Blood and Mucous in Dog Stools

From LoveToKnow Dogs

The presence of blood and mucous in dog stool usually indicates some sort of infection or parasitic infestation. Read the the Dog Expert Dog Expert's advice to concerned owners.

Problem: Blood and Mucous in Dog Stools

Hi,

I have a Collie that is up to date on all of his shots, but for the last two days he has had very watery stools. The last one was virtually 100% jelly-like, yet clear with a faint trace of blood and an overwhelming odor. Is this just a case of bad diarrhea? Should I just feed him chicken and rice for a bit until the stool becomes normal? I normally feed him Pal dry food. Please advise.

Many thanks~~ Stef

Expert Reply

Hi Stef,

Blood and mucous in your dog's stools does indicate a problem, but it will require your vet to sort out the cause and determine the appropriate treatment.

The condition could be due to:

  • A worm infestation such as roundworm, tapeworm or hookworm
  • A virus such as parvo or corona, and yes, a vaccinated dog can still pick up these viruses, but usually to a lesser degree
  • A case of colitis, sometimes referred to as irritable bowel syndrome

Since you mentioned that there is also a terrible odor to the stool, the disturbance is likely located in your dog's large intestine. Basically, I recommend that you contact your vet and take in a stool sample for analysis. Your vet will examine the stool for parasites, and also test for the presence of certain viruses and bacteria.

If it is a case of colitis, your vet will prescribe medication to control it and also put your dog on a special diet to keep intestinal disturbances to a minimum. If it's worms, your vet will give your dog a deworming medication that should clear up the symptoms fairly quickly.

In the meantime, I don't believe it would hurt to put your dog on a chicken and rice diet for a few days.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your dog returns to normal very soon.

~~ Kelly

Bloody Stools and Canine Stress

Hi,

I have an 18-month-old female Yorkie. About five months ago, I bought a five-month-old male, and the female dog started to have blood in her stool. I took her to the veterinary clinic, and they told me that it was due to anxiety over the new puppy. Well, I got rid of the new puppy and everything was fine.

I just went to the United States and came back to Italy (I'm in the military), and she is having blood in her stools again. What is going on with my dog? Do I need to take her to the vet again?

~~ Annie

Expert Reply

Hi Annie,

I'm curious. Did the vet look at a stool sample from your dog or run any other tests, or did he only offer the anxiety/stress theory? Stress can wreak havoc with a dog's health, and it could be the root of your dog's stool problem. Your recent change in environment might actually bear this theory out. However, it's usually best to run some conventional tests to rule out a physical cause.

At the very least, I would take in a stool sample for your vet to test for worms. This can cause blood in the stools. Your dog may have also suffered from a bit of constipation, and the bleeding might be due to an anal fissure. Whatever the cause, I do believe that another trip to the vet is in order.

Thanks for your question, and I hope that things turn out alright. Keep us posted.

~~ Kelly.

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Comments

Hi Jenn,

The best thing you can do is make an appointment with a regular vet. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by a virus, worms or a bowel infection among other things. Your dog may need antibiotics to clear an infection, so please make that appointment right away.

Best wishes for your dog's recovery.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hi my name is jenn and i have a 3 yr old boston terrier and for almost 2 wks now he has been pooin bloody diarrhea. I took him to the emergency vet, they didnt test him for anything they just gave me metroniazole something like that, and her i am 5 days later and he still pooin blood, what should i do? what might this be? thanks

-- Contributed by: Jenn

Hi Betty,

Are you able to contact the owners at all by cell phone, computer or some other means? That way they could make the decision about the vet call, and they could reimburse you for the trip if they decide they want you to take the pup in.

There are a number of things that can cause blood and mucous in a dog's stool. Stress is one possibility, but worms and viruses are also common culprits.

If possible, try to save a stool sample in a plastic ziplock bag. The vet will need it for analysis. That said, there's no need to rush to the vet at this point unless the puppy is having repeated blood and mucus movements. If she's otherwise acting normally, you should be able to make it until tonight when her owners return.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for the puppy's health.

-- Contributed by: Kelly
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