
Jump to section
Should your dog be pooping blood (also known as hematochezia or having blood in his stool), it is likely that you will notice when you are scooping up his poop. There are various reasons as to why your dog would be pooping blood to include:
How serious it is that your dog is pooping blood will depend upon its cause. Blood in your dog’s stool will frequently point to an underlying condition that needs to be identified and addressed.
The reason for your dog pooping blood will depend upon its cause. For example:
Infectious Agents
Parvovirus, corona virus, bacterial infections (Clostridium and Salmonella), protozoal agents like coccidiosis and intestinal parasites like hookworms and whipworms are all infectious agents that can lead to blood in your dog’s stool.
Dietary Intolerance and Allergy
This can occur as the result of eating food that is no longer good, overeating, consuming a material that is not edible, a sudden change in diet or eating their human’s food can cause inflammation in your dog’s lower bowel and blood in their stool. An allergy can occur to a protein in a particular food causing colitis and blood in your dog’s stool.
Masses
These can be present in the colon, rectum or anus and include benign and malignant tumors.
Colitis
When blood in your dog’s stool is ongoing, it can point to his colon being inflamed, which is also called colitis. Colitis can be caused by a mass, infectious agent, food intolerance or allergy, as well as due to an immune-related or unknown cause.
Proctitis
This is when the rectum of your dog is inflamed. In many cases this is linked to colitis.
Trauma
Trauma from a bite wound to your dog’s anal area, a pelvic fracture that interrupts the colon or rectum, a sharp item ingested and passed or an instrument or material being placed in your dog’s rectum can lead to blood in his stool.
Bleeding Disorders
Should your dog have a bleeding disorder, he may bleed from the lining of his lower bowel. Types of bleeding disorders include thrombocytopenia, which is when there is a decrease in the number of your dog’s platelets, inherited clotting disorders like hemophilia and abnormal platelet function problems, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (the result of a severe infection, organ failure or a major liver disorder).
Narrowing of Anus or Colon
This is secondary to other trauma, inflammation, cancer or foreign body. When stools are passed when the anus or colon are narrowed, bleeding can occur.
Anal Sacculitis
An inflammation or an abscess of the anal sacs can lead to the consistency of the fluid in the anal sacs to change into a bloody liquid. This liquid can provide a coating to the stools as your dog defecates.
Perianal Fistulae
Ulcerations that can be seen in the skin around your dog’s anus. If the ulcerations connect to the anus, blood can be present in the stool.
Top
If your dog is pooping blood, you will want to make an appointment for him to be examined by your veterinarian to determine what is causing this to occur. Upon examining your dog, your veterinarian will likely ask you for information regarding any other symptoms you have observed in your dog. Symptoms that may be connected to your dog pooping blood include:
After discussing any symptoms that you have noticed in your dog and depending upon what is seen during the examination, your veterinarian may conduct a rectal examination, a complete blood count and biochemistry profile, urinalysis, fecal examination, coagulation profile, abdominal x-rays and ultrasound and/or a colonoscopy. Through the examination, an understanding of the symptoms your dog is experiencing and the test results, your veterinarian will determine why your dog has blood in his stool.
Top
To prevent an infection by infectious agents, you will want to keep a close eye on your dog and keep him on his leash so as to ensure that he does not eat feces of an unknown animal. It is also important to keep your dog from eating food that has spoiled and minimize the human food that he eats. A veterinarian or technician can perform anal gland expression on a monthly basis which will help your dog avoid developing anal sacculitis.
Providing your dog a well-rounded, nutritious diet and ensuring he gets plenty of exercise will help his overall health. It is a good idea to take your dog for annual examinations so that your veterinarian can catch any issues before they become a serious health concern.
Top
The cost of treatment for your dog having blood in his stool will depend on why it is occurring. For example, should your dog need his anal glands removed, the cost can be between $750 and $2,000, depending on the cost of living where you reside. If your dog is experiencing colitis, the average cost is $800.00. Treatment for a bacterial infection in your dog can average around $1500, depending upon your location.
Top
*Wag! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Items are sold by the retailer, not Wag!.
Ask a Vet
Shih Tzu
Three Months
Unknown severity
3 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My dog has been releasing small amounts of blood from his anus. He's a boy so it's not possible that it's menstruation. He releases blood from anus even though there's no poop in it.
Sept. 29, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
3 Recommendations
Parasites are very common in puppies, and can cause blood in the stool and rectum. The best thing to do at this point would be to have a fecal sample analyzed by a veterinarian, as they look under the microscope for parasite eggs and can give treatment for any parasites that may be there. I hope that all goes well for him.
Sept. 30, 2020
Was this experience helpful?
Shih Tzu
Five Years
Unknown severity
5 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My male dog ate some red meet and eggs my daughter dropped on the floor, for 2 days he’s had diarrhea and now it’s turning into very bloody diarrhea. He doesn’t have any other symptoms, and doesn’t act like he’s in pain.
