My dog's poop is purple or bloody. Should I be worried if he's normal?
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!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025