Yikes! When you see something red in your dog’s poop, the very first thing you think about is your dog pooping blood. But do not panic. First, figure out if the red you’re seeing is really blood and keep reading for how to manage blood in dog stool.
Notice something red in your dog’s stool? First, figure out if it’s actually blood
Think your dog is pooping blood? First, figure out is anything red that you’re seeing is, in truth, blood. Photography by By Monika Wisniewska/ Shutterstock.
Almost absolutely nothing might be more worrying than seeing something red in your dog’s poop. Depending on what that red color in fact is, red poop can be severe or absolutely nothing to fret about. If your dog’s poop looks red, it might be one of 2 things.
“It can be caused by red coloring, like food coloring,” states Tracey Jensen, DVM,Dipl ABVP, medical director at Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Wellington,Colorado “It could be something that [your dog] ate that is simply innocently passing through. I once saw a dog that ate strawberry Chapstick, which came through.” If your dog consumes red Crayons, they might likewise color the poop red. In basic, food dyes that originate from nontoxic sources will lose consciousness in the stool and leave no long lasting results.
If your dog is pooping blood, here’s what to understand
A more unpleasant– however sadly, likewise more typical– factor a dog’s poop may be colored red is blood. “Blood in the feces can be caused by infections, including various parasite infections or bacterial infections, inflammatory conditions and we do see colon cancer in dogs,”Dr Jensen describes. “Sometimes, an anal gland condition can cause a coating of blood on the feces.”
Whatto do about your dog pooping blood
If you see red in your dog’s stool– and you didn’t just recently discover your dog consuming a stack of red Crayons– call your vet to make a visit to have him taken a look at. If possible, bring a fresh sample of your dog’s stool for the veterinarian to test.
Even if your dog is acting fine, a minimum of call your veterinarian to have a discussion about what you saw. “Red always warrants a call,”Dr Jensen describes. “There are many causes of blood in the feces, some of which are very serious. Contacting your veterinary care team can help you work through some questions to help determine if it’s an emergency.”
Blood in dog poop — could it be HGE or parvo?
If it seeks hours and you see big quantities of bright-red, bloody diarrhea, particularly if the diarrhea is accompanied by throwing up and/or sleepiness (your dog is simply lying around, plainly not feeling great), do not wait up until early morning to contact a veterinarian. Bright- red and bloody diarrhea might accompany a very severe condition called hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE). Without treatment, pets experiencing HGE can end up being exceptionally ill as well as pass away.
Additionally, young pups with bloody diarrhea might possibly be struggling with canine parvovirus, a severe — often deadly — viral illness. Seeing adult pets with big volumes of bloody diarrhea, or pups with bloody diarrhea, necessitates a journey to an emergency situation center to be on the safe side.
The precise color/ consistency can assist figure out why your dog is pooping blood
The look of the poop, in addition to the color of the blood, are ideas that will assist your vet figure out where precisely the blood may be originating from, which can assist identify the origin of the blood in the dog stool. “If the feces are normal in shape and consistency, with a red coating on the outside that’s determined to be blood, then we know that it’s coming from lower down in the intestinal tract,”Dr Jensen states. “If it’s diarrhea or soft feces with the red mixed within, then it tells us the blood is probably coming from a little bit higher up the intestinal tract.”
Sometimes, blood in the stool is not intense red however extremely dark, black and tarry looking. “When we see the black, tarry stools, that is digested blood,”Dr Jensen describes. “When we see red blood that is coating the feces or mixed within it, that blood has not been digested, so we know it’s actually entering the intestinal tract closer to the point of exit. When we see black, that tells us it’s spent more time in the intestinal tract and is very likely is coming from areas close to or within the stomach.”
How do you deal with blood in your dog’s stool?
Treatment for blood in dog stool is extremely based on the reason for the bleeding. Once your veterinarian is able to limit where the blood is originating from, she or he will be able to run some tests to figure out the cause and pick a proper treatment.
The takeaway here? If you see blood in your dog’s poop, do not worry, however do have your dog taken a look at by a vet as rapidly as possible. This is not something to suffer, given that your dog may need fast treatment.
Tell us: Has your dog ever pooped anything red prior to? Was it blood?
Thumbnail: Photography © NUKUL2533|iStock/ Getty Images Plus.
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