Are you noticing the problem of bloody stool in your dog? Read what are you supposed to do if your dog/puppy has blood in its stool/feces.
Blood in Dog Stool
Passing trace amounts of blood in the stool is considered quite normal for dogs. But when you see a heavy discharge of red or fresh clots of blood in your dog's stool, it can be a serious cause of concern. Clinically, the condition is known as 'Hematochezia'. In such cases, the animal discharges bloody stool and sometimes, has to make a great effort while defecating. Generally, bloody stool in dogs is an important sign of gastrointestinal problems. But blood in the feces may sometimes be indicative of serious disorders in the body. Below we have detailed the causes and helpful remedies for curing bloody stool in dogs.
Causes
Apart from gastrointestinal disorders, there can be numerous reasons for blood in dog's feces. These are some of the major causes of the disorder
- Bacterial infections like 'Clostridium' and 'Salmonella'
- Certain allergies from food additives, emulsifiers or fats
- Contraction of the anus or colon, due to cancer, trauma or inflammation
- Different intestinal parasites like whipworm and ringworm
- Disruption of colon or rectum, due to fractures in the pelvis area
- Inflammation in the anal sacs or 'Anal Sacculitis'
- Inflammation of the colon (Colitis) or the rectum
- Overeating or ingestion of sharp things (bone, plastic, needles)
- Presence of benign and malignant tumors in the abdomen
- Presence of protozoal agents like 'Coccidiosis'
- Sudden change in the dietary plan or consuming food meant for people
- Viral infections such as 'Parovirus' and 'Coronavirus'
- Other bleeding disorders in the body
Home Remedies
Treatments may vary according to the causes of Hematochezia. Listed below are essential home remedies that you can adopt to stabilize and cure the problem.
- Avoid giving commercial or packaged food to the animal.
- De-worming is necessary in the case of parasitic problems.
- Give him 4-5 small servings, instead of two large servings.
- Include white rice, cottage cheese and boiled potatoes in the diet.
- Provide a bland and hypoallergenic diet with high fiber content.
Specific Cures
Here are some of the treatments that can be undertaken with proper medical supervision or guidance.
- Certain drugs can be administered to control the rate of movement of food through the intestines
- Cleansing enemas or local surgeries are required to extract foreign bodies like bones and needles.
- Corticosteroids can be taken to cure immune-related Colitis.
- In severe cases of vomiting and diarrhea, intravenous fluid and electrolyte treatment becomes necessary.
- Masses of colon or rectum can be removed with the help of surgery.
- Suitable antibiotics with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties can be provided orally or injected into the body.
- Sometimes shock treatments are undertaken when there is severe breakdown of the animal or it gets very weak.
Though these home remedies may help you to control the disease, yet proper veterinarian counseling sometimes becomes a necessity. Do not wait if the problem continues after 24 hr. Take a fresh sample of stool to the veterinarian for accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment.
