My dog's poop is purple. What does this color mean and is it serious?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor little Kiwi! This could be due to colitis for example. This can happen from a variety of conditions such as gastroenteritis, intestinal worms, parvovirus, dietary indiscretion and colitis as previously mentioned. I advice that you switch Kiwi to a bland diet mainly of boiled chicken breast and white rice for now (for 2-3 days) as this is easily digestible and well-tolerated. However, it would be a good idea to have Kiwi evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. At the very least, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe something to treat his diarrhea. Good luck!

A change in food or treats could alter the color of the feces. It could also look abnormal if Riley is getting into something he shouldn't, like people food. Stool that is darker on the outside could also indicate that the feces is sitting in the colon for longer than normal. This could be due to dehydration or constipation. To avoid this you can add a fiber supplement (like Metamucil) to his food and/or increase water intake and/or add wet food to the dry food. As long as Riley is acting normally, defecating normally and still eating well and is active, I would not worry too much about it. If the poop continues to look abnormal I would recommend taking in a sample to your vet to be checked. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If your dog has recently been in an accident or possibly ingested a toxic substance, blue or purple discoloration can be caused by bruising or internal hemorrhaging. Otherwise, this could be a condition called cutaneous hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is seldom a disorder in its own right, but rather a result of another medical condition. This can include conditions such as bacterial infections, [allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/canine-allergies/), [Cushing's disease](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/cushing-s-disease/) and [obesity](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/obesity/). Inflammation is typically responsible for the emergence of hyperpigmentation, unless your dog is a Dachshund. Hyperpigmentation is a primary disorder for Dachshunds. Signs of [hyperpigmentation](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/pigment-changes-of-the-skin-and-coat) include a dark purple, blue, or sometimes black or pale brown color to the abdomen, limbs, and groin. Texture changes may also occur to the skin, in which case you will notice the skin becoming more dense and course. Regardless of the cause, I recommend that you have your dog examined by your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of the color change in your dog's skin.

I am sorry Fang is having this issue. If this was a one time thing I would say monitor him and do a bland diet (boiled chicken and white rice). If he is still having issues then I do recommend having him see a veterinarian. They can prescribe medication to make Fang feel much better. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Fang feels much better soon.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The discolored stool could be one of two things. It could be blood but it doesn't typically look like that. Blood will either darken the stools if the bleeding is high up in the gut or be bright red in color if the bleeding is occurring lower in the gut. This looks more like food coloring or dyes from the diet or some treats that Chewy may have consumed. If this continues, worsens, or persists you should at least discuss this with your veterinarian. Your vet can assess the problem in person and advise you on what to do. Honestly, I think it's some dye or coloring that was consumed so I would just monitor it closely. Good luck with Chewy.

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!

I would most certainly get his stool checked for parasites. If he is otherwise acting normal and eating well, then this is the most likely cause. If he is not fully vaccinated and also acting ill, then he could certainly have parvovirus. You can try offering a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice for now to help settle his stomach until you can get him seen by your vet. I hope that your pet Major is able to recover soon. Best wishes and take care.