Vomiting or diarrhoea in a puppy: what the family should do

Look at more than the stomach signs

One soft stool in a bright puppy and repeated watery diarrhoea with lethargy are different situations. Appetite, drinking, energy, gum colour, vomiting frequency and the ability to keep water down all matter.

Call a clinic without waiting if

• Vomiting repeats or the puppy cannot keep water down.
• There is blood, black tarry stool or marked pain.
• The puppy is lethargic, refuses water, has pale gums or becomes weak.
• A toy, bone, medicine, chemical or plant may have been swallowed.
• The vaccine course is incomplete or there was contact with a sick animal.

What to do before the examination

• Call the veterinarian and follow their instructions about water and feeding.
• Do not give loperamide, painkillers, antibiotics or leftover prescriptions without veterinary approval.
• Record the timing and number of episodes and photograph vomit or stool.
• If possible, take a fresh stool sample in a clean container.
• Update Yuliia after calling the clinic; she can help reconstruct the food and routine history.