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Pooping Blood in Dogs
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 04/30/2017Updated: 06/03/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What is Pooping Blood?
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:
- Infectious agents
- Dietary intolerance or allergy
- Tumors
- Colitis
- Proctitis
- Trauma
- Bleeding disorder
- Narrowing of anus or colon
- Anal sacculitis
- Perianal fistulae
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.
Why Pooping Blood Occurs in Dogs
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 parasite, mass, infectious agent, food intolerance or allergy, as well as due to an immune-related or unknown cause.
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.
What to do if your Dog is Pooping Blood
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 signs you have observed in your dog. Signs that may be connected to your dog pooping blood include:
- His having to strain during a bowel movement
- More bowel movements than usual
- Excessive drinking and urinating
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
After discussing any signs 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 signs your dog is experiencing and the test results, your veterinarian will determine why your dog has blood in his stool.
Prevention of Pooping Blood
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.
Cost of Pooping Blood
The cost of treatment for your dog having blood in his stool will depend on why it is occurring. If your dog is experiencing colitis, the average cost is $800.00. Treatment for a bacterial infection in your dog can average around $150, depending upon your location.
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Pooping Blood Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Golden Retriever
Fifteen Years
5 found this helpful
5 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
My dog has jelly like bloody stuff in her poop and I’m very concerned! I have attached two pics below
July 2, 2021
Answered by Dr. Sara O. DVM
5 Recommendations
Hello. I am worried that your dog has HGE. She really needs to see a vey right away. They will want to run bloodwork and start your dog on fluids and medications to help them feel better
July 2, 2021
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Shih Tzu
Three Months
21 found this helpful
21 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood In Stool
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
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
21 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
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Shih Tzu
Five Years
34 found this helpful
34 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood In Stool
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
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
34 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
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Labrador mix collie
6 months
10 found this helpful
10 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood On Stool
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
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
10 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
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Pomeranian
Two Years
13 found this helpful
13 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood In Stool
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
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
13 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
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chihuahua mix
Scout
6 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Loss Of Appetite
Blood In Stool
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.
Golden Retriever
odet
4 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Normal Appetite
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.
