Dog has bloody diarrhea, stomach noises. When to see emergency vet?

Question

Hi. I’m wondering if I should take my dog to the emergency or observe him further. He pooped normal earlier today, then a few hours ago his stomach was churning and making noise. Then about an hour ago he had diarrhea with blood. I will attach a photo. What could it possibly be? What should I do? Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Male | neutered | 20 lbs

Amber Da Silva, DVM · Accepted Answer

I'm so sorry that Carlo is not feeling well. The most common reason that I see for having fresh blood in the stool is a condition called colitis. This is an inflammation in the large intestine that commonly occurs after a change in diet (or if they eat table scraps, get into the garbage, etc.) or have a stressful event. They can be acting normal with colitis even though they have diarrhea, but I have seen dogs lose their appetite or vomit as well. Most of the time it is easily treated with a bland diet and a course of an antibiotic. Another possibility is a more serious condition called hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. This causes severe bloody diarrhea and can result in life-threatening dehydration that necessitates hospitalization for IV fluids. I think the biggest thing to tell you whether to take him to the vet tonight or wait until your regular vet is open is his attitude, energy and appetite. If he is still acting normal, wanting to eat and drink and isn't vomiting or lethargic, it is probably OK to wait until the morning. If he is refusing to eat, is acting down, or vomiting, I would take him in right away in case it is something more serious than colitis. I hope this helps and that Carlo feels better very soon!

Dog has bloody diarrhea, stomach noises. When to see emergency vet?

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