My dog has a blue or purple stomach. What does this color change mean?

Blue and purple spots could be bruises and if they are spreading I would be worried that your dog may have a coagulation problem. This would be very serious and would need to be investigated. A small blood test will find out whether your dog is either suffering from a congenital blood coagulation disorder or possibly ate some rodenticide which can cause the blood not to coagulate. Of course it could also just be hyperpigmentation. There are various causes for that, one being an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce too much cortisone (cushings disease). I would recommend you make an appointment for an exam with your veterinarian.

Yes. Purplish discoloration can indicate inflammation but if it looks like bruising, that can indicate internal bleeding. Best to get her checked out today! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

It appears packer is having some bruising of his umbilical area. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian for a good physical exam. Some dogs have small umbilical hernias that occur at birth. Fat or even intestines can get stuck in the hernia and cause problems. Also he could be having a local skin reaction but it is really hard to tell by a picture. Hope that helps and he feels better soon.

The picture shows skin that has a pink tint to it on my screen. But a purplish color could indicate issues with anemia or the red blood cells. I would recommend that the breeder have the puppy examined by a vet to see if it is significant. A CBC and examination of a blood smear will help determine if there are any red blood cell abnormalities.

This looks like hyperpigmentation. It typically occurs in lightly pigmented, sparsely haired regions as dogs get older. It can also be caused my inflammation so just make sure she is not spending too much time sunbathing and that there are no other signs like licking/scratching/lesions. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.