Why do my dogs have diarrhea and bloody stool? Could it be worms?

The best treatment for worms are the ones on prescription. I would strongly recommend to have Polo checked by your veterinarian and have all your pets treated (some worms can be transmitted by fleas, so ideally flea treatment should be given as well).

I would be concerned with Parvovirus which is highly contagious and often fatal if not properly treated. Given the duration of thee symptoms, however, it seems less likely. I would want to ensure, once well, they get at least 3 DAP vaccines 3-4 weeks apart, plus rabies. Sometimes I will see blood in diarrhea from hemorrhoids from straining against soft stool. In this case, treatment for the underlying cause of the diarrhea will be needed. This could include some Metronidazole, a probiotic, and further deworming. In these cases it is usually a small amount of blood whereas with Parvo it is a large amount of very bloody, foul smelling stool.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It can definitely take several days for the medication to start killing off the intestinal parasites. Blood can be expected in small amounts due to the irritation / inflammation that the worms cause in the intestines. Once the worms have been killed, this should resolve. I would consider putting Tucker on a bland diet for 3-5 days to see if this helps resolve the bloody stool. If the blood becomes more pronounced or you are still seeing worms in the stool 7-14 days after giving the treatment I would bring him back to your vet for further treatment. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. In the meantime, you can also initiate a bland diet as outlined below to see if this helps reduce any further irritation in the GI tract. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

I am very sorry to hear that your dogs are experiencing these problems, I am sure it is very unsettling for you both. There are a number of potential causes of such clinical signs, including dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, parasite infestation, infection, and ingestion of a toxin or poison. Because you have only noticed these signs over the course of a few days I would continue to monitor them at home. Rest their gastrointestinal tracts by holding back food for a few hours. Then you can continue with a bland and easily digested food of the boiled chicken breast and white rice diet and provide plenty of fresh water. I also find that boiled, mashed skinless sweet potato is helpful for diarrhea. If they do not improve, has profuse vomiting or diarrhea, you notice fresh blood, they seems lethargic, in pain or depressed I would advise a trip to the veterinarian. I would also consider a worming treatment if you have not done so in the last 4 months; http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=35694 Here are some links to helpful resources for you; https://www.petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ I hope that answer was helpful and more importantly that they feel better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

This is an assumption of worms because of the color change, but a simple bacterial infection can also cause a change in the color of the poop. At any rate you can try giving Roscoe a broad spectrum dewormer such as Fenbendazole, which covers hookworms, roundworms and whipworms. Visit your local pet store or feed store to see what is available in your area. Hopefully things get better within the next week or so. You can also add a probiotic like Culturelle (over the counter) in his food daily to help with any bacterial imbalance which is suggested because of the blood you are seeing in the stool. You will also need to repeat the deworming in 2 weeks time. I hope this helps and best wishes with your pet Roscoe. Take care.

It is likely still an intestinal parasite problem. I would have her stool retested to ensure she doesn't still have parasites. It is not uncommon for pets to require several rounds of medication to rid them of parasites, especially if they had a large load to begin with. Another possibility is that Princess's GI flora is unbalanced. A round of probiotics is recommended if her stool is normal. https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/49853 I hope that Princess's stool resolves soon! Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A small amount of blood can be expected not as a result of the deworming per se but more as an effect of the worms that are likely there. If if it just a small amount of possibly blood in the stools, I would continue to monitor him for now. If no improvement is noted within a few days, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian could check if this is truly blood and see if Willow needs any other supportive therapy such as a medications for possible colitis. Good luck and have a great day!