My dog is pooping blood.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Susan...this can often be very scary! I have a few questions for you first before I answer though:

Is Winter still bright?
How is the dog's appetite?
Have you given him or her any new food or treats recently?
Any vomiting?


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Dr. Marie replied:

We often get questions about dogs who are pooping with some blood and usually the owners are quite worried. However, with dogs, it only takes a little bit of inflammation in the colon to cause bleeding, so it is very common to have bleeding along with diarrhea. The steak is probably the culprit!

As long as your dog is bright and alert I would not be too worried. The best thing to do in cases like this is to give her a period of 24 hours with no food (water is ok) followed by small meals of chicken and rice. Then, after a couple of days you can gradually add back her regular dog food. Make sure she has no treats or table scraps in this time.

If she is still not feeling well in 24-48 hours or if you think she is very uncomfortable then a vet visit may be in order.

***ADDED***
I wanted to add some additional information for those reading this question. If your dog has bloody diarrhea and is NOT bright and alert, then there could be a serious problem. If your dog suddenly got bloody diarrhea and is really quiet, lethargic and not eating then this could be a sign of a condition called HGE (hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). HGE can be very serious and does need a vet visit right away.

As usual, let your gut be the judge. If you feel something is wrong, then it's best to be safe than sorry and see the vet!

I hope she does ok!