My older dog has bloody diarrhea. Should I give more Pepto Bismol?

Question

Yesterday evening my 11 yr old female mixed breed dog began experiencing very watery and runny diarrhea. Gave her 3/4 pepto bismol tablet. Had another stool during the night that was also runny but perhaps not as watery. Gave her another 3/4 tablet. Latest stool is what I would describe as semi runny and trying to form. I’ve noticed some red blood at the end of the really runny stools like when she experienced colitis couple of years ago. Should I give her another 3/4 tablet or is that not safe. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 11 years old | 86 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

It sounds like your dog has a case of colitis again, an inflammation of the colon, resulting in an increase in the volume and frequency of stools.   Colitis can be caused by many different things. Some of the more common causes include intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, irritable bowel disease, pancreatitis, a foreign body/blockage and viruses.    I think it would be OK to give your dog another tablet of Pepto and see how she responds. If, after this last dose the diarrhea is still persistent I would recommend taking her into the vet. Because she is an older dog I worry that there could be other underlying issues or that she may become dehydrated and weaker more quickly than a younger dog and may need supportive care. Your vet will likely want to check a stool sample and may recommend some lab work, a dietary change, and/or antibiotics.   I would also recommend feeding her and bland diet for a few days, like plain boiled chicken and rice. This may help settle her G.I. tract as well. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

My older dog has bloody diarrhea. Should I give more Pepto Bismol?

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