There are many different causes of blood in the stool. Probably the most common is colitis; this is inflammation of the second part of the guts or ‘large bowel’. Other symptoms of this condition include straining excessively to pass a motion and mucous on the stool. Sometimes the first part of the guts ‘small intestine’ is also inflamed which can mean that loose faeces or diarrhoea is also passed. There are many different causes of colitis such as infection with various bugs and food allergies. You should always wash your hands carefully and observe strict hygiene measures when looking after a dog with blood in its stool.

Less commonly, lesions such as benign and malignant forms of cancer in the large bowel can also cause blood in the stool. There are other very uncommon causes of blood in the faeces such as blood clotting problems.

Any dog that has blood in its stool should be taken to the vets. The dog is quite likely to need some prescription only drugs or investigations. It is also vital to give the vet an opportunity to examine the dog thoroughly to rule out any serious underlying problems.

Hope that helps.

Kind regards,

Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com