Sept. 28, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
5 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. Bloody diarrhea can be quite serious. If he is acting normally otherwise, you can try feeding him a bland diet of boiled white chicken and boiled white rice, and see if that helps over a day or two. If not, he should see a veterinarian, as he may need medications to help him. I hope that all goes well for him!
Oct. 5, 2020
Was this experience helpful?
Labrador mix collie
6 months
Unknown severity
1 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My 6 months old puppy has blood on her poop. What do I need to do. She is still very active tho and still eats and drinks water. It is the 2nd day now
Sept. 28, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
1 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. Parasites are a very common reason for this problem in puppies. It would be best to have your veterinarian look at a fecal sample, as they can look under the microscope for parasite eggs and can give treatment if needed.
Oct. 8, 2020
Was this experience helpful?
Pomeranian
Two Years
Unknown severity
2 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My dog acts fine but yesterday and today he has been pooping with loose stool and droplets of blood. I am not sure why.
Sept. 26, 2020
Owner
Dr. Michele K. DVM
2 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. I apologize for the delay in my reply, this venue is not set up for urgent emails. He may have eaten something that he was not supposed to, or may have parasites. If he is still having problems, It would be best to have your pet seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine them, see what might be going on, and get any testing or treatment taken care of that might be needed.
Oct. 19, 2020
Was this experience helpful?
Pit Bull
Eight Months
Unknown severity
0 found helpful
Unknown severity
Has Symptoms
My dog just stopped eat and now he started to get diarrhea now it’s blood. He has a vet appointment tomorrow, but my anxiety is to the extreme bc I’ve never dealt with this before with my other dogs ages 12, 6, and 4. I’m so afraid of letting this continue overnight. He’s drinking plenty of water but gagging it back up. He was fine til yesterday night
Aug. 6, 2020
Owner
Jessica N. DVM
0 Recommendations
Hello- Thank you for your question. I am sorry your puppy is not feeling well. Diarrhea with blood is not uncommon in dogs when their colon is inflamed which occurs with diarrhea. With that being said if he continues to vomit and is having diarrhea I worry about dehydration. It would be a good idea to consider having him seen at the emergency veterinarian tonight so they can assess the cause of the vomiting, diarrhea and inappetence and provide some anti-emetics, fluids and supportive care measures to help him feel better. I hope he feels better soon.
Aug. 6, 2020
Was this experience helpful?
Scout
chihuahua mix
6 Months
Moderate severity
0 found helpful
Moderate severity
Has Symptoms
My puppy is about 6 months and almost 2 days ago started with vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea. I took him to a vet and tested him for parvo- negative, his vet decided he most likely had in infection from something he ate but did not run more tests. My dog was prescribed an antibiotic and a probiotic and put on an GI diet. His vomiting stopped but his diarrhea hasn’t (to be expected- it will take a few days for his probiotic to kick in) but there’s been a lot of blood in his stool. He doesn’t really want to eat his new food but has had a few handfuls. The hospital I took him to said to wait a few days for the medicine to begin to work and if no improvement to take him back in. He’s going on 2 days feeling this way and so I’m worried because of all the blood and want to know how concerned I should be.
odet
Golden Retriever
4 Months
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
Every time my dog Odet skips a meal, she poops blood with fishy smell that's why i feed her 3 times a day. Her appetite will be back after several hours and then back to normal.
Lucy
Terri-Poo
3 Years
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
My niece's female terrier mix is in heat and she noticed today that the dog has blood in her poop. She is approximately 3 years old and up to date on all vaccines. Is this normal when a dog is in heat?
Lexie
Silky Terrier
14 Years
Serious severity
0 found helpful
Serious severity
Has Symptoms
My 14 year old Lexie had a bout of pancreatitis a few months back. We have changed her diet, per our vet, however, for the past 2 days, she has not eaten much (maybe a small handful of dry kibble with rice) and will not eat anything. Today, she has blood in her bowel movement, sleeping nearly 20 hours a day, and not eating. She has lost about 3 pounds over the last few months. Help please!
coco
Bichon Frise
1 Year
Mild severity
0 found helpful
Mild severity
Has Symptoms
My bichon frise coco, recently for the last two days has blood in his diarrhea. He is still playful,energetic, still eats normal, expect for when he goes to the bathroom. The previous owner never had this problem and I'm nervous as to what is going on. This is my first small dog I have always had Pitbull's, German Shepard's and Labs. I have never experience this before with any of my other dogs. This being my first small dog I have been feeding him soft foods and the previous owner stated that they always mixed his foods. I will try tonight to mix and hopefully this is the reason to his stools being like that. Not sure if this is the right thing to do for him.. Need Advice
About Wag!
© 2020 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
About Wag!
© 2020 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
Security