My dog's poop is black after parvo. Is this normal or concerning?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Nayla! I am very glad Nayla is on the road to recovery! Yes, the diarrhea will persist for several days after parvo viral infections. More due to the fact that intestinal lining is what is affected from virus. It takes time for the lining to repair itself and for absorption to return to normal. Very black tarry stool indicates upper gastro-intestinal bleeding. It could be residual from stomach ulceration. If she has more black stool I would call your Vet and ask if that is the color of her diarrhea while she was hospitalized. They may want to add pepcid or another antacid if she isn't on one. I hope this helps and I wish Nayla continued improvement!

I am sorry to hear that Oscar is so ill. His symptoms are very suspicious of parvovirus, which can be lethal to pets. He could also have intestinal parasites. The black stool indicates that he may have some blood in his poop. You should take him to your local vet to get tested. If he does have parvovirus then he needs treatment (i.e. antibiotics, fluids, pain medication) through your vet for any chance of survival. If he only has intestinal parasites, then the vet can prescribe the appropriate dewormer based on which parasites are present on his fecal exam. I hope your puppy gets well soon and does not meet the same fate as your other poop puppy. If your pup does well, then make it a point to get Oscar vaccinated soon to protect him from deadly viruses like parvovirus and others, which are totally preventable through regular immunizations. Best wishes!

Poor Scooter. I am so glad that she is doing better. All the signs you describe seems like she is improving. The tarry black stool looks like either digested blood or it could be a side effect of pepto if you gave her any of that. If she is eating and drinking and starting to become more active then I think she is on the mends! With her being so small, you could continue the pedialyte for a few more days until you are confident that she is feeling 100% better.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In dogs infected with parvo virus, there can be long term health effects from the infection such as chronic gastrointestinal disease. I would recommend going on a sensitive stomach formula and adding in a probiotic to see if this helps. As always, check the stool for intestinal parasites to make sure a parasite is not the cause. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Black stool indicates digested blood from the upper GI tract (esophagus, stomach or upper small intestines). It could be that Daisy's dewormer killed a large burden of parasites in her stomach that contained blood, or that she has a significant GI ulcer. Daisy should see her vet to determine if there is a likelihood of active bleeding, a heavy burden of parasites in her stool, and then treat with any necessary antacids. Given her young age, this sign is more concerning and urgent in nature.

Some antibiotics may have this color. Pinkish feces are not normal, but I would recommend to wait and see if the signs are persistent or not. If they are another check up is likely to be needed as blood could be present in it. You can post a picture of it on the forum so we can see it and give you more specific answers. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Black, tar-like stools are common with bleeding in the stomach, upper GI tract. Bleeding that occurs lower in the GI tract with have red blood in the stools. I have never needed a human test to check for blood in the GI tract. Gastroenteritis is a common cause for blood in vomit and/or stools. Some cases are mild and respond to medications and out-patient treatment, while others, such as HGE, require hospitalization, IV fluids, and IV medications. Some dogs will have very dark stools that are normal and do not contain blood.