What Could Cause Blood In A Dog's Stool – “Why is my dog’s poop red?” is one of the most concerning questions pet owners ask themselves and the internet, especially when you see signs of blood. The reasons behind bloody feces in dogs can sometimes be mild and easy to treat, but other times require an emergency visit from the veterinarian.

Our canine friends cannot tell us when they are not feeling well or what is wrong. This leaves it up to us to pick up on any telltale signs, including a change in the color or texture of their poop. The good news is that red or bloody poop in dogs is not always life threatening. Some cases of bloody poop can be resolved with something as easy as a change in diet and supplements like canine probiotics.

What Could Cause Blood In A Dog's Stool

The severity of your dog’s reddish stool depends on factors such as how much blood, other signs, and the exact shade. To really get into the issue of bloody dog ​​poop, we consulted the work of Dr. J. S. Suchodolski from Texas A&M University. So, before you let the panic set in, read these nine possible causes of blood in the feces in dogs to know what to do next. Warning: this article contains pictures of various types of bloody or red dog poop.

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Red dog poop usually means blood in the poop or eating food with red dye, like beets. Blood in your dog’s feces can indicate severe conditions such as bacterial and viral infections (such as parvo), intestinal obstruction, and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Less severe causes of bloody stools include allergies, ulcers, parasites, colitis, Addison’s disease, and eating something wrong.

A dog’s stool can offer valuable insight into what is going on in their body since a dog’s gut is about 70% of their immune system. Red dog poop can mean many different things, so it’s vital to take it into context and ask yourself the following questions to send the answers to your vet:

Upon seeing blood in your dog’s stool, your immediate thought is whether your pup is in pain. Well, precisely what your dog is experiencing depends on the underlying cause of the stool color. No matter the severity of the reason, the first step is to remain calm as panic undermines judgment.

There are a number of stool strategies that most dogs will encounter throughout their lives. Whether it’s a yellow poo poo white dog, you can expect a poo situation on your hands at some point. Some abnormalities go away on their own, but others are much more stubborn.

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The first thing you should look at the red is the shade of the dark dirt of red, whether bright or dark red. There are two types of bloody stools in dogs, hematochezia and melena, categorized based on the shade of red. Melena, on the other hand, is dark, sticky, and may have a black or tarry appearance.

Hematochezia (bright red blood in the stool) often occurs in the lower digestive tract, while Melena (dark red blood) occurs in the upper. Essentially, bright red poop or obvious drops of blood usually means blood is coming from the lower intestines or the anus because the body hasn’t digested it yet.

Dark red feces, on the other hand, means that blood has passed through the digestive system, indicating that it comes from the stomach or upper intestines. In the picture below, you can see an example of dark red or black dog poop.

Onestudy refers to these conditions as gastrointestinal hemorrhage or bleeding in the intestines. It also states that these conditions can result in acute, possibly life-threatening anemia if the dog loses too much blood internally. So never ignore blood in the stool.

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Most people refer to hematochezia when they say their dog is coughing up blood as it is the easiest to see. This is definitely what sends most pet parents into a complete panic.

However, melena, or dark, tarry stools, is often the most dangerous, although both require prompt medical attention. So let’s get into the reasons for red poo, whether it’s dark or bright red.

Bloody stools range from infection and parasites to trauma and foreign objects. We have categorized these reasons into those that typically cause upper digestive tract bleeding (hematochezia) and lower GI bleeding (Melena).

However, many of these reasons, such as trauma, toxins, parasites, and infections such as parvo, can cause both types of bloody or red poop. Most, if not all, of these reasons are accompanied by other signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and refusing to eat.

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Most dogs are not fussy eaters, happy to eat everything from socks to old tuna in the garbage, even if it means harming themselves. When a dog eats something that doesn’t agree with them, it can spread both blood and mucus from its intestines, which appears as slimy feces that are red or have blood. This can happen from:

Such dietary indiscretion can sometimes result in explosive bloody diarrhea and vomiting, both of which are symptoms of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HG) (intestinal bleeding).

While we do not know all the causes of HG, research has shown that dietary changes play a significant role. So dogs can get HG from eating high-fat human food, bone-in food, or too many treats.

Colitis refers to inflammation of the colon, which can result in traces of blood in the stool. The condition is also responsible for most chronic diarrhea. Colitis is also called garbage disease, and it is very common in puppies who tend to eat all kinds of things they shouldn’t. We need to address colitis first because puppy parents often see colitis poop and assume their puppy has parvo.

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Fortunately, colitis is nowhere near as serious, and your vet can clear it up quickly with a light diet and some medication. It just means that something is aggravating your dog’s colon, causing it to throw up mucus (you’ll notice a lot of slime covering the poop) and blood. Blood usually covers the stool or appears as drops on the stool.

The picture below shows what blood in the stool of a puppy with colitis usually looks like. Note that there is usually a lot of slime or mucus with the blood.

You may also notice that even if your dog has blood on the stool, he acts well and looks healthy. They want to play and have no problems eating. They may have soft or watery stools and need to defecate frequently (usually only in small amounts). These are typical signs that your dog or puppy has colitis. This is easy to treat, and if you are worried about parvo, you can take a breath of relief.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a similar condition that can also cause inflammation in the bowel, which can be another cause of blood in the stool.

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Some viral and bacterial infections in dogs attack the GI lining, leading to blood in the stool and watery diarrhea. The most common infectious disease that causes blood is parvo, characterized by the bitter-sweet smell of parvo feces.

Parvovirus in dogs is life-threatening, and you must take your dog to the vet immediately, as time is of the essence. Unlike colitis, you will notice other symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, dehydration, and liquid stools. The feces is watery, it can contain blood, but it can also be yellowish and even frothy. The picture below is an example of what parvo poop looks like:

Some parasites, such as hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms, can be more severe than we give them credit for, burrowing into the intestinal lining and causing bleeding. The parasites not only cause bloody red feces, but also dark, depending on where they deposit themselves. Looking carefully, you can see white specs in the dirt, just wriggling and existing.

Most people immediately interpret blood in the stool as a miscarriage, and they are right. In fact, as soon as you Googled this question, you might think your pup was hit by a car or involved in an accident. Trauma can result in internal bleeding that reveals itself as streaks of blood in the stool.

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The severity of the impact of the trauma determines the other signs you will see. Very extreme traumatic injuries may show as bleeding from the mouth or pale gums. However, tumors and various other disorders can cause internal bleeding in the abdomen, called hemoabdomen (blood in the intestines). Hemoabdomen or internal bleeding is life-threatening, so see a vet immediately.

Dogs express their anal glands naturally every time they defecate. However, those who have continuous diarrhea or very loose stools can have an impact and infect the anal sac. Anal gland issues such as abscesses, swelling, and infection can manifest as bloody stools and a metallic odor.

Anal fissure ulcers around the dog’s anus is another painful condition that causes blood on the stool, and this is usually bright red. The symptoms of anal fissure are very similar to colitis, as your dog may poop a little but often and show signs of pain when pooping. Be sure to ask your vet to check for both when you see bright red blood on your dog’s stool.

One possible reason for red dog poop is simply that your dog ate something red, and it doesn’t mean there is any blood in the poop. This can be anything from beets to red crayons. So keep your eye out for something red

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