Digestive problems such as constipation and diarrhea are common in dogs. In most cases, the cause of the symptoms can be determined quickly and treated well.
But at the latest when a dog has blood in its stool, many owners panic. Fortunately, bloody faeces does not necessarily indicate a serious illness.
Nevertheless, you should be attentive and get to the bottom of the cause promptly. Where the blood in your dog's stool can come from and what you should do in this case is explained below.
The blood in your dog's stool can be either red or black.
Black blood has already been digested and its colour has changed. This is usually a sign that the cause is in the front part of the digestive tract. In rare cases, it may also come from the rear part of the digestive tract due to digestive delays, such as constipation.
If the blood in your dog's stool is red, it usually indicates that the cause is in the back of the digestive tract. The red blood comes from the front part of the digestive system only in exceptional cases, such as an infection with parvovirus, which prevents the digestion of the blood.
Fresh blood can occur in very different amounts in the animal's faeces, ranging from small streaks to almost all red diarrhoea.
If a dog has blood in its stool, there are many possible causes. These range from comparatively harmless symptoms to serious illnesses that can even be life-threatening.
In most cases, blood in the stool does not occur alone, but in combination with other symptoms. The exact symptoms depend on the cause of the bloody faeces and the amount of blood lost.
If you notice that your dog has blood in his stool, a timely visit to the vet is essential. Without treatment, the complaints can have life-threatening consequences for the four-legged friend, depending on the cause. A severe loss of blood, for example, can lead to anemia.
First the veterinarian will ask you about your medical history during a preliminary interview and carry out a general examination of your dog as well as various blood tests.
Depending on the results of the blood test and the colour of the dog's excrements, further tests will follow.
If the faeces is red and therefore fresh, a rectal examination is necessary to check the anal glands of the dog.
In order to diagnose parasites such as worms as the cause of the bloody stool, an examination of the faeces itself is useful, while an ultrasound examination can be used, for example, to search for tumours in the digestive tract of the animal.
If all these examinations are unsuccessful, an endoscopy or a biopsy (tissue removal) may be necessary to determine the cause.
As different as the possible causes of blood in the stools of dogs are, so different are the necessary treatment measures. After all, it is not only a matter of stabilizing the four-legged friend, but also of treating the underlying disease.
This can take place on completely different ways. An affection with worms or Giardien can be treated for example with the help of a worm cure, while an anal gland inflammation makes a rinsing of the Analbeutel as well as the administration of antibiotics and the use of special ointments necessary.
Inflammation of the intestine, on the other hand, can often be alleviated with a change in diet. In some cases, however, an operation may also be necessary to eliminate the trigger of the bloody excrement in the dog.
In addition, fluid infusions or even blood transfusions are often necessary to stabilise the animal for a short time in order to compensate for a severe loss of blood.
If your dog often suffers from digestive problems, it is especially important that you pay attention to a balanced diet. Our experts have put together special food sets with matching products from Bellfor for dogs with digestive problems.
Although this may not eliminate all causes of blood in your dog's stool, the right food can make a significant contribution to healthy digestion and significantly reduce the likelihood of diet-related problems.
Get to know food sets for dogs with digestive problems.
As you can see, from nosebleeds to parasites to tumors, there are many different triggers for the blood in your dog's stool.
If you notice that your dog's faeces is bloody, make sure you stay calm and make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. The veterinarian can determine the exact cause and initiate the necessary treatment measures.
If you are lucky, the blood in your dog's stool should soon have disappeared again.