Dogs
Little amounts of blood is not something uncommon in dog's stool. But if you notice heavy discharge of fresh blood or blood clots, you need to tackle the matter with utmost care. It may be an indication of some serious hidden disorder occurring in the body of your pet dog. Some of the accompanying symptoms of blood in dog's stool are dark stools, loose motions, vomiting, increased urination, pale gums, lethargy, excessive thirst and loss of appetite and weight. In case you notice these signs of bloody stool in your dog, then you should immediately take him to a veterinarian. He will go through the medical history of the dog and will conduct a physical examination to determine the exact cause of bloody stool in your pet dog. He may take the help of a few diagnostic tests to confirm his suspicion of the cause. These tests include complete blood count, urinalysis, endoscopy, coagulation profile, fecal examination, biochemical profile, serological test for microscopic pathogens and abdominal ultrasounds.
Causes of Bloody Stool in Dogs
The possible causes of bloody stool in dogs can be one of the following.
Medical treatment for bloody stool depends on the underlying factor. If the presence of parasites is the reason behind it, then de-worming medication will correct the condition. Similarly, for bacterial and viral infections, drugs comprising antibiotics and antivirals may be prescribed respectively. Unfortunately, there is no cure for parvovirus, but the necessary supportive care can be provided to your canine friend. This is the reason why emphasis is laid on regular vaccination of the dogs. In case of cancer, treatment is provided according to its stage. If allergy is found to be the causative factor for bloody stool in dogs, then a diet program that excludes the allergen may be prescribed. Usually, the elimination of the allergic agent restores the dog's health back to normal. In addition to the treatments provided by the veterinarian, you should take care of certain things that will work towards speeding up the process of recovery. Some such important things are mentioned below.
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Dogs
Bloody Stool in Dogs
Little amounts of blood is not something uncommon in dog's stool. But if you notice heavy discharge of fresh blood or blood clots, you need to tackle the matter with utmost care. It may be an indication of some serious hidden disorder occurring in the body of your pet dog. Some of the accompanying symptoms of blood in dog's stool are dark stools, loose motions, vomiting, increased urination, pale gums, lethargy, excessive thirst and loss of appetite and weight. In case you notice these signs of bloody stool in your dog, then you should immediately take him to a veterinarian. He will go through the medical history of the dog and will conduct a physical examination to determine the exact cause of bloody stool in your pet dog. He may take the help of a few diagnostic tests to confirm his suspicion of the cause. These tests include complete blood count, urinalysis, endoscopy, coagulation profile, fecal examination, biochemical profile, serological test for microscopic pathogens and abdominal ultrasounds.
Causes of Bloody Stool in Dogs
The possible causes of bloody stool in dogs can be one of the following.
- Infection of the digestive tract caused by bacteria like clostridium and salmonella.
- Viral infection of the stomach, rectum, colon or other parts of the digestive and excretory system. The commonly responsible virus are 'parvovirus' and 'coronavirus'.
- Allergies against a particular foodstuff, leading to dietary intolerance.
- Action of intestinal parasites in dogs, like whipworm and ringworm, may cause bleeding of colon and rectum.
- Contraction of parts of the digestive tract due to disorders like cancer and inflammation.
- Clotting disorders affecting the digestive tract.
- Anal sacculitis or inflamed anal sac.
- Intussusception, better described as the squeezing of one part of the bowel by the other.
- Disruption of colon or rectum caused by fractures in the pelvic region.
- Inflammation of the rectum or colon.
- Injury to lower part of the bowel and anal region.
- Ingestion of stuffs with sharp edges like bone, nails or needles.
- Action of protozoans like coccidosis.
- Presence and action of polyps in the intestine.
- Cancerous growth of the lower part of digestive tract
- Certain bleeding disorders or coagulopathies in the body.
Medical treatment for bloody stool depends on the underlying factor. If the presence of parasites is the reason behind it, then de-worming medication will correct the condition. Similarly, for bacterial and viral infections, drugs comprising antibiotics and antivirals may be prescribed respectively. Unfortunately, there is no cure for parvovirus, but the necessary supportive care can be provided to your canine friend. This is the reason why emphasis is laid on regular vaccination of the dogs. In case of cancer, treatment is provided according to its stage. If allergy is found to be the causative factor for bloody stool in dogs, then a diet program that excludes the allergen may be prescribed. Usually, the elimination of the allergic agent restores the dog's health back to normal. In addition to the treatments provided by the veterinarian, you should take care of certain things that will work towards speeding up the process of recovery. Some such important things are mentioned below.
- While your dog suffers from such a bleeding disorder, it is advisable that you do not feed him on bones. The sharp pieces of the bone may further aggravate the internal cut or wound.
- Give your dog bland food comprising boiled rice and meat. This will cause no additional load on the dog's digestive system.
- Give him little amounts of food in an interval of 2-3 hours instead of heavy meals. This is again for not exerting any pressure on his digestive system.
- Garlic is known to treat digestive disorders. Add 3-4 cloves of fresh garlic to the dog's meal once a day.
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Canine diarrhea is one of the most common dog health problems. There are numerous causes for this condition and they include change in diet, food intolerance and consumption of table scraps or waste materials from trash. Sometimes, this condition...
- Blood In A Dog's Stool
Passing of blood in the stool occasionally, is considered quite normal for dogs. However, when there is a heavy discharge of red, or fresh clots of blood in the dog's stool, it can be a serious cause of concern. However, as a responsible pet owner,...
- Puppy Diarrhea
The joy of bringing a cute puppy is boundless. However, along with happiness, you are being assigned the responsibility of taking care of your cuddly companion. Puppies of all dog breeds are very inquisitive and many times, they end up ingesting...
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