There Is Blood In Dog Stool: What Should I Do?

Types Of Bloody Poop To Notice?

Noticing blood of any type in your dog’s poop means you must call your vet immediately. And if you can properly describe your dog’s bloody poop type then it will help your vet diagnose the root cause of the issue and can take immediate action to cure the disease as soon as possible. So, here are the types of bloody poop that you may notice in your dog’s stool.

Hematochezia

If your dog’s poop blood is bright red, then it is hematochezia. Generally, hematochezia arises due to lower digestive tract bleeding, colon bleeding, or rectum bleeding.

Bleeding in such areas means that your dog may be having issues like hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, parvovirus, viral & bacterial infections, cancer, digesting something inappropriate, parasites, sudden change in the diet plan or food habit, colitis, or rectal injury.

No matter the reason, let your vet know about your dog’s condition and let the vet decide which problem your dog is having and what treatment it needs.

Melena

When you notice sticky, dark, and tar-like blood in your pet’s stool then it is Melena. This is mainly blood that your pet either has been digested or just swallowed. Such a health condition means problems in your dog’s upper GI, stomach, esophagus, or upper small intestines like liver cancer, and parasites.

Other common reasons for melena include stomach ulcers induced by blood clotting disorders, polyps, medications, tumors, post-surgery complications, or ingestion of blood (a mouth injury, licking a wound blood, or a bloody nose).

Non-Blood Substances

Generally, responsible dog owners spend hours to know if there is something wrong with their dog’s health or not. If you are among them then you must do the same. However, before you start panicking seeing something red in your dog’s poop, you need to ensure whether it is real blood or any other non-blood substances that are coming through your dog’s poop.

Ingesting red sustenances, red items, or Pepto-Bismol like red crayons or red lipstick can lead to blood-looking stool. Take a close look at the dog’s poop so that you can explain everything properly to your vet so that your vet can determine the root cause of bloody poop or just blood-looking poop.

Other Causes:

Some other causes include trauma, intestinal blockages, inflammatory bowel disease, stomach inflammation, bacterial infections, stomach ulcers, or fissures.

Blood In Dog Stool: Is It An Emergency Situation?

Whether a dog pooing blood is an emergency or not depends on several factors like the color of your dog’s poop, texture of the poop, and so many more. If your four-legged friend is pooping only blood or vomiting or appears to be lethargic along with having bloody diarrhea then it is undoubtedly an emergency where you must take an emergency appointment with your vet.

However, if you notice bright red blood in your dog’s stool sample or just a small amount of blood in your dog’s stool then it is not yet an emergency but it is better to consult with your vet as soon as possible before things go out of your reach.

Things to notice to understand whether it is an emergency or not

Emergency

• The dog is pooping blood only
• Severe bloody diarrhea along with vomiting
• Dog pooping blood and is being extremely lethargic
• Difficulty breathing
• See if the dog poop is bright black blood or red blood or tarry poop

Not An Emergency Yet

• The dog is pooping normally but a slight trace of blood is there
• Fresh-looking blood in your dog’s stool

Please Note: No matter what kind of bloody poop you notice, you must consult your nearest emergency vet as soon as possible to avoid any serious health problems for your dog.

Common Reasons For Dog’s Blood Poop?

Noticing blood in a dog’s poop is undoubtedly very alarming. A situation like this can be driven by several different things. It can be due to many reasons that only a professional vet can determine properly. However, here I am listing down a few reasons why your dog may start pooing blood:

Infections, or Cancer Affecting Your Dog’s GI Tract 

Many health conditions affect your dog’s upper and lower digestive tract, causing bloody poop. Some of these health issues are as follows:

• Viral and bacterial infections (viruses or bacteria like parvovirus)
• Cancer
• Infection to the dog’s sensitive rectal area, like a ruptured anal sac
• And Pancreatitis (which is inflammation of your dog’s pancreas)

Eating Something Unhealthy

Blood in your dog’s stool can be the result of something impacting your dog’s upper digestive tract or may be in the lower GI (such as the small intestine, dog’s stomach, anal region, colon, etc.).

Common dog conditions impacting the GI tract (dog’s digestive tract) include inflammation that is known as “hemorrhagic gastroenteritis” or “gastroenteritis,” when blood is present, as well.

Either of these conditions can happen when your pet has eaten something new or something unhealthy. This can contain non-food objects, for example:

• Sticks
• Bones
• Toxins
• Toys
• Garbage, etc can show severe food intolerance note

It can even happen when you make any little dietary changes to your dog’s diet, for example, when you introduce a new food item, chew, or treat toy to your dog, or when the dog eats another pet’s meals. Pet parents must pay close attention to their dog’s body to notice any kind of changes and inform the vet ASAP. And it is always better to offer a bland diet to your young puppy to avoid any kind of health issues.

Intestinal Parasites

Worms or intestinal parasites in pets can lead to bloody stools in your dog. These can be whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, coccidia, and giardia. A common parasite prevention treatment can destroy them. To find out the underlying cause of your dog’s red stool, your doctor may perform some tests to find out the root cause and treat your dog accordingly.

Issues or Diseases That Cause Blood Clotting In Your Dog

If your dog has a serious health problem that can cause your dog for pooping blood. Here are the common reasons listed:

• Toxins
• Bleeding disorders
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Hormonal disorders
• Low immunity power

Parvovirus Infection

Parvovirus is a highly contagious and common illness. It is a common reason for bloody stools and bloody diarrhea in dogs. Other symptoms may include loss of appetite, vomiting, blood in stools, lethargy, and diarrhea. In case you think your pup has acquired parvovirus, immediately contact an emergency vet.

Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis

Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) is a sudden, acute bloody diarrhea but is not officially hematochezia. Despite being unknown, the etiology might be bacterial. Call a vet right away for help if you observe your dog having this form of diarrhea since it could be dangerous.

Intestinal Blockages and Rectal Injuries

Dogs tend to eat anything that appears appetizing to them. It can get the dog into trouble as well as lead to issues like colon irritations, intestinal wall punctures, blockages in the intestine, diarrhea, and therefore, bloody stools. However, if the cause of bloody poop is rectal injury or intestine block, then you do not have to worry as the flooding will soon stop.

Thing You Should Do When You Notice Blood in Dog Stool

It does not matter what type or color of blood you notice in your dog’s vomit or stool it’s important to consult with your vet as soon as possible. Bloody vomiting or diarrhea can be an emergency needing immediate care to avoid any serious issues with your dog’s health.

Some reasons for bloody vomit or stool are potentially deadly if left untreated, thus, it is always better to take precautions or immediate action so that you can avoid serious issues later.

Other than informing your veterinarian immediately, you can do some other things as soon as you notice blood in your dog’s vomit or stool:

• Check if it is real blood with the stool or any non-blood substance
• Closely check the stool to know if the blood is fresh blood or anything else
• Take pictures of the vomit or stool or you can even collect a sample to show it to your doctor
• Do not forget to take note of any unusual symptoms that your dog is showing recently
• Call your vet for an immediate trip or normal office hours
• If no private vet is available, you must consider taking your pet to the nearest vet hospital

How Vets Diagnose Dog’s Bloody Stool To Find The Root Cause Of The Issue

If you have dogs and as soon as you notice blood in their stool, the first thing you must do is consult your vet right away. When your dog is not passing normal stool or showing any other signs of serious health condition, your vet can guide you with proper advice. Your vet will diagnose the root causes first.

Diagnosing the root cause of your dog’s bloody stool can be difficult. In case routine diagnostic methods are not successful, more intrusive methods may be used to diagnose your dog’s bloody stool causes. The diagnostic methods performed may contain the following methods:

An In-Depth Medical History Check-Up

The more thorough details you can deliver to your vet, the better your dog’s treatment procedure will be. Some of the most valuable details in your pet’s medical history include the following:

• If your pet has undergone physical obstructions, intestinal blockages, tumors, or stomach ulcers before or not
• How intense symptoms you have noticed so far?
• Your dog’s vaccination records
• Do you pay attention to your dog’s regular check-up or do you often neglect it?
• Has the condition just started or it is an old condition that has worsened with time
• Have you noticed blood before or this is the first time?
• Is your dog suffering from any serious illness already? etc.

X-rays And Endoscopy

Your vet may suggest you perform an X-ray or endoscopy on your dog to find out the underlying cause of the issue:

• To know whether your dog is suffering from issues like ulcers, intestinal blockages, physical obstructions, tumors, or anything like these, your vet will ask you to perform an x-ray or endoscopy

Blood Tests Or Other Diagnostic Tests

• Hematocrit (Packed cell volume) test to know if hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is the underlying cause of the issue or not
• Biochemical tests to check blood sugar and liver function of your dog

Sample Examination And Physical Wellness

• Abdomen palpitation to check for pain or abdominal obstruction
• Stool sample examination to confirm whether real blood is present or just non-blood substance is present there
• Skin tests to see whether your pet is dehydrated or not
• Heart functions to know about signs of dehydration or blood loss

Fecal Examination

• The fecal examination helps the vet easily detect microbiological organisms or parasites

Treating Bloody Pooping Of A Dog

The root cause and your dog’s general physical health will determine the best course of treatment for red stool in dogs. Most dogs respond well and recover fast with the proper care. Treatment options include:

• Fluid and electrolyte therapies if the underlying cause of bloody poop is hemorrhagic gastroenteritis
• Medicines for soothing your dog’s intestines
• Surgical treatments for ulcers, physical obstructions, or tumors
• Antibiotic therapy in case of an infection that is causing the bloody pooping
• Antiparasitic drugs (Anthelmintics) to remove parasitic worms as well as other kind of internal parasites
• Corticosteroid treatment if severe blood loss inducing hypovolemic shock

How To Soothe Your Dog When You Notice Blood With Their Stool

The most important thing is to give your dog’s inflamed bowels time to heal after the underlying problem is treated. Your veterinarian will make sure that they give you comprehensive advice on how to care for your dog while they are recovering, which may include the following:

• No water or food for 24 hours so that your dog’s bowels get some rest
• Monitor your pet for other signs or recurring signs to inform your vet and receive proper advice to take care of your dog
• Try to offer bland food to your dog for the next few days to make sure your dog’s bowel movement is restored
• Follow the vet’s instructions properly and provide medicines as per the vet’s guidance

BOTTOM LINE:

The advice given in this article is mainly intended for informative purposes and doesn’t constitute medical advice about dogs and their stool. For a proper diagnosis of your dog’s condition, you must consider making an appointment with the vet in your locality. In case you have noticed blood in your dog’s stool and your dog is also showing other symptoms of sickness or anything else, call the vet immediately.