Could eating horse chestnuts be causing my dog's runny stools?

Ingestion of small quantities of Horse Chestnut tree may cause gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, etc), ingestion of larger amounts may be toxic and also result in neurological signs. There is no specific antidote for this and treatment is supportive with fluids, anti-vomiting/diarrhea medications, gastrointestinal protectants, etc. If she is otherwise acting normal then you could withhold food for 12 hours and then try a bland diet of chicken and rice and see if the diarrhea resolves. If the diarrhea continues and/or she has any additional signs then she should be examined by a vet for treatment. It would also be a good idea to find a way to keep her from eating Horse Chestnuts in the future.

Hi! Dogs do sometimes get a little blood in their stool when they are having diarrhea. Sometimes this is just due to the straining (to produce the diarrhea!) But, we do usually recommend having a pet checked out when bleeding occurs, especially in Lucky's case, due to the history of eating a steak bone. Your vet could examine him, possibly take an Xray, and might be able to prescribe some medications to help ease the diarrhea! Best of luck!

Hello. Yes, your pet can pick up parasites from eating manure, but for the most part, parasites are host specific. Your veterinarian may see some eggs on Costa's next fecal exam, but your heartworm preventative will eliminate the parasites, so this is not anything to be concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Based on the picture, it looks as though Hamilton has a bit of dark red blood in his stool. The fact that the blood is red tells me that it's coming from the colon since blood from the stomach or small intestines is black from being at least partially digested. Bordetella vaccines won't cause any bloody stools, but stress or anxiety (possibly from his vet visit?) can cause a bit of stress colitis. Likewise, blood in the stool can occur with intestinal parasites, viruses, or some blood clotting conditions. Since Hamilton otherwise seems completely normal, I would start by asking your vet to send a stool sample to the lab to check for intestinal parasites, including various microscopic worm eggs, Giardia, and coccidia. In the meantime, also keep a close eye on his stool to see if this is an ongoing issue. If this was a one time occurrence, I wouldn't be concerned at all. However, if this is an ongoing issue, it's worth taking him back to the vet for further investigation and testing. I hope that everything goes well!

Blood testing on any 9 year old dog is a good idea. It will always tell you something even if everything is normal. This will at least give you a baseline to know what normal is for him if he ever does get truly sick. As for the blood in the stool (hematochezia) there are many things that can cause this issue. The presence of hematochezia may be a symptom of either a minor problem, or a potentially more serious problem. One occurrence of hematochezia may be a minor and transient event. Repeated or persistent hematochezia is more serious and should not be ignored. There are several possible causes. The most common cause in older pets is cancer and in younger pets are parasites. General causes include: * Infectious agents, such as bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and intestinal parasites * Dietary intolerance/allergy/indiscretion * Cancer (neoplasia) of the lower bowel * Polyps (benign masses) in the colon or rectum * Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis *Trauma to the lower bowel or anal area *Clotting disorders (coagulopathy) Diagnostic testing that is often performed as a first round for this issue: * Digital rectal examination (vet using their finger) * Complete blood count (CBC) - (blood testing) * Biochemical profile - (blood testing) * Fecal examination If all that is normal then we usually proceed to: *Coagulation profile (blood testing) * Abdominal X-rays (radiographs) * Abdominal ultrasound * Colonoscopy So, as you can see this can be a pretty complex issue. I would recommend talking to your vet about this more in-depth and consider starting with the first round testing and then go from there based on the results. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I'm sorry that Azazel isn't feeling well! Bloody stools in a young dog can be caused by IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, or much less commonly a growth or trauma. Eating a large amount of his normal food would not, by itself, cause bloody stools. If his stool looks like raspberry jam, I would recommend taking him to the vet or an emergency clinic right away. If there are just streaks of blood on the outside of his bowel movements, and he's actually totally normal (eating, drinking, good energy, has pink gums) it's not an emergency just yet. In that case, I would recommend feeding him a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice and giving him a day to see if it resolves. If after a second day (so 48 hours total) he's still have blood stool or is having diarrhea, it would be wise to have him checked out at your regular vet. Bring a fresh stool sample to any vet you end up seeing so they can check him for intestinal parasites. Wishing you and Azazel the best of luck! Let me know if this was helpful and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Horse feces does not cause cancer, so there are no worried there. Willow should be fine, at most you might see some GI upset in the form of vomiting or diarrhea. Dogs eat feces all the time, including their own, and it's a normal but gross behavior. You don't have to worry Sharn!