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For every dog owner, noticing blood in dog poop can be a frightening experience. "Why is my dog pooping blood?". A thousand thoughts will run through your mind, and they will not be good thoughts. Most dog owners associate blood in their dogs’ poop with cancer since it is one of the signs of canine cancer. Bloody dog poop can, however, be a sign of a less severe and easily treatable dog disease. The first thing that you should do when you notice any red substance in your dog’s poop is to confirm that it is in fact blood. A dog’s diet can affect the color of its poop, so you should expect some colorful poop from your pooch if he eats a diet that is rich in food dye. If your dog poops red colored poop and he has not eaten any red foods, there is a high probability that its blood in his poop. Blood in dog poop can arise from several different health conditions, so it is impossible to pinpoint the cause without visiting the vet. Here are the reasons why your dog might be pooping blood and what to do next.
Canine parvovirus is a viral dog disease that mainly affects puppies and young dogs. Canine parvovirus is a fatal disease and can cause death if untreated. One of the main symptoms of canine parvovirus is bloody diarrhea. A puppy infected with canine parvovirus also tends to vomit and develop lethargy. If you notice your puppy pooping bloody diarrhea and vomiting, take him to the vet immediately for a diagnosis. Canine parvovirus’ treatment includes antibiotics and intravenous fluids as recommended by the vet. Additional medication may be required to control pain and vomiting.
The quantity and quality of food play a significant role in the color and texture of your dog’s poop. Overeating is a common problem with most dogs since it subjects a dog’s colon to immense pressure which leads to irritation and inflammation of the colon. The inflamed colon produces mucus and starts bleeding which in turn, makes the dog secrete bloody poop containing mucus. Changing a dog’s diet can also cause a dog to poop blood. A sudden change in a dog’s food throws the digestive system into disarray and might cause inflammations to the intestines as the dog tries to adjust to the new food. If you need to change your dog’s diet, you should do it progressively over several days. A sudden change in diet irritates the intestines and causes inflammations which bleed and the blood is passed out in the poop. Food intolerances and allergies can also cause a dog to poop blood. If your dog has a habit of overeating, then it is imperative that you limit his food intake by feeding him smaller portions. Dogs with allergies and ingredient intolerances should not be fed foods with any allergens. Instead, they should be fed grain-free dog food which is a suitable diet for dogs with ingredient intolerance and allergies.
Some parasites and worms can cause your dog to pass bloody stool. A parasite infestation is, in fact, one of the most common causes of blood in a dog’s poop. Blood stains caused by intestinal parasites are bright and vivid meaning that the blood has not been digested and has come from the lower part of the digestive system. The common worms that cause bloody poop in dogs are hookworms, whipworms, and giardia. Protozoa such as coccidian also cause bloody poop in dogs. Your vet can diagnose and treat intestinal parasite infection by doing tests on your dog’s poop and prescribing deworming medication. It is imperative to clean up your environment after treatment to avoid reinfection.
Dogs can eat a lot of garbage if unchecked and some of it may contain sharp objects like bones. When a dog consumes a sharp object like a bone, it passes through the stomach and on to the intestines. Such objects are mostly not digested since a dog’s stomach can only handle so much. The sharp object passes through the intestines and tears the intestinal walls causing them to bleed and stain the poop with blood. In most cases, the object injuring the intestinal walls comes out with the poop, but it is essential to visit a vet for examination when you observe your dog pooping blood. To avoid such cases, you can clean up the environment to ensure that there are no sharp objects that your dog can eat.
Dogs can have blood clots in their stomachs from either rat poison or a blood clot disorder. Blood clot disorder is usually a symptom of an underlying and often severe dog disease. For blood clots, the blood in the stool is usually black since it comes from the stomach and gets digested before getting passed in the stool. You should treat black blood in your dog’s poop as an emergency and immediately visit the vet for treatment. To avoid rat poison ingestion, make sure that you store any rat poison in your house out of your dog’s reach and avoid poisoning rats around the house.
Bloody poop can be a result of ingested blood. Dogs can ingest blood when licking an open wound or when they have an injury in their mouths. Blood from a nosebleed can also end up in the dog’s mouth if he licks his snout. Ingested blood appears as dark spots in poop because it passes through the stomach and gets digested. Dark, bloody spots in poop can be a symptom of other serious dog diseases, so it is advisable to visit the vet for a diagnosis the moment you notice dark blood on your pooch’s poop. You should not have anything to worry about if the bloody poop is a result of ingested blood. If it is a symptom of illness, then the vet will prescribe medication and ways to avoid a reoccurrence in the future.
Bloody stool in dogs is not the problem itself but a sign of an underlying problem. It can be a result of something as minor as ingested blood or something as dangerous as a cancerous tumor. With this in mind, it is imperative that blood in a dogs poop be handled with utmost seriousness by ensuring that the affected dog sees a vet immediately. Visiting the vet might be the thing that saves your pooch’s life since there are some life-threatening dog diseases whose symptoms include blood-stained poop. A home veterinary handbook might also come in handy since it lists all the signs for significant dog diseases. It also includes a chapter which explains what to do immediately as first aid for medical emergencies such as poisoning, broken bones, burns, dehydration, and insect bites.
