Anything that has to do with health issues when it comes to dogs is really overwhelming for dog owners. If you are dealing with your French Bulldog pooping blood, we can fully understand that you are out of your mind worrying, and that you are doing all the research as to what might cause this.
Dogs can not communicate exactly what is wrong with them. It would be much easier, wouldn’t it? Since this is not possible, we need to do our best to figure out things like a bloody stool and what might cause it.
We will list some potential causes for your dog’s bloody feces. There is a lot to go through, and it can be stressful, so let us start.
Reason For Your French Bulldog Pooping Blood
The appearance of the stool can be a good representation of what might be going on with your dog. There are a lot of things that can go on with the dog’s stool like white specks and even blood.
The first reaction when you see this will most likely be panic, and that is completely normal. Seeing blood anywhere, including in dog poop, is very stressful.
Before we start with the list, you need to know that there are two types of bloody stools – bright red blood, and dark blood and tarry stool. Other words for these are hematochezia and melena.
Different things will cause these types of bloody feces, and we will list them in order for you to know if you need to react immediately or if it is not that serious.
Hematochezia – Bright Red Blood
Hematochezia is the name for your dog’s bright red blood poop. This type of feces is connected to the lower digestive tract.
There are specific things that can cause your dog to have this problem. Bright red blood can also appear in bloody diarrhea, not only in solid poop. It can be a bit harder to detect blood in a loose stool, but you need to always make sure to check it out.
It might not be the best thing in the world, but noticing your dog having diarrhea is a symptom that something is wrong, so giving it a closer eye may also help you find if there is blood or not, which leads to other serious sets of problems.
You will also be able to notice this if your dog has yellow pop, but if there is a darker stool, it might not be as clear, but you will be able to notice the blood.
Here are some things that can cause your Frenchie to have bright red blood in its poop.
1. Parasites
Parasites like worms are tiny pests that can cause your dog a lot of problems. This is one of the common conditions that cause your Frenchie to have bright red blood in its stool.
Parasites are quite scary because they can also affect the heart, lungs, and even kidneys. This, of course, can cause the dog to have other scary consequences… not just blood in the stool.
If your dog has parasites, you will be able to notice other symptoms like:
– Vomiting
– Dog losing hair around its eyes, torso, legs
– Pale gums
– Loss of appetite
– Lethargy
– Coughing
Roundworms and hookworms are the most common types of parasites that can affect your dog. When you notice these symptoms, you should take your dog to the vet immediately. The faster you start with the treatment – the bigger the chance will be of your dog getting better.
2. Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis
Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) is a condition that can appear out of nowhere. It is not known exactly what causes this condition, but some bacteria, as well as bacterial infections, are known to cause it. Other reasons for this to appear in your Frenchie are not confirmed.
Besides a bloody stool, your dog will most likely be vomiting, have a painful abdomen, experience lethargy, etc.
Any dog can be affected by this health issue no matter their size, breed, age, or sex. The symptoms will appear fast, and you need to react even faster so your dog will get the right treatment.
3. Enlarged Anal Glands
This is not something that is really serious and scary, but it needs to be taken care of. The name describes itself so we do not think that it needs more explanation.
When the anal glands (anal sacs) are enlarged, they can cause your dog a lot of discomfort, while others might not have any issues with them. It depends on how big the glands get.
These glands can pop when the dog poops, and because of that, you will be able to notice bright red blood in the dog’s stool.
A vet or a professional groomer can solve this problem by expressing the enlarged glands.
RELATED: How To Make A Dog Poop Instantly: 7 Handy Tips
4. Parvovirus
Parvovirus is a known medical condition that affects puppies, and it can affect French Bulldog puppies as well. This condition is very known because it can be fatal to a pooch. If it is not caught in time, it will most likely end the puppy’s life.
This is very difficult and sad to hear, but it is the reality of this illness. The pooch will have, among other things, bloody poop and even bloody diarrhea.
The interesting thing is that parvo poop has a different smell to it than a regular stool. This is also one of the ways you can figure out that your pooch has parvovirus.
There might be ways to cure parvovirus without a vet, but we would definitely recommend you take your pooch to an expert.
5. Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are irritants that will appear on the outside of your dog’s anus. You can see them without a problem. Sometimes, it can be harder, especially if the dog has a long coat.
