My dog suddenly has bloody, runny stools. How concerned should I be?

Question

My border collie has suddenly started having bloody and runny stools, how concerned should I be? Pet's info: Dog | Border Collie | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

You should be very concerned. Bloody runny stool could be caused by colitis, hemorrhagic gastroenterits or parasites, or a viral or bacterial infection. Parasites such as giardia will cause bloody diarrhea and can be diagnosed via a fecal sample and/or a blood test. bacterial infections will need to be treated with antibiotics. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is a serious life-threatening condition which must be ruled out, especially if your dog is lethargic and appears very ill. If your vet suspects the latter, he will want to do blood tests, possibly xrays, and will want to hospitalize your dog for monitoring, iv fluids and pain medicine as well as antibiotic treatment. So, if your dog is lethargic and appears ill, you need to take him to a vet right away. If he is lively, eats, drinks and appears otherwise normal except for the bloody diarrhea, make an appointment with your vet, mentioning it is bloody, so that you get a timely date.

My dog suddenly has bloody, runny stools. How concerned should I be?

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