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My dog didn't poop, is constipated, and has red blood in stool. Help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 10 years and 10 months old | 8.5 lbs

A few small spots of brick red color blood on my dogs stool today. Stool is hard and she did not "go" at all yesterday. No noticeable damage to anus. No behavior changes. Eating, drinking as normal. Cause for serious concern, or ok to wait and check next stool?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 7th, 2017

It's not normal to have blood in the stool, and if Lola didn't go at all yesterday and her stool is currently hard, it could be that she has constipation. Constipation can be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. I recommend giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps. If she is still constipated in 24-48 hours, she will need to see a vet as she will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 26th, 2017

    Poor Trixie Start! It could be that the blood appeared in her stool because she was constipated and it caused some trauma to push it out. I can give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps. I recommend giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps. If she is still constipated in 24-48 hours or she continues to have blood in her feces, she will need to see a vet as she will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 30th, 2018

    Hi, and thanks for your question. That may be due to constipation. Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. In his case it is best to have him checked if the signs persist. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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