Puppy Care

• Ensuring a puppy is healthy and well-cared for is a challenge. In addition to proper food and a safe environment, puppies need vaccinations and other basic veterinarian care. Owners must be alert for changes in their puppy's health or behavior that can indicate illness. Diarrhea and lameness in puppies should be monitored carefully--sometimes a puppy's diarrhea can cause lameness.
  
  

Looking at Possible Causes

• There are several possibilities to explore when an owner suspects her puppy's diarrhea is causing lameness. A vaccination's side effects can cause diarrhea in the puppy, which may be the reason that the puppy is showing lameness. If the puppy has spent time in a wooded area, a deer tick bite can trigger Lyme Disease whose symptomatic diarrhea can cause lameness. In large breeds, the diarrhea of Hypertrophic osteodystrophy, a bone disorder in puppies, can cause lameness.
  
  

Follow-Up Care

• When puppy diarrhea is believed to cause lameness, the illnesses indicated are, fortunately, all short-term and clear up within days. The owner must watch carefully to make sure the puppy stays hydrated and doesn't become overheated during the course of the illness. If the owner sees that the puppy's diarrhea and/or lameness extends beyond three days, the puppy should be taken to the veterinarian for an evaluation.