Common causes of diarrhea in dogs
There are some likely culprits that can cause diarrhea in dogs:
Because there is such a wide variety of potential causes of diarrhea in dogs, it can be difficult to know when your dogs symptoms are reasons to contact your vet. Below, we offer some tips to help you decide when a case of diarrhea is worth a visit to the doctor.
If your dog is experiencing bloody diarrhea, the first and most straightforward thing to do is to contact your vet. There are two types of bloody stool to look out for when your dog is experiencing diarrhea:
Hematochezia is caused by bleeding in the lower digestive tract or colon. It is bright red in color and could indicate certain potential medical complications.
Melena is blood that has been digested or swallowed. It is dark, sticky, and almost jelly-like in consistency and it serves as an indication that there may be a serious problem with your dogs upper digestive tract.
A singular streak of blood is often no cause for concern. If, however, the bleeding is consistently present or appears in larger amounts, that is a clear sign of a potentially serious problem, such as a viral or bacterial infection, parvovirus, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and even cancer.
If you find blood in your dogs stool, in any amount, it is always best to contact your vet. Giving detailed information about your observations allows your vet to give you thorough instructions on what to look out for, and if your dogs symptoms require a visit to the vet.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BLOOD IN DOG STOOL
Blood in dogs’ stools can be bright red, technically known as hematochezia, which would suggest a bleed from the lower intestines, usually the rectum or colon. With hematochezia, you might notice fresh red blood mixed in with your dog’s stools or perhaps notice a few drops of blood whilst your dog is pooping.
On the other hand, blood can also make your dog’s stools look black and tar-like, this is because it is digested blood and probably originates from the upper intestine – the medical term for this sort of bleeding is melana.
Melena can be harder to spot, especially if your dog’s poops are sometimes dark anyway, in fact often it can only be confirmed by analysis at the vets. It’s sensible to ensure you are aware of the normal colour and consistency of your dog’s poops so that if you notice anything unusual about them you can take a closer look.
Sometimes your pooch has just eaten something that has caused his stools to change colour, but it could be symptomatic of something much more serious and the quicker it’s picked up the better.
Along with blood in his poop your dog might be presenting with other symptoms too such as lethargy, being off his food, vomiting or have bloodydiarrhoea. Obviously, if you are worried your pet is unwell and suspect that your pooch has blood in his stools it’s important to get him checked out, immediately if he is pooping large amounts of blood or is vomiting as well.
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