New GSD puppy - Page 1

I just got an 8 week puppy who was very outgoing and playful at the breeder.  He' s been home for 5 days and seems depressed and has diarrhea.  Is this normal because of stress of the change?  Should I be worried?  Also when can I start taking him out for walks.  I've been practicing leaving a lead on him in the backyard and he chews it and hops around like crazy.  Thanks in advance for any help.

That is pretty normal for a puppy to have diarrhea when they go to a new home. I would probably take him to the vet anyway just to make sure he's healthy and doesn't have worms or some other kind of parasite. Also, remember to limit on-leash exercise (like walks) to only about 5-10 minutes at a time until he's at least a year old (preferably closer to 2 years old). He is growing so quickly that too much exercise too young can cause a lot of skeletal/joint problems when he gets older. At this age, it's better for him to get exercise playing in a fenced yard so he can easily stop and rest when he gets tired.

Take him in to the Vet ASAP.... take along a fecal sample as well.  Baby puppies, like human babies, can dehydrate quite quickly from prolonged diarrhea.  It could be from change in water/ food, from stress of the move, or parasites, but you need to be sure.  Be sure that it's nothing serious, and have a Vet opinion so that if there IS a problem you  have documentation if  y ou need to go back to the breeder about it.  There should be some record of his wormings and vaccinations that came with him

  I'd hold off taking him outside of the house/yard for walks until he's more fully vaccinated.  You can begin teaching lead behaviors both in your yard and in your house.  Allow him to drag the lead behind him just to get used to it... and use treats and praise to get him to follow you along with light pressure on the lead.

Hi You should take your puppy to the vet asap and have him checked out  also you should have him on some good puppy food and give him 3 to 4 small meals per day your puppy will be missing his brothers and sisters so you must play with him and keep him happy  spend lots of time with him and make him feel secure  make sure he has plenty of fresh water to drink do not take him out of your garden/yard untill he has had all his vaccinations   what are you feeding him on good luck with him and keep us posted as to how he is getting on

Rosie

What are you feeding?
Did your breeder give you a diet sheet?
When I sell a puppy I give the new owner strict instructions to keep the puppy on what he has already been getting and I give them enough food to keep them going for about a week which is sufficient time for them to get to a to a store and buy the same product. I also tell them if they want to change the diet after that to do it slowly after about a month, so as not to upset his stomach.
The stress of a puppy leaving the family he knows is more than enough to upset his system without giving him a different diet.

One of my 9 week old puppies had diarrhea, vomiting, gut pain and he was very depressed, poor guy he only wanted to lay down and not move I took him right off to the vet, I was so worried, young puppies can go down hill so quickly, he had a Buscapan inj and Maxalon inj - today he is fine but only on a very bland diet till he does normal poos. He has had no vomiting since last night but he has not had a poo yet. It turned out that my OH gave the puppies a beef bone that had too much fat on it

Good Luck, I hope he is OK.

Thanks for the replies.  The breeder had him on Chicken Soup for the Puppies Soul and I've been slowly transitioning to Royal Canin(any thoughts on this brand?).  I've been giving him plenty of water and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of dehydration.  Other than the diarrhea, you would think there was nothing wrong.  I gave him some canned pumplin but the stools are still runny so I'm taking him to the vet in the morning.   

Hi khamera,

Congrats on you new pup!
When people get pups from me, I tell them to give their pup either filtered water from the fridge or bottled water,
cause each town has different mineral content to their water, so you need to gradualy wean your pup on to your tap water.

 Most of the time, I find it's just the tap water causing a pup to have an upset stomach

          Good Luck with you little one, and remember---socialize-socialize-socialize!

                       Paula

Was the puppy ever de-wormed?  When I picked up my puppy the breeder gave me 5 days of Panacur powder for de-worming, just as a precaution b/c they can pick up worms and parasites.  I also bought a bag of the food she was using because I didn't want to make a food change at the same time as he was transitioning to my home.  I let him settle in for a few weeks and then switched to my food.

I know how you feel.  I recently took home my 8 week old puppy and he had diarrhea and I mean water!!   He went to the vet and she was not too concerned because he was healthy otherwise.  She did worm him again cause although the breeder did first shots and worming, when she did a stool sample, still showed some worms.  I put him on boiled chicken and white rice.  Before every meal i gave him a teaspoon of canned pumpkin.  He went from water, to pudding,  to firm at different times of the day but did this everyday for about a month.  I was so upset everytime it was watery but it wasn't all the time.  He slept about 20 hours a day and loved his chicken and rice and pumpkin three times a day.  I gradually started adding dog food (got him on Taste of the wild bison).  He was still having some loose moments here and there but now he is fine.  But it took almost 2 months.  He never showed signs of dehydration and when he was awake, he was active.  Two friends of mine with burebred puppies (boxer and Pitbull) also had the same problem with their puppies.  The boxer was loose for 8 months and the pitbull for 3.  Both grew out of it.  I brought him to the vet again for 3rd set of puppy shots and everything is fine.  I don't follow him in the yard anymore for a poop critique anymore.  So if it is loose, I don't know and I don't get upset anymore.  And frankly I am picking up so many piles of "good" stuff that I am not concerned.  He is three months old and 30 lbs.  Still sleeps alot but when he is up, watchout!  But it was so scarey there for a while.  I started taking him for walks on the leash at about 2 months and he was good for about 10 minutes. Then plop and he was tired.  We try playing fetch (doesn't always bring it back) and he is good for maybe 3 passes.   He is still such a baby.  He is completely house trained or at least tells us whenever he wants to go out and has not had an accident in 2 weeks.  He comes to me when i say "come" and he sits but that is about it for now.  He mostly likes to have his belly rubbed.  I know I'm rambling, but I'm proud of my little boy.  Good luck with your puppy and as long as the vet checks him out, try not to be too concerned.

Many of the above symptoms sound like the parasite coccidia. A pup can appear perfectly normal at the breedes home, but the stress of the new home and people can cause the pup to start being symptomatic. This is easily treated and very common. Please try to take a stool sample with you to the vet. The most common dewormers do NOT treat coccidia. This requires a different medication. Good luck! Theresa