Labrador Retriever Forum

General Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
10 day old with white stool

I have a 10 day old pup that just had a white, pudding consistancy stool about 2 hours ago. I just stimulated her to see how it is now and the stool is a clear liquid. Vet called and said if she stays hydrated and active to bring her in in the AM. She also stated she'd never heard of white stool. Anyone have a clue what I might be dealing with?

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Puppies can have some pretty light stools and still be normal, but I guess I would worry about liver function. Are you taking the puppy to the vet tomorrow?

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Yes, I'll be at their front door when they open. The stool isn't just light colored, it's white as milk.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Long passage quoted below from Canine Reproduction, Phyllis Holst, MS, DVM, p. 180. Pertinent info about causation of white stools in puppies is about halfway down.

"The normal stool of newborn puppies should be brown to yellowish brown & fairly well formed. Under normal circumstances you may never see it because the bitch will clean it away from the pups as it is eliminated. A common problem is loose, foamy yellow to yellowish green stool. Its presence will often be made known by soiling of the bedding. The cause is usually overfeeding and overstimulation of the digestive system. The digestive enzymes, mainly from the pancreas, are partially depleted, and the liver is overactive and excessive bile is released into the gut, which accounts for the yellowish green color. The pH is lowered (more acid) because of lack of buffering action of the digestive enzymes, and the bowel becomes hyperactive.

The problem may be seen in normal litters that are fat & healthy, presumably when the bitch produces an abundance of milk. Orphan puppies or puppies on supplemental feeding may develop the problem if they are overfed. A change in the diet, such as to cow’s or goat’s milk, can also cause the problem because of the different amounts of fat & lactose.

The problem if left unchecked may proceed in stages from the yellow-green stool to gray to white (the color of milk) because of continued depletion of digestive enzymes. Finally, digestion may be halted- a life-threatening situation.

Treatment involves feeding a diet that can be absorbed without digestion until the gut has a chance to repair itself. The elemental diet for premature puppies or glucose in water are useful. Various preparations of electrolytes for babies or farm animals, or Gatorade, may be useful. Milk of Magnesia (a few drops for an eight-ounce pup every one to three hours for three to four times) is helpful. It is a laxative and might not seem to be the logical choice to treat a diarrhea, but the benefit comes from the fact that it is also an antacid. Beware that overdosage will act as a laxative and aggravate the diarrhea with possible disastrous consequences. Other antacid preparations could also be used.”

Hope this helps! Wishing you the best for your pup.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Glad you are taking the puppy to vet. In addition to overfeeding, which probably is the most likely cause, there are a variety of congenital diseases of the biliary tree that can cause white stools. These probably aren't very likely, but it would be good if your vet at least considered the possibilities.

Please let us know what happens. Your hard earned knowledge can help everyone. I wish the very best for your puppy. I know it is really scary when such young ones aren't doing well. Your puppy is added to my prayer list.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

I had a young pup that happened to as well. He was about 2 weeks old and stools went white. He looked terrible too, like a stuffed toy that got washed and looked tuffed... Anyway, vet said put him on fresh goats milk. I put out a plea for help on Craig's list and within the hour I was on my way to a farm to pick up a few gallons. He thrived and grew. He was a HUGE puppy and had wonderful bone. Never had a problem since and has a stomach of iron. He became a specialty winner to boot! No none of his get have ever had a problem either.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

If stools become white, digestion has stopped. Even goat's milk, which is less rich than bitch milk, may be too much for the puppy. Ask your vet what to do. Good luck with your puppy.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Just got back from the vet's office. the white stool is undigested milk as someone here said. He put her on pedialite for the next few hours and then a product called Vet-Lac. No mom's milk for at least a couple days to allow her gut to get back to normal.
Many thanks to those of you who posted and sent me emails. It was wonderful not having to go through the night alone.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Excellent, Linda! Thanks for the feedback. It helps us all.

Is she an only puppy?

Re: 10 day old with white stool

Biliary Atresia. Had a case 3 years ago- three vets guessed at other stuff- came up with all kinds of reasons- all wrong. No bile is being pushed because the duct has not matured. By three weeks, the pup will either have bile or not. If the stool turns brown by then, I would still do a liver panel before placing the pup.

Re: 10 day old with white stool

The pup is from a litter of 6. All other pups are fine. The vet had me put her on pedialite and graduate to Veta-lac as her stool improves. Will have a liver panel done before placement though. Good idea!

Re: 10 day old with white stool

How is the pup doing?

Re: 10 day old with white stool

I am so glad I found this. I have a 10 day old puppy that has not been keeping up with his sibs. His stool started out lime green and dry, then today it is yellow, waxy and dry. We were going to do a fecal on it but it won't dissolve. I did feed him some formula (home made, recipe from fb)and goat milk, cut and smashed a digestive enzyme tablet(gave him about a 1/4 of the tab) and melted in in 1cc of water. I am taking him to the vet in the morning but I am hoping that his stool is better. After his feeding his stool was yellow but but still dry. I will start some Pedialyte but not sure how much to give him. He is strong, vigorous, active sleep, content, huddles with mates. I had been giving him special time with mom but now I think it was the wrong thing to do. Will be giving him formula for some days until he is better. Maybe I can get some enzymes in drop form from the vet. Thanks love this forum

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Hello fellow animal lovers ! I goggled this topic and found this website . Now my question is this ! I have 10 puppies that are 5 weeks old now and l have been dealing with the same problem . The mom of the pups didn't produced alot of milk so l was also bottle feeding with goat's milk . There stool started out as an brownish yellow color . Then it went to a greenish color and now the stool is white . The stool is solid but l am truly concerned and not sure of what to do .

