Jump to content
BC Boards

Blood in stool


Jescano
 Share

Recommended Posts

So I've had Tweed, a 1 1/2 year old bc rescue, for a couple days now. He's had diarrhea for the past couple days(it's sort of firm at first, then more runny at the end) and at the very end of pooping a few drops of blood come out as well. Last night I gave them raw chicken quarters and this morning Tweeds stool was nice and firm in the beginning and looked great, then it was softer at the end(not totally runny though) still with a couple drops of blood. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, I'm assuming since the first part of his poop was totally normal he doesn't have an obstruction. I was planning on keeping him on the raw to see if it will clear up with that and maybe its the kibble he's having an issue with(TOTW, jinx isn't having any problems on it)

 

Does this sound like it needs an immediate vet check. He's acting totally fine otherwise. I think what really gets me is the blood is literally only at the very end, just some drops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to guess that he wasn't fed any raw food while in rescue and that his digestive system is acclimating to the change in diet. If that's the case, some initial dire rears is perfectly normal, and it sounds like he's already well on the way to having normal stools.

 

And the stress of moving into a new home could also be responsible for some loose stools.

 

As for the blood, the dire rears can cause some irritation and hence the blood. If it's just a couple drops and it's bright red, it probably isn't cause for alarm., as it indicates it's at or near the rectum.

 

It's when blood has turned dark that you have to worry, as this indicates blood that was produced further up the intestinal tract and has actually been or begun to be digested. Black, tarry looking stools are of greatest concern.

 

If it were my dog, I wouldn't be running him to the vet quite yet. But if it would ease your mind, maybe just a phone call to confirm?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the blood is frank red it could be just from straining or abrasion of hard stool. Blood vessels near the anus are broken. If the blood is dark red that could be an indicator of bleeding higher in the GI tract and more of a concern.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not dark, tarry, coffee groud-ish(which would be indicative of an upper gi bleed) it's bright at the very very end. Last night was the first time I tried the raw, thinking it might help, which it seemed to. I would prefer to not have to feed him all raw though.

 

Will keep him on raw for a few days and see if it clears up on it's own, if not we'll go to the vet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not have changed the food without a vet check. Fecal first. Just because I assume he came vetted, does not mean he may not be due for another vetting. And then, once that is good, I would have added raw slowly. Too many changes too fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno . . . I changed by last foster over to raw cold turkey literally just moments after I'd adopted her. We hadn't even left the park where the adoption took place.

 

Jescano says Tweed's stools were loose right from the start and actually improved somewhat after the chicken, so I expect it's "nerves" as much as anything.

 

And even if he has intestinal parasites, feeding raw wouldn't be contraindicated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes...I get that. But he wrote...blood in the stool.

If it is stress, give it some time, change then.

If it is parasites, treat it and change but also treat. Hollistically if so desired.

Not saying don't change, saying read what you write and to me it sounds like too much too soon. Nothing else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First thought would to ask if he has been dewormed, second would be to looks toward Coccidiosis from the stress of being moved around, third would be food change and irritated bowel. Some times certain treats will cause it as they seem to go through the system at a accelerated rate irritating the bowel.

If he has not be dewormed in the past 2 weeks I would go with 5 days of SafeGuard/Panacur. I say 2 weeks because if he had a worm load and was dewormed you would likely see signs of the population rebuilding which could easily be consistent with the symptoms. A dog that has a worm load will need a regular deworming program for a couple of months to get the cycle broken. I would also deworm your other dogs, if he is shedding eggs they are likely picking them up unless they are on a heartworm preventative that also takes care of round worms, which would be the culprit we see most often.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh and the raw doesn't seem to be helping anymore. I think I should have just kept him on the kibble. Back to gross diarrhea but no blood this last time. they're both playing right now. So it doesn't seem like he's in pain or anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Y'know, it's possible that even a change to different water from what he's used to could have caused it.

 

Some dogs are very sensitive, but I'm still guessing there's a good chance it's stress.

 

Did the foster home say whether he'd had loose stools there? It might be worth asking, just to know whether this is a new development or something that's been going on for a while. I would hope if it is that they would have told you, but you never know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has the stool been checked by the vet for parasites? It could be so many things -- worms, coccidia, giardia, stress, illness, the list goes on. Blood in the stool is not the same cause for alarm in dogs as it is in humans, but it is still something to pay attention to. I would get what info you can from the foster home regarding whether they did a stool sample (which I would think they must have), worming, any other health issues and then get him to your vet unless the problem should clear up rapidly. I wouldn't wait long because some of the possibilities could have ramifcations for your other dog(s) and even yourself. But I would bring a stool sample to the vet to see what it is you are dealing wtih before trying to treat. Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he has gross diarrhea I'd be putting him on a mix of boiled white rice (I just get the stuff you boil or microwave in the bag) + boiled ground turkey (boiling it eliminates a lot of the fat). Works as a holding pattern until you can get him into the vet.

 

One of my dogs had an issue with diarrhea - it was an issue off and on for months. A course of Panacur (repeated after a couple of weeks) resolved the issue, making me think it was most likely Giardia (often missed even with standard fecal exams).

 

Best of luck!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, well the raw apparently did not help, he had super watery gross diarrhea yesterday.

 

Decided to fast both of them(jinx started having diarrhea too) from about noon yesterday to 4 today. Both of them had good firm stool. No more blood in tweeds.

 

He didn't have worms in the foster home he was in for 6 months and he was on a preventative. I think it was just from the stress of moving. Hopefully everything stays normal. But if not they'll be going to the vet. I don't need sick dogs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all. Last August, these same symptoms happened with my BC female. I got the diarrhea stopped with homeopathic remedies, including a constitutional remedy. Freaked me out regardless, since I had not ever seen this in my dog, so I had her at the vets the very next day. Every conceivable test was run. This incident took place during my mother's illness, so we had people coming and going, including hospice. All tests were negative, so my vet decided that my dog was reacting to the stress. Then said that stress could manifest as physical illness. My vet recommended Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, putting drops in my dog's water, in a mister bottle that I could spritz my dog every so often.

 

Stanzi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After fasting them both haven't had a problem. I think tweed's system just needed a break to kinda "reset." I was fairly sure that it was just the stress of moving that caused the diarrhea, it was just the blood that had me worried. Everything seems all good now. Good firm stool from both of them, except for when they get a lot of exercise at the park it seems it gets a bit softer. But that has happened to jinx since I had him. I think it's because he consumes more water than normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything seems all good now. Good firm stool from both of them, except for when they get a lot of exercise at the park it seems it gets a bit softer. But that has happened to jinx since I had him. I think it's because he consumes more water than normal.

It's not the water. That's a typical sign of a dog that stresses a bit easier, so this whole episode really might have been the stress of the move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...