Can gently poking my dog's belly really cause internal bleeding?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In theory any sort of blunt trauma on the abdomen can cause internal bleeding. However, in reality, it requires a good amount of force which from your description it does not seem to be the case. I recommend you keep a close eye on Jax for any signs of bleeding or just any traumatic injury from this event. Signs you would watch for include severe weakness, lethargy, pale gums and/or collapse. If observed, having examined right away. If he is fine after the next 24-48 hours, in all likelihood he will be just fine. Good luck with your boy!

It would depend a bit on how hard you poked him, but in general I would not expect this to cause any serious problems. As long as Jim is acting normal and there is no bruising or other sign of injury on his stomach, I wouldn't be concerned.

There is a chance that could happen to Jim, but if you didn't close the door hard on his stomach, then it is not likely. You can monitor him for now, and if his stomach appears tender or he acts as if he is in pain, you can take him into the vet for a health check.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like there might be a small puncture near the bruised area? This would mean that Rosie was bitten on the abdomen. These types of injuries could be associated with internal damage, and should warrant immediate veterinary care. If there is no wound, then I would still be concerned about the sudden appearance of a bruise. Bruises can form if there is a bleeding or clotting issue or internal bleeding.

Internal hemorrhage is possible but in a young puppy it would usually happen secondary to a blood clotting disease like hemophilia, ingestion of a toxin like rat bait, or a severe infection. Blood loss could happen from intestinal parasites but I wouldn't expect a purple belly. An intussception is an intestinal problem that could cause an obstruction and result in a perforation of stomach or bowel leading to the signs you noted. GDV would be very very unusual in a young puppy, typically larger breed older dogs are affected. If you noticed signs only two hours before he died (and since it sounds like he is a young puppy) I think the likelihood of him surviving regardless of the cause would be pretty low if you had made it to the hospital - I am making a wild guess here without knowing what may have happened but I would say 2-4/10. If this happened recently you may be able to have a necropsy (animal autopsy) performed which might reveal a cause of death - talk to your regular veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian if you are interested.

I recommend you put some folded gauze on the lesion to stop the bleeding and tape that on. You should have this examined by your veterinarian, as there are various conditions that can cause this: 1) a coagulation disorder, 2) cutaneous hemangiosarcoma) 3) a severe bruise 4) other trauma. Depending on the size of the blood vessel that is bleeding, or the cause this may be dangerous.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chewy. Yes, this area does appear to have a bruise. However, bruising is not common in dogs and can indicate a bleeding disorder. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian today. Bloodwork should be tested. I hope this information helps!