Flagyl, metronidazole, is commonly prescribed by veterinarians to treat diarrhea of unknown cause. The crazy thing is that veterinarians are not even 100% sure how metronidazole works to control diarrhea. They just know that somehow it takes care of a diarrhea issue. I am of the mind that if you have a healthy intestinal tract, small changes like food and environment don’t upset the intestinal system. If the little one were to get diarrhea, a simpler more healthful option would be to feed some canned pumpkin. How would that be for an alternative medication?
Certainly, puppies pretty commonly have intestinal worms, but I’m wondering how often the puppy has been checked for worms, how often the puppy has been dewormed, and how long it has been since the puppy has nursed from its mother. Also, what could be more stressful on the intestinal system then a dewormer?
My thought would be to feed some pumpkin the first 2-3 days at your house, along with the regular food and then bring a stool sample to your local veterinarian to see if there are any parasites in there to be concerned about. And if you know what the parasites are, you can determine if the dewormer you’ve been given is actually the right product for the problem.