My pregnant dog has mucus in her poop. What could this mean?

Hello. While the stool is not altogether abnormal, I can see your concerns. The first thing to do is take a sample to your veterinarian for a parasite analysis. You want to make sure Soska is not harboring intestinal worms that can be transmitted to her puppies. In the meantime, switch her to a bland diet for a few days. I use 75% white rice & 25% white chicken breast. A little low fat cottage cheese is OK. I would also start her on a good probiotic like Purina's FortiFlora. This is available over the counter. Hopefully, this will help normalize her bowel movements. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This can be a normal discharge. She will start to nest, not eat as much and have some milk from her nipples when she is about to give birth. Most dogs don't have trouble having puppies but it's best to keep a close eye on her with allowing her privacy in a quiet area. Good luck with the puppies. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Pets can have mild blood in their still following episodes of stress. I would recommend adding in a probiotic in her food daily to see if this helps. Culturelle over the counter can be used in pets as it is very similar to the pet formulated probiotics. You should give it daily for the next 7-10 days. If the blood continues past 2-3 days or if you at any point notice a lot of Frank blood or lethargy then it’s best to take Sprinkle to your nearest vet clinic right away. I am not sure what the colorless sticky thing is in her stool, by it could just be a film caused by colitis (inflamed colon). You can repost your question with a picture of it to verify. I don’t see why she wouldn’t still be pregnant at this time based on your description of events. Best wishes with your pet Sprinkle moving forward and I hope that she and her puppies continue to do well. Take care.

This is not necessarily normal but it is also may not be a concern. To be safe I would recommend having her examined by your veterinarian. They can also check her stool for parasites which could be passed on to puppies, and you can discuss a plan for monitoring her pregnancy.

It is not uncommon for bitches to take a touch of gastroenteritis during pregnancy, this leads to an upset tummy with loose motions and sometimes blood, another possibility is worms. It is best not to starve a pregnant bitch so I would try feeding her rice and chicken. If she is dull or has not returned to normal faeces in 24 hours take her to the vet because pregnant animals are more at risk than non pregnant.

Hormonal changes can sometimes cause minor GI upset or diarrhea, however if the diarrhea continues or Mia seems in discomfort or is showing other signs of illness such as loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, etc, it would be best to have her examined by your vet to rule out any more serious issues.

She may be very near whelping. You should make sure she has a whelping box where she can nest. Here is a good Petcoach article on whelping: https://www.petcoach.co/article/whelping-giving-birth-in-dogs/ Observe her, but do not hover....