Boxer Puppy Care (diarrhoea with blood spotting)

Hello all, I am new to this forum and wish to ask for a bit of help.
We always had rescue boxers in the past and have just bought a Boxer puppy, She eats and drinks well but seems to have "the runs"!! when she does her business, also there are one or two spots of blood showing too, the breeder says this is quite normal at her age as she is changing her food type and the vet says they will check it out when she has her jabs next week..all very laid back and calm.
has anyone else encountered this please.
Thankyou

Hi Ravenhook welcome to Dogsey and congratulations on your new puppy . You don't say how old the puppy is/how long you have had it/when you changed the food/how long it has had diarrhoea.

Puppies often get diarrhoea when their routine changes, but I don't think blood in the stools is normal in a puppy,it can be the result of infection or occasionally due to worms. Puppies can dehydrate very quickly when they have diarrhoea so if your puppy has had it for more than 24 hours the vet should check it out.

I agree-blood in the stools isn't normal.

She is seven weeks old and had been wormed prior to us collecting her, she is due the next dose at 12 weeks, so that could have contributed to the red pin spots.
She was also being given "raw fish with bones and raw chicken" we calculated her protein intake at 60% a day, we have changed her diet to Royal Canin dry puppy with a proprietry puppy meat, all of which is fed wet and calculates in at 35% protein levels..the "mix" is separated into 3 so she gets 3 meals a day.

like the others say blood in stools is not normal, she may have a little diarrhia from a change of food, but why would anybody feed fish with bones in to a puppy, not good!! you say the new food you have put her on has 35% protien far to much , Boxers are quick growing pups, they need a slow release protien food to give their Bones a good healthy start to life, they need to mature at the right level not to fast, look for a puppy food that has no more than 26% for now, then you will eventually want a food with no more than 23% of protien. to much protien can cause problems in dogs, it can alter temperement, as well as affect health. Boxers can and and do suffer gastro problems, so getting the right food for them is paramount.

Hi Ravenhook at seven weeks old your puppy should still be on 4 meals a day. It is important that puppies are fed a number of small meals at regular intervals so that they can grow slowly and their tummies don't get too full and distended.
Age 4-12weeks = 7am / noon / 5pm/ 10pm
Age 3-6 months = 7am/ noon / 5pm
Age 6-12months = 7am/5pm
1 year onwards = 5pm (or preferably two meals still)
You can of course alter the timing slightly to suit your particular circumstances.

I agree with Jackbox and I would not give raw fish with bones to a tiny puppy,also a good diet is essential to prevent problems later in life. I always give puppies fresh food but failing that a good quality puppy food.

Here are some ideas on feeding a small puppy

Such a young pup, I would be concerned if the food is changed at all, it will only have been weaned for 3 or 4 weeks, and ideally would still be in the nest.

Blood spots mean the lining of the large intestine or the bowl are breaking down either because the food the pup is eating is damaging the lining or the stomach is producing too much acid and that is causing the damage. Think I would keep the pup on the food it was weaned on or put the pup on a good quality puppy food and feed 4 or 5 times a day. The gut will heal as soon as it is stopped being abused.

Please dont panic when you read this, but my mum brought a boxer pup a few years back and she had the same problem which gradually grew worse. The vets did all kinds of tests and it turned out she had been born with something missing from her stomach, i cant remember what but i do remember how serious it was. After a few weeks the vet said it would be nicer to have her put to sleep. Im not saying this is whats wrong with your puppy, not at all. Im just pointing out that blood in her stools is not normal and if i was you i would make the vet see her as soon as possible. I really hope i havent scared you because it could be something really minor.

We really have to get this feeding right, we have been given so many misleading pieces of advice (not from this forum I hasten to add) from well meaning people all with "I would do this and that" that we have not got the right information.
The mix we do is this:- half a mug of James Welbeloved puppy dry mix, soaked in hot water until cool and swollen + 1/2 a 150g sachet of pedigree puppy poch of meat, this is divided into 3 for the 3 meals.
We will add another portion to make the 4 meals/day.
What I would really like to know is how much in weight (grammes) should each meal contain as not enough can be as bad as too much.
I am taking her to the vet next week and he has been told of our concerns, he does'nt seem too concerned as not every stool has blood present and it is not a lot when there is, just a small drop or two, piles from squeezing was thought.
We never gave the raw meat with bones, just threw them away, they were however proper dog food items, in frozen packaging, can't remember the brand..thought at the time that it was pure madness to continue with it .
Don't wan't to give the impression that we're bad pet owners, we're not we need to do the right thing, which does'nt mean stamping back to the breader and demanding our money back, we love this little bundle of fun and need to sort it out for her benefit, she has no other problems...cold nose,bright eyes, endless energy and usual Boxer charm and sneakyness.

Hi Ravenhook Bella certain looks a delightfully little puppy...

As you are feeding a proprietary dog food I can't tell you how much to feed, all foods vary I can only suggest you follow the manufacturers instructions on the food packet regarding the daily amount for a puppy taking into consideration age/ weight and divide this amount between 4 meals.

A rough guide with fresh food is an ounce of food per pound of body weight divided between the number of meals applicable for the puppies age.

I would watch the bleeding carefully,I would not be happy with it and if you are at all worried go to the vet, remember you are the paying customer so don't be afraid to go.