Presence of trace amount of blood in a dog's stool is quite normal. However, if your pet dog is suffering from diarrhea and the stool contains blood in large amounts, then you need to take the matter seriously to save his health. There can be various other noticeable symptoms accompanying bloody diarrhea in dogs. These are vomiting, pale gums, increased urination, reluctance to move, loss of appetite and weight and increased thirst. Timely medical intervention effectively treats such a condition.

What Causes Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs?

There can be numerous factors that lead to bloody diarrhea in dogs. The most common among them is digestive tract infection caused by microbes like bacteria and virus. The examples of bacteria capable of causing bloody diarrhea are clostridium and salmonella. The examples of causative viruses are 'parvovirus' and 'coronavirus'. Allergy against foodstuffs and other substances that got ingested somehow can cause bloody diarrhea in dogs. It can also be a result of the action of intestinal parasites in dogs, e.g., whipworm and ringworm.

Disease conditions such as cancer and inflammation of any parts of the digestive system may lead to its contraction. This, in turn, results in bloody diarrhea in dogs. Certain bleeding disorders or coagulopathies in the body can lead to blood in stools of dogs. Other common causes of bloody diarrhea include action of polyps and protozoans in the intestine, bowel injury, intussusception and disruption of colon or rectum caused by trauma in the pelvic region.

How to Treat Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Medical treatment for bloody diarrhea depends entirely upon the reason behind it. It involves determination of the exact underlying factor, followed by its treatment. Once the reason behind bloody diarrhea in dogs in cured, the dog starts having normal stools and leading a normal life. In order to detect the correct cause for canine bloody diarrhea, the veterinarian may conduct certain symptomatic tests. The diagnostic tests mostly include, urine test, stool test, ultrasound of the dog's digestive tract, endoscopy, biochemical profile, serological tests, etc. Usually, the information obtained from these tests are sufficient to help the veterinarian to diagnose the causative factor of bloody diarrhea.

Suppose, the presence of parasites is detected as the cause for the presence of blood in your dog's stool, then the veterinarian will prescribe de-worming medication to restore the normal health state. Similarly, for treating bacterial and viral infection, he will recommend some antibiotic or antiviral drugs respectively. Unfortunately, no effective antiviral drug is available to destroy parvovirus completely. Therefore, if your dog is suffering from digestive tract infection caused by parvovirus, then it can receive only some essential supportive care. This is the reason why it is so important to get your canine friend vaccinated on a regular basis.

Medical care and attention is efficacious enough in treating bloody diarrhea in dogs. Still, there are many things that you can do to provide your pet dog some relief and speed up the process of treatment. First of all, exclude the allergen from the diet of your dog. This will stop the immune reaction of the dog's body, and hence, will bring its health back to normal. Secondly, stop feeding your pet dog on bones. Since it is already suffering from bleeding of some part of its digestive system, the sharp pieces of bones can further aggravate the condition. Thirdly, feed it on soft and easily digestible foods. The examples of such foodstuffs are boiled rice and chicken. This will reduce the workload on its digestive system. Fourthly, do not add additional pressure on its digestive system by feeding it on large meals. Instead, make it eat small amounts of foods so that its digestive tract gets favorable conditions for recovering fast. Fifthly, add 2-3 cloves of garlic to your canine friend's meal at least once a day. Garlic is highly effective in treating bloody diarrhea. Last but not the least, allow your dog to take rest. This will assist its body to recover quickly.

Sometimes, there is a foul-smell accompanying bright red bloody diarrhea in dogs. Such a condition occurs when some internal structure is bleeding heavily. This is a state that requires immediate medical attention. If you find your dog's case similar, take him to a veterinarian as early as possible.