Finding blood in your pooch’s stool should be enough cause for concern. Dogs are active animals, and seeing them becoming victims of some diseases will make us feel super sad. In some cases, however, they suffer from stomach-related issues. While it may seem a bit unusual, keeping a tab on your dog’s poop might actually be indicative of its health status. Change in the poop, especially blood in dog stool, is often the first sign that a dog might be suffering from an underlying problem. So, if you notice blood in your canine’s stool, the best course of action would be to get it immediately checked out.
Why Is My Dog Pooping Blood – Causes Of Bloody Diarrhea In Dogs
What causes blood in dog stool? Below are some popular reasons as to why there is blood in dog stool. Take a look at them to understand your pet’s illness:
#1 Hematochezia
This is generally marked by the presence of bright red dog blood in stool. Besides, such bleeding occurs in the lower tract of a dog’s digestive system and might be indicative of colon issues. So, this issue can lead to blood in dog’s stool.
#2 Melena
Now, it appears in the form of a dark, tar-like substance. This is digested blood which means your loyal buddy might have swallowed the blood at some point. This generally indicates the presence of some laceration, parasites presence, liver cancer, or issues in the digestive tract’s upper parts.
#3 Allergies or Infections
Sometimes, blood might appear in the stool if a canine comes in contact with a substance to which it is allergic. Such a situation creates disturbance along the stomach lining, which may exit the body as blood. Apart from this, in some cases, a stomach virus can be one of the major causes of bloody stool in dogs.
#4 Internal Injuries
Since pooches are active by nature, they might unintentionally bang against sharp objects or corners. All that might eventually lead to internal bleeding. Additionally, this can form clots as well and, during the latter stages, tends to exit the body as clumps of blood. Bleeding here is generally not bright red in color.
#5 Underlying Symptoms of Cancer
At times, this may be indicative of a much more serious issue such as cancer. With cancer, the cells tend to undergo unnatural mutation, and the body undergoes a lot of disturbances coping with it. In such cases, bleeding will occur for a long period of time. Thus, cancer can lead to blood in a dogs stool.
#6 Ingesting Something Poisonous
These adorable creatures that are curious in nature love to sniff around and consume whatever catches their fancy. If you have toxic substances like rat poison and weed killers lying around, chances are your dog has consumed them. Hence, in that scenario, it will experience severe reactions. Sometimes it may also be a sign of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
#7 Worms and Parasitic Infestation
It may be no surprise that dogs can be host to a number of parasites and worms which they consume through their food. These often attach themselves to a pet’s intestine walls and create irritation. A sign of this is observed when the blood comes out through the stool. Hence, your dog has blood in stool due to worms and parasites.
What to do if your Dog is Pooping Blood?
Here are some things you must do immediately as soon as you see dog bloody stool:
- The first step after you see the bloody dog stool would be to inspect the poop and see how the blood looks in it.
- Next, monitor the frequency at which the problem is occurring. Sometimes blood in a dog’s stool might just be a one-off incident.
- Look for other signs, such as dilated pupils or pale gums. Also, if your dog is vomiting, ensure you get the electrolytes ready.
- You might also want to feed your dog pet food that might be easier to digest and cut back on the synthetic content in food.
- If the situation keeps on progressing, the best course of action would be to visit a vet.
What is the Treatment for Reducing Blood in a Dog’s Stool?
Speaking about treatment for bloody stool in dogs, there are actually some things that every pet owner can do:
- The first step would be to review the symptoms and look at your pet’s medical history.
- Subsequently, conduct a physical examination of the pet, and your vet might ask you to carry in some samples of the stool.
- One must also run a test of a gamut of blood tests to find any underlying issue that might be causing it.
- To detect intestinal blockages and tumors, they might be prescribed endoscopy or x-rays.
- Treatment will follow with a course of medication if the issue is a viral or bacterial infection. These tend to soothe the intestines and reduce blood flow.
- If it is a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, then electrolyte and other fluid therapies will help reduce this.
- Sometimes if the infection tends to be severe, then antibiotics will be administered. Depending on the severity, these would be administered either orally or intravenously.
- For tumors and other obstructions in the stomach cavity, there is no other solution but to get these surgically removed and undergo treatment post that.
- Sometimes severe blood loss can often lead to hypovolemic shock. In such cases, steroid therapy is carried out to get the situation under control.
- If it is a problem that worms and other parasites have created, then Anthelmintics are prescribed to flush these out of the body.
How to Prevent Blood from Appearing in your Dog’s Stool?
There are preventive measures to take for the prevention of bloody stools in dogs:
- Sometimes bowel irritation can be due to sudden changes in the dietary habits of your dogs. In such a case, make sure the transition is gradual.
- Keep foreign objects and toxins out of reach. Dogs have the propensity to gnaw on these, and this may lead to poisoning in them, thereby leading to blood in dog stool.
- Always keep a look out for the stress levels that your pet might be experiencing. These might be an indicator of underlying health problems that your pet might be suffering from.
- Make sure you are aware of the ingredients that your pet food has. Some of these might have the potential to act as allergens and aggravate the pet’s current condition.
- Always keep a regular check on your pet’s intestinal health. To remove parasites and worms, one must have a periodic administration of anti-parasitic medicines. This will remove infestations from these animals’ bodies.
- Have a regular system in check where you get your pet checked by the vet on a regular basis. This serves as a ground to detect any potential health problems that might arise.
How to Diagnose Dog Blood in Stool?
Most of the time, the inspection is done visually to look for traces of blood. If the blood is bright red in color, it is easy to recognize. However, if the blood is old and dark, it might be difficult. In such cases, the vet carries out a test known as a fecal occult test to confirm the presence of blood in the stool. Sometimes these may be followed by a fecal examination, urinalysis, and visible examination of parasites. In more serious cases, one must carry out tissue biopsies and blood work.
Conclusion
The next time you notice blood in your dog’s stool, keep a tab on it for future reference. Be sure to write down the characteristics of the blood and how frequently it might occur. These serve as important diagnostic tools for vets at later stages. For instance, an allergy might be a one-off incident, but cancer or a tumor will lead to blood present in the stool over the course of weeks.