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Dog Lover
Hello fellow animal lovers ! I goggled this topic and found this website . Now my question is this ! I have 10 puppies that are 5 weeks old now and l have been dealing with the same problem . The mom of the pups didn't produced alot of milk so l was also bottle feeding with goat's milk . There stool started out as an brownish yellow color . Then it went to a greenish color and now the stool is white . The stool is solid but l am truly concerned and not sure of what to do .


By 3.5 weeks old my litters are getting a gruel and by 5 weeks they are on solid foods (moistened)and maybe only feedings twice a day by mom as she is drying up. 5 week old puppies have teeth, get them on some solid foods and call your vet for further advice.

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Have you tried adding a digestive enzyme powder to see if that helps?

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Thanks for your input but yes they are now eating on solid soft food but stool is still white . The mother actually didn't produce much milk and that's the reason l bottle feed too help her out . I took the pups from her because she started growling at them and didn't really want to be bothered with them since they started cutting there teeth at 3 weeks . I also spoke too an vet about the situation but he wants me too bring the mom and all 10 pups in for an exam which currently l can't afford the office visit with them all

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Hello Tiffany ! I haven't tried any digestive enzyme to see if that would help l will try to call the local feed stores in my area

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Prozyme is sometimes available in the big pets stores, Dogzymes from the Farmacy company, but I get mine online at Mercola, under their pet health section, their enzyme powder is the best I have found and the price is reasonable If not one of the health food stores in your area should have it you can always grind up the pills.

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Dog Lover
Thanks for your input but yes they are now eating on solid soft food but stool is still white . The mother actually didn't produce much milk and that's the reason l bottle feed too help her out . I took the pups from her because she started growling at them and didn't really want to be bothered with them since they started cutting there teeth at 3 weeks . I also spoke too an vet about the situation but he wants me too bring the mom and all 10 pups in for an exam which currently l can't afford the office visit with them all


Find another vet!

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

update on my puppy fro a post above. He is now 4.5 months old. He has has two episodes of neurological issues, stumbling, and then unable to stand. Once he was off all milk products and on solid food his stools turned brown and normal. He is however not totally well. I think he has a liver shunt. He was treated after each crash episode with Primor and recovered in 24-36 hours. Seeing how the antibiotic killed bacteria in his bowel it couldn't produce nitrogen which is very hard for the liver to clear, so he improved. He is on digestive enzymes and low protein food. His Bile Acid test was high at 45 ( range is 30 high normal) but I don't know if 45 is really high or just slightly high. Before he crashes he can in 24 hours look like skin and bones as if his body isn't using food at all even though he eats. This happened when he was little. He was always hungry and would take a whole bottle gulping it down as fast as he could even though he had just nursed, He is strong for the most part but his rear legs are weak if the other sibs push him. We haven't decided to do further testing or not. It is horribly expensive and I talked to the surgeon and he said that the kind of shunts big dogs have are usually intrahepatic and can't really be helped. Time will tell, bless his heart he is so precious. Anyone else have issues with Liver shunts?

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

Years ago we had a puppy in rescue who was from a fairly commercial breeder who did not show. The pedigree went back to common show lines, and noted breeders loved his looks when we socialized him at the sidelines of a specialty match. It seemed to be a mere accident of nature that he had the shunt instead of a more mature liver. His liver shunt was so bad that Penn only gave him a 50:50 chance of surviving with the operation. We chose to give him the best life he could have for as long as he had rather than cutting it short. I had already been managing his low protein diet with digestive enzymes and Volhard supplements in a dessicated liver base. At the time, the Hills l/d diet was new. It made a huge difference in his ability to thrive.

A link to his story is below. We still thank LabMed for helping us get him the ultrasound and diagnosis at Penn. He was medically managed until he couldn't thrive anymore, at about 2.5 yr of age, if my memory is correct. He had gone to live with an instructor at a vet school, so he had the best of care after he left our rescue. She knew of his problem and loved and helped Coco Puppy as long as he could be helped.

Good luck to you and your puppy.

Re: 5 weeks old with white stool

thanks I have posted an update on the other post about Liver Shunts. Keeping my fingers crossed

Re: 10 day old with white stool

If using magnesia do ya still feed milk as normal as wel

Re: 10 day old with white stool

I currently have a 7 day old Golden Retriever puppy who is producing an off-white liquidy/pasty stool and is very weak, lethargic, and is breathing quite faint. Earlier in the day he seemed fine. He was a bit more vocal than the other pups, he would whine and growl-moan for some time but I didn't think anything of it; just thought he was being vocal. When I came home from work I noticed his behavior had changed and he is now acting weak and does not seem like he's doing very well at all. It's late at night here and don't have much that I can do till morning. He felt a little cold, so I placed him on a heating pad and filled some syringes with water in an attempt to get/keep him hydrated. He is a big puppy in comparison to some of the other ones and looks healthy, I do know that when he is touched in his chest region he yipes considerably and am wondering if the mother didn't step or roll over on him and did some damage internally. Please pray for my little guy I don't know what else I can do in the time being while I wait till morning. :/