If your dog is pooping blood it is obviously a serious cause for concern, and you should consult your veterinarian ASAP. We can only tell you about 10 possible reasons your dog may be pooping blood, but we cannot treat your dog through an article! It is NOT RECOMMENDED for any pet parent to try home remedies in the case of bloody stools in their dog or pup.
Here are a few reasons why your dog is pooping blood
Canine Parvovirus
It is not always the cause of bloody diarrhoea or bloody poop in dogs, but it can’t be ruled out at home without diagnostic testing. Parvo in dogs can be fatal for pups if not treated properly and in time.
Canine parvo can spread through direct contact with the infected poop of other dogs during walks or playtime at the park. If your dog is showing additional signs of lethargy, nausea, along with bloody diarrhoea, you should take them to the emergency veterinarian immediately.
Canine Enteric Coronavirus
It is another viral infection that affects the stomach lining of pups and unvaccinated dogs. The signs are very similar to parvo virus in dogs. At the same time, if your dog doesn’t test positive for parvo, it doesn’t mean they do not have a viral infection.
You need to speak with your veterinarian about testing your pup or dog for canine enteric coronavirus as well. If they test negative, then we can proceed with the other possible causes of bloody poop in puppies and dogs.
Eating Something Spoilt or Bad
Puppies are notoriously curious and so are some dogs. They can get into the dustbin or simply pick up a small bone from an unattended plate. These can irritate your dog’s digestive system. For example, something inedible like a bone can poke and irritate their stomach, small intestine or even anal region.
The most common result is the inflammation of the GI tract (gastroenteritis) or acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (AHDS).
It is typically caused by items that your pup shouldn’t eat, such as –
- Bones
- Twigs and sticks
- Toys
- Spoilt food
Infections of the GI Tract
Several other types of infections can cause gastroenteritis in dogs and pups, including salmonella and giardia.
Salmonella
Salmonellosis is a serious bacterial infection caused by Salmonella. It causes severe diarrhoea accompanied by vomiting. Just like other GI tract infections, salmonellosis can cause lethargy, vomiting, decreased appetite, dehydration and fever. It should not be taken lightly or treated at home without veterinary intervention.
Giardia
Giardiasis is a protozoal infection caused by Giardia. It can damage the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhoea, sometimes with blood. Other signs of giardiasis are consistent with gastroenteritis, such as weight loss, lethargy, inappetence, dehydration and vomiting.
Parasites
Excessive worms can definitely cause digestive upsets leading to diarrhoea, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea in dogs. So, if your dog is pooping blood, you need to check if they are also excreting worms (intact or partial) or worm eggs with their stool. Often, heavy worm-load causes dogs to pass worms with their stool.
The type of worm and the treatment will be prescribed by your veterinarian after a thorough analysis of your dog’s poop sample.
Cancer of or Near the GI Tract
Cancer in the digestive tract of the dog can result in bloody stool. A tumour or cancer in the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, colon or anal sac can cause a dog to pass blood in their stool.
The colour and consistency of the stool and blood will depend upon the location of the tumour. If your dog tests negative for all other possible causes of bloody poop, your doctor will likely recommend a USG of their whole abdomen to check for the presence of any growth or mass that can cause blood in poop.
Factors That Affect Blood Clotting
It is a less-common cause, but any agent or disease that prevents normal blood clotting can contribute to bloody poop in dogs. For example –
- Bleeding disorders
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Immune-related thrombocytopenia
- Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Ulcers in the GI tract
- Addison’s Disease
- Trauma
- Intussusception
- Anal gland infections/impactions
External agents such as consuming toxins (rodenticide, rat-kill) can cause bloody diarrhoea in dogs.
What Should You Do if Your Dog is Pooping Blood and Vomiting?
See a veterinarian without any delay. It can be anything from Canine Parvovirus to a foreign body. Loss of fluid through repeated bloody stools can cause rapid dehydration. Visiting a veterinarian on-time can prevent dehydration and tell you about the actual cause of the bloody stool.
How Does Blood in Dog’s Poop Look?
If your dog is pooping blood, it can appear in different forms. The colour and appearance help identify where the blood is coming from in the digestive tract.
