Yikes! When you see something red in your dog\u2019s stool, the first thing you think of is your dog pooping blood. But don\u2019t panic. First, determine if the red you\u2019re seeing is truly blood and read on for how to handle blood in dog stool.<\/p>\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/shutterstock_429281740.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThink your dog is pooping blood? First, determine is anything red that you’re seeing is, in fact, blood. Photography by By Monika Wisniewska \/ Shutterstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Notice something red in your dog\u2019s stool? First, determine if your dog is pooping blood \u2014 or something else<\/h3>\n
Almost nothing is more alarming than seeing something red in your dog\u2019s poop. Depending on what that red color actually is, red poop can be serious or nothing to worry about. So, if your dog\u2019s poop looks red, is your dog pooping blood \u2014 or could it be something else?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be caused by red coloring, like food coloring,\u201d says Tracey Jensen, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, medical director at Wellington Veterinary Hospital<\/a> in Wellington, Colorado. \u201cIt could be something that\u00a0[your dog]\u00a0ate that is simply innocently passing through. I once saw a dog that ate strawberry Chapstick, which came through.\u201d If your dog eats red Crayons, they\u00a0may also color the poop red. In general, food dyes that come from nontoxic sources will pass out in the stool and leave no lasting effects.<\/p>\n A more troubling \u2014 but unfortunately, also more common \u2014 reason a dog\u2019s poop might be colored red is blood. \u201cBlood 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,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cSometimes, an anal gland<\/a> condition can cause a coating of blood on the feces.\u201d<\/p>\n If you see red in your dog\u2019s\u00a0stool \u2014 and you didn\u2019t recently notice your dog eating a pile of red Crayons \u2014 call your veterinarian to make an appointment to have him checked out. If possible, bring a fresh sample of your dog\u2019s stool for the vet to test.<\/p>\n Even if your dog is acting fine, at least contact your vet to have a conversation about your dog pooping blood. \u201cRed always warrants a call,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cThere 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\u2019s an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n If it\u2019s after hours and you see large amounts of bright-red, bloody diarrhea, especially if the diarrhea<\/a> is accompanied by vomiting<\/a> and\/or lethargy (your dog is just lying around, clearly not feeling good), don\u2019t wait until morning to contact\u00a0a vet. Bright-red and bloody diarrhea\u00a0may occur with an extremely serious condition called hemorrhagic gastroenteritis<\/a> (HGE). Without treatment, dogs experiencing HGE can become extremely sick and even die.<\/p>\n Additionally, young puppies with bloody diarrhea could potentially be suffering from canine parvovirus<\/a>, a serious\u00a0\u2014 sometimes fatal\u00a0\u2014 viral disease. Seeing adult dogs with large volumes of bloody diarrhea, or puppies with bloody diarrhea, warrants a trip to an emergency clinic to be on the safe side.<\/p>\n The appearance of the poop, as well as the color of the blood, are clues that\u00a0will help your veterinarian determine where exactly the blood might be coming from, which can help diagnose the root cause of your dog pooping blood. \u201cIf the feces are normal in shape and consistency, with a red coating on the outside that\u2019s determined to be blood, then we know that it\u2019s coming from lower down in the intestinal tract,\u201d Dr. Jensen says.\u00a0\u201cIf it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes, blood in dog stool is not bright red but very dark, black and tarry looking<\/a>. \u201cWhen we see the black, tarry stools, that is digested blood,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cWhen we see red blood that is coating the feces or mixed within it, that blood has not been digested, so we know it\u2019s actually entering the intestinal tract closer to the point of exit. When we see black, that tells us it\u2019s spent more time in the intestinal tract and is very likely is coming from areas close to or within the stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n Treatment for a dog pooping blood is highly dependent on the cause of the bleeding. Once your vet is able to narrow down where the blood is coming from, he or she will be able to run some tests to determine the cause and select an appropriate treatment.<\/p>\n The takeaway here? If you notice your dog pooping blood, don\u2019t panic, but do have your dog examined by a veterinarian as quickly as possible. This is not something to wait out, since your dog might require quick and life-saving treatment.<\/p>\n Tell us:<\/strong> Has your dog ever pooped anything red before? Was your dog pooping blood or something else?<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography \u00a9NUKUL2533 | iStock \/ Getty Images Plus.<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Dog Pooping Blood? Here’s What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Dog Pooping Blood? Here’s What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Yikes! When you see something red in your dog\u2019s stool, the first thing you think of is your dog pooping blood. But don\u2019t panic. First, determine if the red you\u2019re seeing is truly blood and read on for how to handle blood in dog stool.