Why Is My Labradoodle Having Diarrhea With Bright Red Blood? (Vet Answered)

Hi Kavey,

Thanks for writing in. Seeing blood in your dog's feces is always a bit alarming, but it's not always a major cause for concern. Bright, fresh blood usually indicates bleeding from either the distal colon or rectum, or from the perianal region. Although no blood should be considered normal, a small amount can appear if there is damage to the inestinal walls or anus from straining or inflammation, which often accompany diarrhea. Trauma, anal gland infactions, or clotting disorders can also result in blood in the stool, but these would be considered less common.

When a dog has diarrhea, it often results in inflammation of the colon, known as colitis, which can be acute, or chronic, as with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease or food sensitivities. The occasional bout of diarrhea with small amounts of blood isn't unusual, and provided your dog is eating, drinking, and behaving normally, monitoring them closely while feeding them a bland diet for 24-48 hours is often appropriate.

However, if you are seeing any other changes, such as vomiting, inappetence, lethargy, or anything else out of the ordinary, you should take Bentley to see a vet ASAP. If this is happening more and more frequently, it is important to make an appointment with the vet, particularly as he is getting older. Dogs can develop food sensitivities at any age, so it's worth making sure he isn't having any digestive issues, and if you want to talk to a vet in more depth, you can head over to Pangovet.com and make an appointment for an online consultation.

Hopefully, this is just a minor blip for Bentely, but remember, it's always better to be safe than sorry!

Dr Karyn