While passing clear liquid and blood can look frightening in your dog’s stool, it generally indicates some type of digestive upset.
Dog pooping clear liquid that contains blood can be alarming for pet owners. However, there are a few potential causes behind this symptom that range from mild to serious.
Getting to the root of the issue requires understanding your dog’s health history and when the symptom started.
Overview
Seeing blood mixed with clear liquid in your dog’s stool likely indicates some type of gastrointestinal (GI) distress.
The blood is often digested and therefore appears dark red, brown, or black rather than bright red. Some of the most common causes include:
- Dietary indiscretion or food intolerance
- Parasites
- Inflammation and infection
- Tumors or polyps
- Liver or kidney disease
While any dog can experience digestive upset leading to loose stools, certain breeds like Boxers and German Shepherds may be prone to inflammatory bowel disease.
Age is also a factor, with younger pups more likely to have dietary issues and older dogs at higher risk for systemic diseases or cancer.
What To Watch For?
Along with watery stool that contains blood, watch for these other signs of GI problems in your dog:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Straining to defecate
- Mucus in stool
- Abdominal pain or bloating
Sudden onset of symptoms, especially in a previously healthy dog, warrants a trip to the veterinarian. Chronic issues in older pets also deserve medical attention.
Potential Causes
Here is a deeper look at some of the possible reasons behind dog poop that looks clear red or brown:
Dietary Indiscretion
Dogs are indiscriminate eaters. Counter surfing, garbage raiding, and eating random objects, plants or critters can disrupt your dog’s digestive system.
The resulting diarrhea clears out the GI tract, taking any blood from irritated areas along with it.
This is generally an acute condition lasting 24-48 hours. Withhold food initially and reintroduce bland foods slowly once stools start firming up.
Parasites
Whipworms, hookworms, giardia and coccidia are intestinal parasites that can cause watery bloody stool in dogs.
Protozoal infections like giardia also produce that telltale foul, sulfurous odor. Stool sample testing and microscopic examination reveals these parasitic culprits.De-worming meds clear out most worms.
Metronidazole is effective against protozoa like giardia. Probiotics and fortified diets help reset normal gut populations.
Inflammation and Infection
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colitis, and GI infections like parvovirus cause inflammation, ulcerations and bleeding in the intestinal tract. This produces bloody mucus-filled diarrhea.
Dogs usually require medications like sulfasalazine and anti-diarrheals, plus low residue diets. Antibiotics, anti-nausea and IV fluids manage acute infections.
Tumors and Polyps
Growths or masses in the GI tract bleed easily. These are more common in middle aged and older dogs. The blood can be bright or dark depending on location.
Surgical removal of benign polyps may be curative. Cancer requires chemotherapy, radiation, or palliative surgery for debulking. Prognosis depends on tumor type and spread.
Liver or Kidney Disease
End-stage liver and kidney disease disrupt these organs’ ability to filter toxins from the bloodstream.
Toxins damage the intestines causing ulceration, bleeding and diarrhea.
Veterinarians manage kidney and liver disease through medications, dietary changes, IV fluids and other supportive therapies. Prognosis depends on severity.
When To See the Vet
Schedule a veterinary visit if your dog has bloody diarrhea for more than 24 hours or if concerning symptoms accompany it.
Call the vet immediately if your dog shows signs of toxicity like vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, or collapse. Also seek urgent care for puppies with bloody stool as they dehydrate rapidly.
To best help diagnose your dog’s condition, bring a fresh stool sample along with you. Provide a detailed history of your dog’s diet and activity.
For recurring issues, keep a log noting the occurrences and what preceded them. With supportive care guided by your vet, most dogs recover well from acute episodes.
But recurring bloody stools or those linked to systemic illness warrant further testing and observation.
