Finding Blood in the dog's stool can be shocking and is often something that is of great concern to the owner. Fortunately, in dogs, the causes of blood in the stool are not necessarily serious and can be a minor problem such as a change in diet. Still, they can also be caused by something more serious, such as cancer or parvovirus.
In any case, it is highly recommended that you consult your veterinarian to identify the real cause of the problem and rule out serious pathologies. If you have found blood in your dog's stool, this article on our site will help you understand the possible causes of blood in your dog's stool
The color of blood in the dog's stool
Checking the dog's feces is an essential routine that any caregiver should carry out on a daily basis. In fact, there are many types of feces in dogs and their meaning varies depending on color, consistency, frequency or frequency.
However, if you've come this far wondering why my dog poops blood, you should know that there are two medical types of blood in the stool: the hematochezia and melena This type of stool refers to the presence of blood in the dog's feces.
It is very important to be clear about the differences between the two types, since this determines the diagnosis:
- Hematochezia: presence of fresh blood in the stool This blood is bright red in the stool. In this case the blood has not been digested, it comes from the lower digestive system, usually the colon or rectum. This type of blood would explain why a dog bleeds from the anus. In hematochezia the blood may be mixed with the feces or you may see a few drops of blood fall when your dog defecates.
- Melena: is the presence of digested blood in the stoolThe blood then has a blackish color, is foul-smelling and generally has a tar-like appearance. This blood has been digested and comes from the upper portions of the digestive system. Melena is more difficult to appreciate than hematochezia, because due to the dark color of the stool it is not always easy to see that it is blood. If you are in doubt, you can place your dog's feces on white absorbent toilet paper, if a reddish color spreads on the paper, it is very likely that your dog has mane.
Causes of hematochezia in dogs
Unlike in humans, hematochezia is not indicative of hemorrhoids in dogs. In any case, if your dog has hematochezia, it is better to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible because it could be a serious cause. The causes of fresh blood, that is to say bright red, can be very varied:
- Parasites: The presence of intestinal parasites in dogs is one of the most frequent causes of the presence of fresh blood in the feces. The parasites most involved are nematodes, such as hookworms and whipworms, but protozoa such as coccidia can also cause hematochezia. Your veterinarian will carry out tests and, based on your dog's feces, will be able to determine what parasite it is and prescribe the most appropriate treatment for your dog.
- Parvovirus: canine parvovirus is a particularly serious disease that mainly affects puppies and all those dogs that have not been vaccinated and properly immunized. A dog affected by parvovirus may vomit, have diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fresh blood in the stool. Parvovirus is a disease that can be fatal, so it is advisable to start treatment promptly, as soon as you notice the first symptoms.
- Feeding: Overfeeding can cause irritation of your dog's colon, diarrhea and fresh blood in his stool. In this case we can also observe mucus in the dog's feces. A change in diet can have similar effects, so if you're going to change your dog's food, it's best to do it gradually over a week. If the change in diet is very sudden, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Even a simple new treat can cause inflammation of the colon in some very sensitive dogs and can explain the presence of fresh blood in the stool. Other food causes of fresh blood in the stool can be food allergies and intolerance.
- Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis: Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is a condition whose origin is difficult to determine. It causes vomiting, diarrhea and the presence of a lot of blood in the dog's stool. If your dog has hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, it may need fluid therapy, medication and even food hospitalization.
- Rectal Wounds: Your dog may have ingested a sharp object such as a stick or bone. This object, by following the intestinal tract, can erode the intestinal wall of the lower portion of the digestive system. It is usually possible to observe this object within your dog's feces, check for the presence of possible wounds in the rectum or swelling. Another cause of fresh blood in the stool can be rectal polyps, which are an abnormal growth that can usually be diagnosed by a veterinarian through rectal palpation or via endoscopy. Sometimes these can be carcinogenic, so you should ensure control by a veterinarian.
- Stress: In some cases, a stressful event can cause hematochezia in your dog. Some examples are: a move, a stay in a dog pension or the arrival of a new dog in the house. Find out what to do if your dog is stressed.
Causes of mane in dogs
The dark blood in your dog's stool, also known as melena, can occur in the lungs, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine. Once again the causes are varied, some of them serious, so it will be essential to consult a veterinarian. Some of the causes of mane in dogs are:
- Use of NSAIDs: NSAIDs (or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as aspirin, can cause ulcers. A dog with bleeding ulcers in the digestive system will show black tar-like blood because it is digested blood coming from the stomach. Inform your veterinarian promptly for advice on the use of NSAIDs in your dog.
- Blood Coagulation Disorder: Various canine diseases can cause coagulation disorders with consequent bleeding and blackish blood in the stool. Rat poison can cause clotting problems and black blood in the stool. If you think your dog may have ingested this type of poison, you should know that you are dealing with canine poisoning, a veterinary emergency, so you should see a specialist immediately, without delay.
- Complication after surgery: If your dog has recently had surgery and has black blood in the stool, you should call your veterinarian immediately, this complication can occur up to 72 hours after surgery.
- Tumor: If your dog has black blood in the stool, your vet will need to run tests to rule out the possibility of a bleeding tumor, such as polyps, or cancer in the dog. These causes can be common in geriatric dogs.
- Use of Pepto Bismol: Giving Pepto Bismol to your dog may cause your dog's stool to turn black but it is not blood. This black color will disappear when you stop medicating your dog.
- Blood Swallowing: Your dog may have licked a bleeding wound or there may be bleeding from the nose or mouth and having ingested the blood which then causes the presence of digested blood in the stool.
- Other causes: Intestinal obstructions, fissures, trauma, a Campylobacter bacterial infection, or Clostridium for example.
Bloody diarrhea in dogs
If you have noticed that your dog has profuse bloody diarrhea you should go to the vet urgently, as liquid stools often cause dehydration, which will quickly make your dog's he alth worse.
Once again the causes are diverse, although the most serious diseases that can cause bloody diarrhea in dogs are parvovirus, which we have already mentioned in the causes of hematochezia, or canine distemper, also known as distemper, another life-threatening disease In the most severe cases, hospitalization of the dog and administration of serum may be necessary.
Treatment of blood in stool
The treatment of blood in the dog's feces will be closely related to the causes that provoke it. Thus, if we have observed the presence of melena or hematochezia, we will go directly to the specialist, preferably with a faeces sample, in this way our trusted veterinarian will be able to analyze it under a microscope and determine what is causing its appearance.
From the diagnosis the specialist will prescribe a treatment Remember that self-medicating a dog can be detrimental to its he alth and that even in In some cases we can significantly aggravate the picture. Most likely, in addition to the veterinary prescription, the specialist tells us that we should offer our dog gastrointestinal wet food or a soft rice-based diet and chicken, in this case without the carrots that we added in the article.
