Puppy deworming

Question
Hi Kristen - I don't know if you remember me or not, but I asked you a question a few days ago about my puppy that had diarrhea and was given a dewormer (Drontal) and a shot of Ivermectin 2 weeks ago, etc. She was doing much better and I had to give her a 2nd dose of the Drontal yesterday which I did and she did pretty good. She does have loose stools again, though. It's strange but her early morning BM is formed and then during the day it's either all pretty loose or the first half will be soft formed and the rest runny. Is this pretty typical after deworming with Drontal? I am feeding her Nutro Ultra 3 times a day approximately 5 a.m. 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. She just finished Metronidazole a few days ago from the first round of diarrhea after the shot of Ivermecting and first dewormer dose. Should I put her back on a bland diet or just let it run its course (if it's a "normal" thing with deworming)? Thanks in advance.

Answer
Typically, Bobbie, vomiting is the only side effect of Drontal. I did find that when dogs were given up to 5 times the label dosage for 3 consecutive days (3 times the label duration), they had vomiting and non-formed stools, but if given the normal dose, bowel movements should not be affected. I'm sure your dog has received the appropriate dose, so maybe it's the food. She's almost 3 months old now, and the food you're feeding is a good quality food (with plenty of protein vs. carbohydrates), so you could try eliminating the 11 a.m. feeding and see if that helps. You will, of course, have to add half of that feeding to the morning feeding, and the other half to the evening feeding so she's still being fed the same amount of food. You can also add a 1/2 to 1 full tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to her food, adjusting as necessary. Too much can make the problem worse, so start with a small amount.

If the problem persists, let me know! I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. I know it is a pain!