When There is Blood in a Dog’s Stool

Yeah, it can be quite a scare, but when there is blood in a dog’s stool and it doesn’t always mean a trip to the emergency clinic. But, when should you really worry? Well, it all depends on the general state of the dog.

Does he have an appetite?

Do you notice a decrease in energy?

Has she been vomiting?

How much blood was in the stool?

Does he hurt when you push on his belly?

Is her belly swollen?

Has he ingested something like antifreeze, plants or any other substance?

Has she had diarrhea for more than a day?

Does his anal glands look swollen?

If any of the above is happening and the dog is NOT acting normal, then a prompt trip to the vet is totally necessary to make sure it’s not something more serious than having eaten a small bone in the park. But if the dog is active, and eating well and acting as his old self, then you could keep an eye on him for the next few days to see if it happens again. If it doesn’t happen again, you don’t have to rush to the clinic, but make sure to have your vet give him a checkup as soon as possible.

Sometimes dogs will swallow a piece of bone, or a toy or something that scratches the walls of their large intestines, causing him to pass blood in the stool.  The blood might appear in the stool for a couple of days, but then it should go away. If it doesn’t, an x-ray might help you see if something is stuck in there. Surgery might be necessary to remove the object.

Parasites can also be the cause of blood in the stool as they irritate the intestine walls. Parasites can be treated with the right medication.

He could have developed an allergy to the food he’s been eating, or there might have been a sudden change of diet.

It could be an infection of the anal sacs. These sacs are located on either side of the anus and they contain a substance with which dogs mark their territory. They get emptied every time your dog poops, however, sometimes they can get infected if they don’t get emptied completely.

Blood can also be cause by an inflammation of the colon or rectum, or a benign or malignant tumor  in the abdomen or anal area.

Worst case scenario, it could be Parvovirus or Coronavirus, especially if the dog’s been vomiting as well. These diseases can be very serious, even fatal.

The medical terms for blood in dog stool are hematochezia or melena. In hematochezia, the blood will look fresh and bright red, which means that the blood in the dog’s stool comes most probably from the lower intestines, the colon or the rectum. Hematochezia in dogs can be a sign of a minor problem, but it can also point to a more severe disorder.

In melena, the dog’s stool looks black, which means the blood is digested and comes from the upper intestinal tract. Melena is more serious than a periodic  case of hematochezia. If in the past day or so, you gave Peptobismol to the dog, maybe you have nothing to worry about, since Pepto can be the cause of black dog stool.

In any case, blood in the dog’s stool should not be taken lightly and you should always take him or her to the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can feed them white rice with a little garlic or garlic powder mixed in,  boiled potatoes, green beans, or a little boiled chicken. Avoid commercial foods until you are sure of what’s going on.

Photo courtesy of:

CowCopTim