Why does my nervous dog have blood in his stool? What tests are best?

Question

Hi I have a jack Russell of 9years 9months who though out his life has had blood in his poo on and off, this was sorted by an antibiotic which worked. What investigation can be done to find out what causes it ? He is a very nervous dog so want as little upset as possible during an investigation. Would bloods tell me anything? Grateful of your advice thanks. Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Male | unneutered | 9 years and 8 months old

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Blood testing on any 9 year old dog is a good idea. It will always tell you something even if everything is normal. This will at least give you a baseline to know what normal is for him if he ever does get truly sick. As for the blood in the stool (hematochezia) there are many things that can cause this issue. The presence of hematochezia may be a symptom of either a minor problem, or a potentially more serious problem. One occurrence of hematochezia may be a minor and transient event. Repeated or persistent hematochezia is more serious and should not be ignored. There are several possible causes. The most common cause in older pets is cancer and in younger pets are parasites. General causes include: * Infectious agents, such as bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and intestinal parasites * Dietary intolerance/allergy/indiscretion * Cancer (neoplasia) of the lower bowel * Polyps (benign masses) in the colon or rectum * Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis *Trauma to the lower bowel or anal area *Clotting disorders (coagulopathy) Diagnostic testing that is often performed as a first round for this issue: * Digital rectal examination (vet using their finger) * Complete blood count (CBC) - (blood testing) * Biochemical profile - (blood testing) * Fecal examination If all that is normal then we usually proceed to: *Coagulation profile (blood testing) * Abdominal X-rays (radiographs) * Abdominal ultrasound * Colonoscopy So, as you can see this can be a pretty complex issue. I would recommend talking to your vet about this more in-depth and consider starting with the first round testing and then go from there based on the results. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Why does my nervous dog have blood in his stool? What tests are best?

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