My dog ate sand on the beach. His poop is black. Should I see a vet?

Question

My 3.5-yr-old shih tzu had a mostly black poop this morning. Yesterday, he snuck away from me and ate something he found on the beach (not a bone, he swallowed it too quickly). There was also some sand in there. He's been behaving normally. Can I wait to see if his poops return to normal, or should we see a vet right away? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 3 years and 8 months old | 12 lbs

Maria DVM · Accepted Answer

How is Gandog acting otherwise? Is it dark brown or actually black? A lot of times the stool looks black but in fact is a dark brown. If it looks like a black sharpie then it is black and this can mean that there is bleeding in the upper GI tract like the stomach. If it is black (sharpie black) I would recommend taking him to see a veterinarian. If he is vomiting, lethargic, and/or not eating I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian today. If he is acting fine right now you can wait until his next stool and then put a black sharpie next to it to evaluate it. If he is acting fine and your veterinarian is closed today and it is still darker tomorrow you can bring a stool sample into your veterinarian's office and have them evaluate it to confirm. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and Happy Labor Day!

My dog ate sand on the beach. His poop is black. Should I see a vet?

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