Common Puppy Ailments to Watch For: Trupanion Pup Talk
7 Video Views·Sep 22, 2025
Puppies are rambunctious and tons of fun, but they also tend to be unpredictable. While the last thing any new pet owner wants is for their little one to get sick, a young dog’s developing immune system can make them more susceptible to various forms of common puppy sickness.
Puppies are energetic and love to play.
Naturally, with their curiosity,
they may get into something they shouldn't.
If you happen to be new to puppy ownership,
it's important to be mindful
of what could affect your furry family member.
Hello, I'm Dr. Natalie Marks,
and I'm here with Olivia and Zero.
And today, we're going to talk to you
about some of the most common puppy illnesses
and reveal some of the most popular
Tropanion puppy claims in our database.
Okay, so this is kind of awkward to start,
but my puppy recently had an episode of diarrhea.
Is that normal?
Vomiting and diarrhea are two
of the most commonly claimed conditions for puppies.
An upset stomach can affect pets of all ages,
and puppies are no exception.
For example, vomiting and diarrhea
can be caused by so many different things.
Dietary indiscretion, parasites,
food intolerance, or obstruction.
So if your puppy is experiencing any vomiting or diarrhea,
please seek medical care.
What do you mean by obstruction?
Like he ate something he shouldn't have?
Yeah, exactly.
If you have a puppy, don't be surprised
if they try to eat everything.
Puppies love chewing,
and sometimes their chewing indicates something more,
like ingestion of a surprise snack.
A foreign body ingestion from your best friend
may range from a sock to a corncob,
rock, or a bottle of glue.
Of course, anytime a patient is vomiting,
we always have to consider foreign body ingestion
as the potential cause.
The other day, my puppy was in the backyard.
One minute, they seemed fine,
and the next, they were limping.
It stopped after a few minutes,
but it worried me a little bit.
Should I have taken them to the vet?
Well, puppies can get lameness,
and they can start to limp for several reasons,
everything from getting a pebble stuck
between their toe pads to a spinal injury.
Try to keep your puppy still for a few minutes,
check their paw pads, or give them a quick once-over
for obvious signs of injury.
Then call your veterinarian
if your puppy isn't walking normally
after 15 minutes or so.
Are puppies more prone to broken bones?
Well, puppies are unpredictable
and may become injured or ill quickly.
A fracture can happen with little to no warning,
whether you're on a walk or enjoying a family outing.
Just like limping and lameness,
fractures can happen to any dog breed,
regardless of their age.
I've heard other puppy owners talk about MPL,
something to do with the puppy's patella.
What the heck does that mean, and should I be worried?
Well, a medial patella luxation,
otherwise known as an MPL,
can affect dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Whether you have a small dog breed or a large dog,
an MPL may occur and can be very painful.
An active puppy is important,
but also be mindful of their behavior.
If a puppy is experiencing MPL,
you may notice your dog limping
or holding their leg out to the side.
That sounds serious, so I should take them to the vet
if I suspect MPL.
Absolutely.
Whether you're a first-time puppy owner
or a seasoned pet owner, every puppy's different.
Not all puppies will be unlucky in health
or have an accident,
but preparing for the unexpected
with the help of a Tropanion policy
can help put you at ease if something does happen.