Puppy food for loose stools
Loose stools in a puppy are common and usually come down to a recent diet change, dietary indiscretion, or being due a worming treatment, rather than a fault with any particular food. The most useful things to check are whether the food has been introduced gradually, whether your puppy's worming schedule is up to date, and whether the stools settle within a day or two.
The most common everyday causes
A puppy's digestive system is still settling in, and it reacts more visibly than an adult dog's to change of any kind — a new food, a new treat, or simply eating something they found on a walk. Switching foods too quickly, without gradually mixing the old and new over several days, is one of the most common and most avoidable causes of loose stools in a young dog.
Being behind on a puppy's worming schedule is another common and easily overlooked cause, since intestinal parasites are more prevalent in young puppies and can cause exactly this kind of digestive upset without any change in diet at all.
What a suitable food looks like
A complete puppy food from a consistent, reputable range, fed at a steady amount without frequent recipe-hopping, gives a young digestive system the most stable foundation. If you do need to change food — for example, moving off a breeder's starter food — do it gradually over seven to ten days rather than swapping overnight.
Keep treats and any human food to an absolute minimum while your puppy's system settles in, since even a small amount of rich or unfamiliar food can be enough to unsettle a young digestive system that is still developing.
When it is more than a passing thing
A single loose stool after something new is common and often resolves on its own within a day. If it continues beyond 24 to 48 hours, if there is blood present, or if your puppy seems lethargic, is off their food, or seems unwell in any other way, ring your vet rather than waiting to see if it passes, since puppies dehydrate more quickly than adult dogs.
Keeping a brief note of anything unusual your puppy has eaten in the day or two before the stools changed — a new treat, something picked up on a walk, a different water source — can be genuinely useful information for your vet if the problem does not settle quickly. It helps narrow down whether diet, a parasite or something else entirely is the more likely cause, rather than guessing after the event.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Johnson's Stool Firmer Dog
Vitamin and mineral sachets for dogs over 12 weeks, to help firm up loose stools
£7.79
Pedigree Tasty Minis Puppy Treats Chewy Cubes with Chicken
Soft chewy puppy training treats with 13% chicken and added calcium, 125g
£2.25
Forthglade Complete Puppy Chicken with Liver Grain Free — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. A complete grain-free wet food for puppies, built on 71% chicken and 4% chicken liver
£35.89
Bakers Puppy Superfoods Chicken with Vegetables
Bakers Puppy Chicken & Vegetables dry dog food, 12.5kg, complete food for puppies from 6 weeks to 24 months
£39.15
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Puppy/Junior Dry Dog Food Turkey & Veg
Grain-free turkey and potato kibble for puppies and junior dogs, evenly balanced recipe
£12.75
Wagg Puppy Treats
Puppy Treats in a 120G pack, with 23.2% protein and 7% fat and full label detail
£1.49
Burns Puppy Junior Original Chicken Rice
A complete puppy and junior food with dried chicken 31% and controlled fat at 15%
From£14.99
Lily's Kitchen Puppy Chicken Recipe — 6 x 400g Tins
Sold as a case: 6 x 400g tins. Complete 400G wet puppy chicken recipe with 67% fresh chicken
£22.79
Pooch & Mutt Puppy Bite Size Beef Jerky
Bite-size beef jerky training treats for puppies, scaled by dog size
£3.99
Whimzees Puppy
Softer dental chews for puppies over three months old, grain free and gluten free
£7.99
Common questions
- How long should I wait before worrying about a puppy's loose stools?
- A single loose stool that clears up within a day is usually nothing to worry about, especially after a diet or routine change. If it lasts beyond 24 to 48 hours, or your puppy seems unwell, off their food, or lethargic, contact your vet rather than waiting it out.
- Should I stop feeding my puppy if they have loose stools?
- Not usually, unless your vet advises otherwise. Keep offering their normal, consistent food in small amounts rather than withholding food altogether, and avoid introducing anything new while their stools settle, since further change can prolong the upset.
- Can worming cause loose stools in puppies?
- Being overdue for worming can itself cause loose stools, since intestinal parasites are common in young puppies. Keeping up with your vet's recommended worming schedule is one of the simplest ways to rule this out as a cause of ongoing digestive upset.
- Is it normal for a puppy's stools to change when I switch foods?
- A brief adjustment period with slightly softer stools is common when introducing any new food, which is exactly why a gradual switch over seven to ten days, mixing old and new, causes far less disruption than changing food overnight.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.