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Why is my dog's poop dark or black? Is it a sign of internal bleeding?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cocker Spaniel | Female | spayed | 30 lbs

Noticed her poop this morning which worries me as her poop has never been his dark

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5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on November 9th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Penelope. I would advise that if this continues, worsens, or other signs develop, you should take her to your vet immediately. Dark stools like this can be an indication of bleeding into the intestinal tract or stomach. This could be due to an ulcer that has developed and is bleeding, something she ate, among other things. It also looks like there is a lot of mucous or gel-like substance which can indicate that something is irritating the lower intestinal tract or the colon. Again, this can be something she ate or intestinal parasites (whipworms in particular). Your vet can take a detailed history and perform a thorough physical examination. Once those are done, they can advise you on a diagnostic/treatment plan. Possible tests include fecal, blood, urine tests and possibly some x-rays to start out. Good luck with Penelope.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    In the photos, that looks like that could be blood. I would recommend to take Penelope into the vet today. Bring a stool sample with her. The vet will be able to determine if that is blood and what the next steps should be. Many things can cause a bloody stool and this needs to be addressed asap. Good luck with Penelope!

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    Answered By Justin Plunk, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 12th, 2017

    Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! One thing to bear in mind is to stool color. Dark-colored stools are usually due to melena, a condition where blood is digested within the gut prior to defecation. It sounds to me like Bella could have eaten something that started upsetting her stomach and moved to her small intestine. I think it would be a good idea to have her seen by a veterinarian sooner if possible to make sure it is nothing serious. This could be anything from parasites to a clotting problem. Also, dogs get dehydrated very rapidly from vomiting. It can also cause some secondary electrolyte imbalances within their bodies. Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances require intensive care and fluid therapy to correct. I hope this helps and that Bella gets better soon!

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    Answered By Amy S. Eutsey, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 15th, 2020

    Hello. That appears to be a normal looking bowel movement. It is a dark shade of brown but does not appear blackish which would indicate blood. Typically, if there is something as serious as a GI bleed.....there are other symptoms such as lack of appetite or possibly vomiting or diarrhea. If she is bright, alert, happy, playful and eating and drinking normally- those all point to a healthy cog. The type and color of her dry dog food may impart this very dark color. Dry foods such as Iams or some of the fish based dry foods that have very darkly colored kibble usually do produce dark stools. Continue to monitor her for other symptoms to determine if she has a concerning problem. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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    Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 23rd, 2017

    This is concerning given his vaccine history and I would recommend you bringing him to a veterinarian ASAP. The dark color of his stool tells me that he is digesting some blood further up his GI tract, possibly his stomach. Although Parvo virus is a possibility, so is pancreatitis, GI ulcers, and parasitism. Your veterinarian can check for Parvo right away, and once that is ruled out can look into the other differentials .

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