Treating a Bloody Stool Mucus and Diarrhea in Puppies

Treating a Bloody Stool Mucus and Diarrhea in Puppies

November 6, 2012

Treating a Bloody Stool Mucus and Diarrhea in Puppies

Focusing on the quality and consistency of feces is of importance for all dogs, but particularly for puppies. Pups are more subject to becoming dehydrated, anemia or red blood cell problems, and sepsis that can be seen with some stomach contagions. The faster that anyone observes issues such as watery feces or blood , the sooner the pup can get a specific diagnosis and treatment plan and the easier it will be for the pup can recover from the ailment. Red blood in the stool, or hematochezia, is rarely normal for any dog, but can be particularly of concern for a puppy. A miniscule amount of streaked blood mixed with a dry hard stool is usually the byproduct of excessive straining due to but any greater amount of blood is a reason for concer. When dogs are older, hematochezia can be due to medical problems such as anal gland abscesses or a growth. These types of problems are infrequently seen in pups. In young puppies, hematochezia is nearly always triggered by either intestinal parasites or worms or parvovirus enteritis. Digestive system parasites are extremely common in young dogs, with a lot of puppies actually born infected with roundworms. The typical types of intestinal parasites seen in puppies are coccidia, roundworms and hookworms. Any of these parasites can cause blood to occur in the stool. Hookworms and roundworms are frequently accompanied by a loose stool or diarrhea, and coccidia frequently causes a mucous filled, bloody stool. Because intestinal parasites are so common in puppies, every puppy should be checked for the presence of parasites regardless of whether no abnormal stool is noted. The vet will perform a fecal exam to check for the existence of minute parasite eggs inside the feces. Because eggs are not shed 100% of the time when a puppy has parasites, the fecal examination isn’t 100% sensitive, and might have to be repeated multiple times to confirm a parasite problem. If a bug is identified the young dog will be prescribed an appropriate dewormer and will probably need follow-up exams to be completely sure the parasite is disposed of. In some more severe cases where the parasites have also caused anemia or dehydration, the dog could need to be hospitalised and have fluids administered. Parvovirus is less common than intestinal parasites in puppies, but is way more severe. Overall, parvo in pups is thought to have a survival rate of roughly 50% with veterinary care. The disease is a virus that is spread from one pet dog to another via the feces. A particularly helpful vaccination for parvo is a normal part of the puppy vaccination series together with the routine adult vaccination schedule. For this reason, most older dogs and fully immunized puppies aren’t susceptible to the illness. However , for unvaccinated or under-vaccinated puppies, the illness is a concerning problem that can have dire consequences. The pathogen attacks the abdominal lining, causing malfunction of the ordinary absorption process, which causes the young dog to lose massive amounts of fluid from the body in the guise of diarrhea. At the same time, the malfunctioning of the intestinal lining enables bacteria to move from the interior of the intestines where they are usually located to the bloodstream, where they can cause harsh systemic infection called sepsis. As the abdominal lining is eaten away, some bleeding can take place and bloody diarrhea may be noted. The mix of dehydration, sepsis, and blood loss will kill most puppies unless they are cared for in a hospital and then receive intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and other medicines. Any blood in a puppies stool ought to be taken seriously and examined by a vet right away, especially when seen with vomit, a desire to not eat, or overall sleepiness. To prevent this problem, it is really critical to start vet exams and vaccines instantly upon getting a new pup, and to follow the vets advice on repeating vaccines and fecal exams to test for intestinal parasites and to stop parvovirus. Ms. Doggins is the publisher of this and many other essays on blood in puppy stool and other pet health issues. She publishes the leading and most visited resource on dog health and is frequent volunteer animal shelters.

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