You might want to consider having your vet run a microscopic fecal exam on your new puppy.  Our puppies live indoors in our home. We do our best to maintain a clean, sanitary environment for our puppies, however coccidia and giardia are very common in Arizona and can be difficult to avoid in a kennel situation. Coccidia and Giardia are small protozoans (one-celled organisms) that live in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats. Most infected puppies are in the four to twelve week age group.

The possibility of Coccidia or Giardia should always be considered when a loose stool or diarrhea is encountered in this age group. Blood and/or mucous in the stool may also be present. We currently administer a 3 day round of Pancur as a preventative treatment for Coccidia and Giardia, however, it may need to be repeated once the puppy is in your care. There is a school of thought that says that the immune system of a healthy puppy will eradicte these parasites without assistance.  However, when a puppy is experiencing diarrhea because of a parasite, it is best to treat it.