When you feed them a bland diet and keep them hydrated the symptoms should generally pass in no time. If its more serious speaking with your vet can help prevent symptoms from getting worse.

If you want to read more about dogs’ health tips read here: Dog Health Tips and Tricks.

Puppy Diarrhea At Night? (Watch Video)