Causes of Bright Red Stoolsīright red blood, hematochezia, in your dog’s stool usually comes from somewhere down in the digestive tract, either in the colon, the anus, or the rectum. There are several reasons why blood might appear in a dog’s stool, and the causes depend on the appearance of the blood, whether it is bright red, dark red, or black. If you notice blood in your dog’s stool, try to pay attention to any other symptoms or signs she may show, and be sure to contact your veterinarian if you are concerned or have questions. Blood in the stool may be a sign of gastrointestinal inflammation, colitis, foreign body ingestion, or some other health issue. There is no preventative available for malabsorptive disorders.If you notice blood in your dog’s stool, typically it may be nothing to be worried about if it only happens occasionally, but it’s not normal and may be the result of an underlying health problem. If improvement is not appreciated over the first week or two, contact your veterinarian. Follow patient closely for resolution of symptoms, especially diarrhea and body weight. Treatment should be directed at the underlying cause, as different disorders require different therapy.Īdminister prescribed diet and medication. Folate and cobalamin (vitamin B12) levels, which are blood tests that assess for malabsorption and bacterial overgrowth.Radioimmunoassay of serum trypsinlike immunoreactivity (TLI), a blood test to rule out exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, a maldigestive disorder that often presents with similar signs.The following diagnostic tests may also be necessary: Borborygmus (noise coming from the gastrointestinal tract)Ī thorough knowledge of history and clinical signs is very important and is most helpful in the diagnosis of malabsorption.Increased frequency of defecation and stool volume.There is a tremendous variation in spectrum and severity of signs. Villous atrophy (wheat-sensitive enteropathy)ĭepending on the underlying cause, different breeds and ages are affected.This results in protein being lost through the gastrointestinal tract and causes profound hypoproteinemia or low protein levels. Lymphangiectasia, which is an obstructive (blockage) disorder involving the lymphatic system of the gastrointestinal tract.

The remaining bowel is incapable of functioning normally, and malabsorption often develops. Short bowel syndrome, which is created after a large portion of the intestinal tract is resected for any number of reasons.Infectious enteropathies, such as bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, rickettsial.Intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is characterized by an overgrowth of normal intestinal flora (bacteria) usually secondary to various gastrointestinal diseases, but occasionally as a primary entity.

Intestinal neoplasia, such as lymphosarcoma, adenocarcinoma and leiomyosarcoma.The cause is unknown, although it is suspected to have an immune basis. Inflammatory bowel disease, a microscopic infiltration of the intestinal wall with inflammatory cells.Many diseases cause chronic malabsorption by interfering with these processes. Canine digestion and absorption of nutrients occur in three sequential phases: intraluminal digestion, mucosal digestion and absorption, and delivery of nutrients to the circulation. Malabsorption refers to deficiency in the absorption of one or more nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of disruption of the normal process of digestion and absorption.

Malabsorption in Dogs Overview of Canine Malabsorption

Digested blood stool in dogs