<\/p>\n Think your dog is pooping blood? First, determine is anything red that you’re seeing is, in fact, blood. Photography by By Monika Wisniewska \/ Shutterstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Almost nothing is more alarming than seeing something red in your dog\u2019s poop. Depending on what that red color actually is, red poop can be serious or nothing to worry about. So, if your dog\u2019s poop looks red, is your dog pooping blood \u2014 or could it be something else?<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be caused by red coloring, like food coloring,\u201d says Tracey Jensen, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, medical director at Wellington Veterinary Hospital<\/a> in Wellington, Colorado. \u201cIt could be something that\u00a0[your dog]\u00a0ate that is simply innocently passing through. I once saw a dog that ate strawberry Chapstick, which came through.\u201d If your dog eats red Crayons, they\u00a0may also color the poop red. In general, food dyes that come from nontoxic sources will pass out in the stool and leave no lasting effects.<\/p>\n A more troubling \u2014 but unfortunately, also more common \u2014 reason a dog\u2019s poop might be colored red is blood. \u201cBlood 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,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cSometimes, an anal gland<\/a> condition can cause a coating of blood on the feces.\u201d<\/p>\n If you see red in your dog\u2019s\u00a0stool \u2014 and you didn\u2019t recently notice your dog eating a pile of red Crayons \u2014 call your veterinarian to make an appointment to have him checked out. If possible, bring a fresh sample of your dog\u2019s stool for the vet to test.<\/p>\n Even if your dog is acting fine, at least contact your vet to have a conversation about your dog pooping blood. \u201cRed always warrants a call,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cThere 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\u2019s an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n If it\u2019s after hours and you see large amounts of bright-red, bloody diarrhea, especially if the diarrhea<\/a> is accompanied by vomiting<\/a> and\/or lethargy (your dog is just lying around, clearly not feeling good), don\u2019t wait until morning to contact\u00a0a vet. Bright-red and bloody diarrhea\u00a0may occur with an extremely serious condition called hemorrhagic gastroenteritis<\/a> (HGE). Without treatment, dogs experiencing HGE can become extremely sick and even die.<\/p>\n Additionally, young puppies with bloody diarrhea could potentially be suffering from canine parvovirus<\/a>, a serious\u00a0\u2014 sometimes fatal\u00a0\u2014 viral disease. Seeing adult dogs with large volumes of bloody diarrhea, or puppies with bloody diarrhea, warrants a trip to an emergency clinic to be on the safe side.<\/p>\n The appearance of the poop, as well as the color of the blood, are clues that\u00a0will help your veterinarian determine where exactly the blood might be coming from, which can help diagnose the root cause of your dog pooping blood. \u201cIf the feces are normal in shape and consistency, with a red coating on the outside that\u2019s determined to be blood, then we know that it\u2019s coming from lower down in the intestinal tract,\u201d Dr. Jensen says.\u00a0\u201cIf it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes, blood in dog stool is not bright red but very dark, black and tarry looking<\/a>. \u201cWhen we see the black, tarry stools, that is digested blood,\u201d Dr. Jensen explains. \u201cWhen we see red blood that is coating the feces or mixed within it, that blood has not been digested, so we know it\u2019s actually entering the intestinal tract closer to the point of exit. When we see black, that tells us it\u2019s spent more time in the intestinal tract and is very likely is coming from areas close to or within the stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n Treatment for a dog pooping blood is highly dependent on the cause of the bleeding. Once your vet is able to narrow down where the blood is coming from, he or she will be able to run some tests to determine the cause and select an appropriate treatment.<\/p>\n The takeaway here? If you notice your dog pooping blood, don\u2019t panic, but do have your dog examined by a veterinarian as quickly as possible. This is not something to wait out, since your dog might require quick and life-saving treatment.<\/p>\n Tell us:<\/strong> Has your dog ever pooped anything red before? Was your dog pooping blood or something else?<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography \u00a9NUKUL2533 | iStock \/ Getty Images Plus.<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Dog Pooping Blood? Here’s What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWith a dog pooping blood, here\u2019s what to know<\/h3>\n
What to do about your blood in stool<\/h3>\n
Blood in dog stool \u2014 could it be HGE or parvo?<\/h3>\n
The exact color \/ consistency can help determine the reasons behind a dog pooping blood<\/h3>\n
How do you treat a dog pooping blood?<\/h3>\n
Read Next: Is Your Dog Eating Poop? How I Got Mine to Stop<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nNotice something red in your dog\u2019s stool? First, determine if your dog is pooping blood \u2014 or something else<\/h3>\n
With a dog pooping blood, here\u2019s what to know<\/h3>\n
What to do about your blood in stool<\/h3>\n
Blood in dog stool \u2014 could it be HGE or parvo?<\/h3>\n
The exact color \/ consistency can help determine the reasons behind a dog pooping blood<\/h3>\n
How do you treat a dog pooping blood?<\/h3>\n
Read Next: Is Your Dog Eating Poop? How I Got Mine to Stop<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n