Why is my dog leaking blood after an enema? When should I worry?

Poor girl. I can see how this would worry you based on what your vet has told you. An enema can cause some irritation of the colon, especially as the hard feces exits out of the system. This is not uncommon. I would treat her with antibiotics and a probiotic to see if this improves the bloody stool first before having to do x-rays unless there is additional information that the vet is aware of to cause concern. As long as she is acting normal and eating well, she likely will improve with probiotics and antibiotics alone over the next 4-7 days. I am not sure what kind of injection your vet gave, but a probiotic and bland diet should be started right away. You can even use over the counter probiotic Culturelle daily for now and then ask your vet for Metronidaozle (antibiotic) to help with the inflammation of her gut. I hope that Dora recovers soon from her recent bout of constipation and now irritation. Best of luck and take care!

There should never be blood in stools, so it is certainly abnormal. Some medications could cause bleeding in the GI tract, so I would stop any medications and call the vet for advice. He should be examined by a vet or emergency vet if additional symptoms develop, such as lethargy, poor appetite, or vomiting.

If he is generally still quite active and bright and there are no other signs a part from the blood ( a pic of it would help to give you more advices), I think he could potentially wait until the am to be seen by your local veterinarian. The signs you are describing are commonly related to a colitis (inflammation/infection of the last part part of gastrointestinal system) usually related to dietary indiscretion or infection. As a first approach, I would suggest to start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. 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.

Anal glands are possibly infected and severely inflamed. Antibiotics are likely to be needed and it is possible that pus and infection is still inside the glands. In some cases an underlying tumor of the anal glands is seen and that must be checked by your local vet. 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.

It is likely that the bone is causing some constipation and obviously as the bone fragments try to pass they cause lots of inflammation and pain. If you have any lactulose or liquid paraffin at home you could give him two tablespoons three times a day mixed with a bit of food to ease the passage. I would definitely have him checked over tomorrow, starved from midnight in case he needs an enema or x rays. The fresh blood is indicating that the problem is in the lower tract of the gastro-intestinal tract so almost made its way out, however bones absorb a lot of water due to the high Calcium content, and can become extremely hard and difficult to pass. If at any times he should appear lethargic, vomiting I would try to get him seen earlier than tomorrow.

The constipation may be the result of an anal sac infection or rectal tumor. It sounds like Roscoe is in pain also. Please take him in for an exam and an enema to relieve the constipation and they can also check his anal glands and do a rectal palpation to check for a mass. Roscoe may need pain medication and antibiotics if they find an infection. They can then discuss his diet and whether he needs additional fiber added to his diet. I like to add a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to each feeding for added fiber. This does sound like a painful and possibly serious problem so please take Roscoe in soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Roscoe.

Good that the full workup last week was normal. Isabella may be straining to pass hard stool, and I'd recommend adding a bit of fiber like pumpkin to her diet, or ask your vet for a stool softener. She may be straining so hard that she is causing bleeding in her little anus area, or her anal glands could have some bloody discharge. If she is eating and drinking and not acting painful this is a good sign that nothing major is going on. I like Royal Canin Fiber diet for these issues as a long-term diet.

This is common in small dogs and can be from the diet, stress or an infection. Usually when they are small with bloody diarrhea, it is recommend to see a vet as this can require hospitalization due to dehydration. It is unlikely the dye as this is more a myth with no science to prove so. Your vet can check for an infection and start medicine to help

This could be bloody diarrhea from colitis, pancreatitis or a number of other diseases. It's also possible that the blood is coming from an anal gland. I would recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian right away - if there is excessive bleeding she may become dehydrated quickly.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that Peanut isn't feeling well. It sounds like he has soft stool or diarrhea, which makes dogs strain to defecate as the irritation and inflammation of the rectal area makes them feel like they have to go. This can also cause the rupture of tiny blood vessels in the rectal area, which may cause the red liquid you are seeing. I don't recommend giving him anything over the counter, but if he is acting okay otherwise and not vomiting, you might consider withholding food for the evening and then try feeding him boiled chicken with rice to see if his stool will firm up. If he still has the soft stool and straining tomorrow, I highly recommend bringing him to the vet. At the vet's office, they will examine him, take his temperature, and likely check his stool for parasites, which can cause soft stool. They may also recommend an abdominal x-ray. I hope Peanut feels better soon!