BLOODY STOOL IN DOGS.

The Presence of bright red blood in feces of dogs is common with dogs with bleeding in the lumen of intestine.The common cause in older dogs is usually cancer ,while younger dogs parasites are the usual cause.The color of the blood will give an indication of where the problem is,if the feces is dark and tarry then its digested blood indicating the problem is in the small intestine and stomach, while if the blood is frank and bright red the problem lies in the colon/rectum. The diagnosis involves more than the color of the feces,the history and other signs in the dog will help draw a logical conclusion.The common causes of bloody stool include infectious agents such as bacteria, protozoa,viruses and intestinal parasites. Dietary intolerance, allergy, colitis,bowel disorders , constipation and clotting disorders are also likely causes of blood in stool. Treatment will depend on underlying cause such as 1) antibiotics. 2)deworming medication. 3)adsorbent to coat lumen. 4)changes in diet. 5) provision of plenty water.