My puppy has groin lumps, rash, and bloody diarrhea. Is it serious?

Poor guy. The hard lump is hard to say what it is without a photo. It could be a condition called folliculitis or even a pustule (infected pocket). However, with bloody diarrhea, I would highly recommend taking Merlo in to your vet to get him examined and stool tested. Lots of things can cause loose bloody stool including: parvovirus infection, pancreatitis (usually causes vomiting as well and decreased appetite), stress colitis, etc. Once Merlo is examined, the vet will likely put him on a short course of antibiotics and probiotics at the very least for the loose stool. The hard lump will have to be examined first to determine what, if anything, needs to be done for this as well. I hope that your furry friend Merlo gets these issues resolved soon! Best of luck and take care.

I recommend getting him in to see your vet as soon as possible about the loss of appetite and diarrhea. Puppies that young can dehydrate easily and their blood sugar can drop quickly to life-threatening levels. The diarrhea could be caused by parasites, a bacterial or viral infection, or possibly swallowing something he shouldn't have, irritating the GI tract or, more seriously, getting stuck and causing an obstruction. The skin I'm less worried about, though that can be addressed at the same visit. Many puppies develop what is called puppy pyoderma, which is roughly equivalent to acne in humans. Most outgrow it and it rarely gets bad enough to require medication, but sometimes antibiotics and therapeutic bathing is needed to help them heal more quickly.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. This is not likely to be related. I recommend that you have Luna evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Colby. This falls into one of these categories since you say that he isn't acting sick- Any clinical sign (diarrhea) that persists, worsens, or other signs develop (nausea, vomiting, lethargy, etc) this indicates that Colby should be seen by your veterinarian to assess what is going on. So I would just monitor his stools over the next 6-12 hours and watch for other signs. If things worsen, signs persist, or new signs develop, take him in immediately and let your vet take a detailed history and do a physical exam. They may advise some tests which could include fecal/blood tests, x-rays, etc to determine if a problem is present. A treatment plan can be made once a cause is determined or suspected. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by many things including intestinal worms, dietary problems, dietary indiscretion (eating things a dog should not eat), exposure to a toxin by ingestion, infection, etc. Good luck with Colby.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From your description, it sounds as though Muffin has a bacterial skin infection and the bumps you are seeing are pustules. If he is lethargic and having diarrhea in addition to the pustules on the skin, I would recommend taking him in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be licking due to allergies. Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jameson evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. You can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A little bit of blood in the stool is probably an indication of intestinal parasites, something very commonly seen in puppies. The pustules are probably just a bit of a staph infection. I would definitely take Maci to see her veterinarian to examine the stool for parasites. At that time, she may be placed on an antibiotic or a medicated shampoo for the pustules. But I would not worry too much, just have Maci examined at your earliest convenience. Take care.