Hematochezia: Bright Red Blood in Poop
- Bright Red Blood: Indicates bleeding from the lower digestive tract (colon, anus, or rectum).
- Appearance: Blood looks fresh and hasn’t gone through the digestive process.
- Associated Symptoms:
- Often seen with diarrhoea.
- Stool may have a red tint and increased frequency.
- Consistency can range from soft to liquid.
- Sometimes, mucus covers the stool, and blood appears on the outside, indicating an issue with the colon.
Melena: Black and Tarry Poop
-
- Dark or Black Stool: Suggests blood from the upper digestive tract (stomach or small intestine).
- Melena: The term for dark, tarry stool indicating the presence of digested blood.
- Possible Causes:
-
- Conditions affecting the stomach or upper intestines like inflammation, ulcers, or cancer.
- Appearance: Stool is usually more solid compared to hematochezia.
Pure Blood in Stool
- No Poop, Only Blood: In some cases, the dog may pass only blood, especially if the stool is liquid or the gut is empty.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Is Pooping Blood ONLY?
You should immediately contact your veterinarian and visit the emergency vet irrespective of the time. Pooping pure blood can mean your dog doesn’t have anything in his large intestine and he hasn’t eaten in a while, or a major ruptured blood vessel. All of these are life-threatening conditions that demand immediate medical attention and treatment.
My dog is pooping blood and mucous. Why?
Mucous and blood in dog poop often go hand-in-hand in the cases of gastroenteritis arising from bacterial, protozoal or parasitic infections. The presence of mucous in stool can indicate an irritated gut lining or inflammation. Even severe allergic reactions can cause blood and mucous in your dog’s stool.
Diagnosing the Causes of Dog Pooping Blood
Once you visit the veterinarian they will do a complete physical evaluation, ask about their diet and medical history. Following which they will give you a few blood and stool sample tests these include –
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- LFT
- KFT
- Parvovirus test
- Coronavirus test
If these tests are inconclusive, they will request for an emergency ultrasound that can identify the cause and source of the blood in dog poop.
Treating the Causes of Dog Pooping Blood
For viral infections, such as canine parvovirus and canine enteric coronavirus, the treatment is symptomatic.
For bacterial infections, the veterinarian can recommend additional tests to narrow down the bacteria causing the infection and prescribe antibiotics according to your pup’s body weight.
For protozoal infections, the doctor will first confirm the type of protozoa and then prescribe the medication, which you need to administer at the given dose and frequency.
Other causes such as the ingestion of foreign body or the presence of a mass can require surgery. Similarly, ingestion of something toxic can require intense fluid therapy to flush the toxin out of their system.
Nonetheless, if your dog or pup is dehydrated and has lost a lot of blood, they might require intravenous fluid to replace the fluid loss and an overnight stay at the hospital.
Should I feed a dog if they are pooping blood?
It is usually not recommended to provide any food or water to a dog experiencing bloody diarrhoea unless the veterinarian recommends it.
If your dog or pup’s gut lining is already inflamed and fragile, you may not want to irritate it further by providing any food or liquid.
In the case, your dog or pup has stopped pooping blood after treatment, you may reach out to the veterinarian for prescription food that’s easy-to-digest.
My dog is pooping blood but why is he/she acting normal?
Most healthy and young dogs do not show signs such as lethargy, loss of appetite or weight loss from pooping blood just once or twice. They become severely lethargic after considerable dehydration, which is definitely not desirable. If your dog is pooping blood but acting normal, it should not stop you from consulting your veterinarian ASAP.
Is my dog pooping blood from straining too much?
That does happen especially if a dog is severely constipated. However, in such cases, the blood is fresh and present in small streaks on their stool. It can also happen if your dog passes an undigested bone piece, small twig or part of a toy. These cause abrasions around the anal region, which leads to the bleeding.
What foods cause bloody stools?
No food should cause bloody stools in dogs. Some human food such as tomatoes and beets can cause their stool to appear “bloody” or red. However, they don’t cause bloody poop in dogs.
How long does hemorrhagic gastroenteritis last in dogs?
Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis causes vomiting and diarrhoea (often bloody) in dogs. It typically lasts between 2 and 4 days in dogs. However, it is not self-limiting. It requires prompt diagnosis and correct treatment.