Maddox is pooping blood - a lot of blood
 

Maddox is at the vet right now. When I got home last night I saw that he'd had diarrhea and I could tell he didn't feel well. He was drinking water, didn't seem dehydrated and was active - just not as much as usual - so I decided to wait until morning and then take him in if he wasn't any better.

He didn't have any more bouts of diarrhea during the night. But about 4:00am his stomach started making loud gurgling noises. Just minutes before my alarm clock went off he curled up against me and whimpered a couple of times. I already knew we were headed to see the doctor.

We got out of bed and I followed him to see if he would eat or drink. Instead, he went to a potty pad and pooped a BIG puddle of dark red blood - no poop, just blood. Every few steps after that he's squat a little and more blood would drop out. I raced to get dressed, scooped up a sample of the red puddle, wrapped his messy bottom in a town and headed straight for the vet. The doctor wasn't in yet so I left him there while I came on to work. I'm waiting for a call from them now.

Any ideas what could be wrong? Does the dark red blood mean something good/bad? Please, please pray for my baby! I'm so scared.

Bonny

Dark blood is considered "old" blood. If it is red then it is new blood which means he is still bleeding somewhere. Prayers are with you and Maddox now. Hope all turns out alright and it is nothing major. Hugs!!!

I hadn't seen any signs of blood before this morning. Does that mean he wasn't bleeding somewhere yesterday, or just that he wasn't expelling it?

Thank you for the hugs! I'll take all I can get right now.

Oh no! Sending lots of prayer!

Pls keep us posted on his condition...

I honestly can't answer that. From my Nursing training I know dark blood is old and can be from a few hours to days old. Bright red is fresh blood that is still or was just bleeding. He could have eaten something that when digested scratched the lining and caused bleeding and by the time he pooped then it came out as old blood. Then again with having diarrhea that makes the bottom sore and will cause bleeding but the amount you are describing is a lot and I just could not speculate on its cause. I am so glad you got him to the vet right away so they can figure it out and get him treatment if needed.

Just know he is in great hands right now and keep positive thoughts. Sending more prayers and more hugs. I know the waiting is hard but hopefully you will get the call that all is well soon.

Oh Bonny, I'm sorry, I know it's scary for you both. Had Maddox ate anything different?

Sophie Kate had a couple of episodes of bloody stool (last summer), similar to what you're describing. The one thing the vet and I narrowed it down to was the Cheerios I would sometimes give as snacks. Either the grains or the sugars Renee thinks caused the problems. Since then she doesn't get Cheerios and hasn't had a another episode.

Hoping your hear soon and all is okay with your little guy.

Keep us posted Bonny~he's at the vet and in good hands.

I will Ryan. Thank you!!

When coming out the rectum, dark red blood usually means the blood is coming from higher up in the intestinal tract, not down around the anus area from like a hemorrhoid.

I hope your little one is ok. Please keep in touch. We will be praying.

Thank you Vicki and Jodi. I have a great vet....I just wish they'd call me with some news. :(

Thank you for all the info. I'm taking hope in the thought that the darker blood means he isn't bleeding any more (or at least not as much).

The only somewhat new thing he had was a small piece of Stella & Chewy's dehydrated raw treat. It's something that Bing sent along with Dolly and now all my babies love them. The treat is sort of dry and soft enough to crumble easily, so I don't think it could have scratched anything but maybe it upset his tummy? He only had a tiny piece of one though. :confused: He hasn't had any other treats or chews of any kind in a while.

Oh Bonny I'm sorry to hear this. Sending good thoughts and prayers to Maddox.

Gosh, what a scare, Bonny! I hope and pray it is something that is easily and quickly treated! Hugs to you! I'll be checking back for an update!

Bonny,
Sending prayers for Maddox and hugs to you. Please keep us updated.

Ohhhh, that doesn't sound good. Trying not to panic here.

Thank you Karen and Connie.

I couldn't stand it, I had to call to see what's going on. The doctor just took Maddox to exam him so they said I should get a call within 30 minutes or so.

You did the right thing getting him to the vet right away. They have medications and methods to get this under control. Don't panic. I have Crohn's and have had same symptoms and rushed to ER on many occasions. They identify where bleeding is coming from and give me meds to get the inflammation in my belly under control. I'm sure your little one is in very good hands! We are also praying.

Oh, I should have said, I'm not sure if dogs get Crohn's or not, so I'm not saying I think your little one has Crohn's. But is sounds like the inflammation that causes bleeding that I also get. I hope that makes sense. (I think I need more caffeine).

So glad you got your little one to vet right away when you saw the blood. You are such a good mommy to these little ones!

Sending good thoughts and prayers to you and Maddox. It's nerve wracking waiting to hear back from the vet. Hugs to you both!!

Oh Bonny I am praying for a simple explanation and easy treatment for Maddox's bleeding. I have 3 that have had diarrhea in the past 3 days, Cali's was red blood. I mentioned it to my vet yesterday at Pixie's visit. She said something about this time of year and all the wet, moisture causes a lot of bacteria on the ground and they can easily pick up some and get sick. I hope the vet calls soon.

Thank you!

The doctor just called. No news yet. They've observed the "stool" sample I brought and tried to get one of their own but all they're getting is bloody mucus. He is stable thank God, and they found no worms, intestinal parasites or anything else in his stool that might be causing this.

The next step is full blood work, and because we're getting that done so early this morning the results should be back early today thank goodness.

The doctor's main concern right now seems to be pancreatitis, but said the blood work will tell us more. I know many of you have little ones who've had pancreatitis. Do Maddox's symptoms fit that diagnosis?

If so, what does that mean? I've never had one of my babies have intestinal issues, so I'd appreciate anything you can tell me about this condition. I *think* maybe it's diet related and asked the doctor about that, but she wanted to wait until the blood work came back first.

Im praying for your sweet baby. My baby eats those S&C treats along with the freeze dried patties and is ok so far.

My toy poodle did the same a few yrs back and it was an upper GI irritation from eating grass outside that had been sprayed.

Keep us posted.

My little Cricket had chronic pancreatitis. She had GI issues. After they got bowel issues under control, they changed her diet to a low-fat diet plus Royal Canine GI formula canned food. She would occasionally have flares, but pretty well controlled as long as did not deviate from diet. The vet would give an antibiotic and sometimes prednisone for the inflammation in her tummy.

Glad they are doing blood work. That may tell them what is wrong. At least he is with the vet and they can take care of him. Keep us updated and I will continue to send prayers.

I just hired a lawn service that sprayed for weeds week before last. Should I call the vet back and tell them that? Could that have caused his problems? I made sure the grass had dried for several hours before I let the babies out on it.

I am just now seeing this..sending up prayers for Maddox!! Thank goodness you rushed him right in. Hoping for some news soon for you. I know how worried you must be.

I've tried to think of anything Maddox might have gotten into or eaten and the only thing I can think of is sunflower seeds. I love those things and Maddox may have gotten a shell. I told the doctor about it and she said no, that wouldn't cause the amount of blood they're seeing (like from a scratch) and that sunflower seeds aren't toxic to dogs.

I lead a pretty boring life, there haven't been any visitors or unusual events that I can think of. I just can't think of anything that would cause this all of a sudden. :(