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My puppy has red poop. Is it an emergency if I can't get a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | neutered | 3 months and 15 days old | 25 lbs

My puppy has red tinted poop- the last Petco Pet Education Center vet answered and said to take him to the vet immediately but they don’t have an appointment until Friday. Is this an emergency?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 26th, 2020

As long as Iggy is eating, drinking and acting normally, and is not having any profuse vomiting or diarrhea, this is not an emergency. Red-tinted stool typically occurs with irritation to the colon that can be caused by a variety of issues, like irritation from a virus, parasites or even bleeding disorders. While it's certainly worth having Iggy evaluated by his vet and having a stool sample checked for intestinal parasites, this isn't necessarily an emergency! I hope that all goes well!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 26th, 2020

    Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Iggy. I would be concerned that there is blood in his poop. It could be he has intestinal worms, as those are very common in puppies. I would have him checked out by a vet for this, as there can be very serious causes of blood in the poop like parvo. I'd take him into a vet today. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on July 10th, 2020

    That is a bit discolored! While some foods can cause a change in stool color (especially if they have food coloring/dyes), other things to look out for include issues such as irritation of the lower half of the GI tract (allergies, irritation, etc) or even some internal parasites. If you can directly connect it to eating something with dye, I would keep an eye on your pup and see if his stool returns to normal after a day or so. If he continues to have red colored stools, they worsen, or he shows any signs of illness (pain going potty, sore stomach, not wanting to eat or drink, vomiting, etc) I would have him examined by your vet right away.

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