Question Regarding My Dog

[Targa Me]

I have a black lab, he's 5 years old (approx).

He's been having a digestive problem I think. He had a little accident in the house yesterday, diarrhea. I noticed there was a little bit of mucus and small traces of blood in it. Should I be getting him to the vet or is this a regular dog problem that'll pass?

Right now, he's on a Blue Buffalo, Grain Free diet (for about 2 years now).

Suggestions?
Thanks.

[recycled sixtie]

I am not a vet but owned a black lab Sally for 14 years but passed away 2 years ago. Now Sally would eat everything in site but never had blood in the stools. I would think that you should take your lab to see the vet as it could be serious but also could relieve your apprehension.

The dog cost lots when I went to the Emerg. vet but daytime visits are more reasonable.
Cheers, Guy

[Rikao4]

if your concerned ..
go..
no Vet...
do have 3 of those in various combo's..
and Finn having gotten into the peppers did same..
was fine within 24 hrs..

blood if not coffee ground in color hasn't gone thru the mill..
could be a simple straining incident when he had his boboo..
watch for..
vomiting / excessive thirst / restless...
as that probably means it hasn't passed or can't..

Rika

[SiberianDVM]

Mucus and blood in the stool is usually indicative of colitis, which can be caused by many things. One occurance is usually nothing to be concerned about. A recurrance, have checked.

This assuming you have normal "yearly" checkups and vaccinations, fecal checks, heartworm checks, etc.

[vash]

is the dog still eating and drinking?

a vet told me this was the big indicator of more nefarious issues.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Mucus and blood in the stool is usually indicative of colitis, which can be caused by many things. One occurance is usually nothing to be concerned about. A recurrance, have checked.

This assuming you have normal "yearly" checkups and vaccinations, fecal checks, heartworm checks, etc.

From another dog owner - thank you Doc for your response. We are fortunate to have your contributions!

OK.....out of curiosity, I just looked it up:

Colitis is an inflammation of the colon. It is responsible for about 50 percent of cases of chronic diarrhea in dogs. The signs of colitis are painful defecation, prolonged squatting and straining, flatulence, and passing many small stools mixed with blood and mucus.

Lots of additional info on the net....

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&client=firefox-a&hs=jek&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=sb&q=canine+colitis&oq=canine+colitis&gs_l=serp.3..0j0i7i30l7j0j0i7i30.14951.16615.0.169 96.7.7.0.0.0.0.202.650.6j0j1.7.0.ekpsr...0...1.1.5 8.serp..0.7.638.YtcVW6wNwf8

Thanks again Doc!

[SiberianDVM]

You are welcome, and I hope Targa Me's Lab gets back to normal soon.

I was out of town 3 days this weekend racing, and my mom had to feed my 3 old critters. They were glad to see me, especially when I showed them the leftover Whopper and fries!!

[Targa Me]

Thank you SiberianDVM.

I will keep an eye on him. He doesn't appear to strain when "going". Eats well, drinks well, and is very active. Enjoys his walk, tug of war and fetch the ball. We play these every day after work.

[SiberianDVM]

Some dogs just have the occasional slightly bloody, mucusy stool. Still, if it happens again, take a small FRESH sample in a sealed throwaway container to your vet right away even if you can't take the dog.

[Targa Me]

^^^
Will do.
Thank you.

[WilShel]

Our Lab had the same thing 2 weeks ago and Vet said it was colitis and prescribed Metronidazole 500 mg 1 tablet every 12 hours for a week. She is back to normal now and doing great! Good Luck on your dog!