My dog's poop is purple or bloody. Should I be worried if he's normal?

Question

Hamilton pooped 2xs between 2-6am and it was tinted purple. It’s normal consistency. He is playing, eating and drinking normally. I called the vet and they said they would get back to me after I sent the picture, but still has not. Should I be worried? What could this be from? Zoom in on picture to see the purple color. He did have the bordatella vaccine yesterday. Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund miniature | Male | unneutered | 3.3 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Based on the picture, it looks as though Hamilton has a bit of dark red blood in his stool. The fact that the blood is red tells me that it's coming from the colon since blood from the stomach or small intestines is black from being at least partially digested. Bordetella vaccines won't cause any bloody stools, but stress or anxiety (possibly from his vet visit?) can cause a bit of stress colitis. Likewise, blood in the stool can occur with intestinal parasites, viruses, or some blood clotting conditions. Since Hamilton otherwise seems completely normal, I would start by asking your vet to send a stool sample to the lab to check for intestinal parasites, including various microscopic worm eggs, Giardia, and coccidia. In the meantime, also keep a close eye on his stool to see if this is an ongoing issue. If this was a one time occurrence, I wouldn't be concerned at all. However, if this is an ongoing issue, it's worth taking him back to the vet for further investigation and testing. I hope that everything goes well!

My dog's poop is purple or bloody. Should I be worried if he's normal?

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