Other times, they can be quite visible, and if your dog has a short coat, this is a big relief because you might not even need to look for them… you may even be able to notice them before you notice the bloody stool.
This is not something that is dangerous for your dog, but it can make them uncomfortable. As pet owners, we will do anything to make our dogs as comfortable as possible, so this problem needs to be solved as well… not ignored.
6. Colitis
Colitis is a problem that can affect humans, dogs, cats, and many other animals. There can be a lot of things that can cause colitis to appear with your dog, but the main things are stress and anxiety.
Read More: Stress Colitis In Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment
The good news is that this problem can be easily detected, and even better news is that it can easily be treated either with some medication or just some dietary changes.
The stool will be loose, and in many cases, it will have some bright red blood in it.
Melena – Dark Blood
Melena is a word that stands for your dog having a dark stool that almost looks like it has mucus, and because of that, it has a jelly texture. This type of feces is connected to the upper digestive tract.
The darker blood can be hard to detect if the fecal color is also dark, but the mucus can be noticed quite easily. If you notice the jelly substance, and you are not sure whether or not your dog has any blood in its stool, you can always wipe its toosh with a white paper towel.
Here are some things that can cause your French Bulldog to have dark blood in its feces:
1. Kidney Failure
Kidney failure is a very serious condition, and it can be fatal for the dog, especially if you do not take the dog to the vet quickly. In this case, the stool of your dog will have very dark blood and a lot of mucous.
The dog will appear very sick and weak. This can also be a symptom of other illnesses, but whatever the cause is, you need to make sure that your dog is checked by the vet immediately.
Usually, kidney failure is connected with some kidney problem that appeared before the failure. You will most likely know the problem that your Frenchie has, so you will have a close eye on the dog’s poop.
In this case, you will notice the blood in the poop quickly, and by that, you will be able to react fast.
RELATED: Dog Kidney Failure: When To Euthanize? The Hardest Decision
2. Tumors In The Digestive System
This is one of the scariest things that can happen to your pooch. Tumors in the digestive system are quite dangerous, and can take a toll on the dog. They are not untreatable, but the treatment will not be effective in every situation.
This is one of the most common causes of black stool, which means that the dog has dark blood in its feces.
Don’t get scared as soon as you see a black stool in your dog because this is not the only reason for it. Other reasons may also not be the best, but they are for sure better than tumors.
3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Or Pancreatitis
This is one of the reasons for your dog having a dark stool that is not as dangerous as it might sound. The good news is that this is very treatable, or to be more precise, this can be easily treated.
Some dogs will not need a lot of time to get back to their healthy selves. Other dogs might take a bit longer, but they will get better over some period of time, but only if you stay persistent and up to date with the treatment.
There are ways to comfort your dog that has pancreatitis, so their healing journey goes more smoothly.
Yes, these conditions can be fatal for the dog, but this is only in cases where the dog is not examined by a vet, and not treated.
4. Addison’s Disease
Addison’s disease is a medical condition that can be dangerous, and even fatal for the dog, but it can also be treated. This might sound scary, but dogs that have had this disease will live a happy and healthy life with no consequences.
This illness is connected to the adrenal glands. They will not produce important hormones, like steroids, that are very important for the dog’s body.
Since these steroids are not produced enough, the dog’s internal organs can face serious consequences, and because of that, one of the symptoms can be a dark stool.
5. Foreign Body
This is the case where the dog has ingested something that is not food. Objects that are sharp can cause a lot of damage to the dog’s intestine. If the damage is really significant, it can be fatal for the dog.
This can be hard to detect, especially if you did not see that the dog ate something sharp. The internal bleeding can be showcased with dark blood in the dog’s poop.
Some objects might not be sharp, but will take your French Bulldog a long time to digest. For example, the dog can eat your underwear, and it can cause him or her a lot of problems. The items that are in there for a long time can also cause problems that will cause the Frenchie to have bloody poop.
6. Toxic Substances
Cleaning supplements, human medication, garbage, soaps, laundry detergents, etc. are very toxic for dogs. If a French Bulldog gets ahold of any of these, it will have serious problems.
These types of items should never be accessible to the dog because it will most likely ingest any of them mostly out of curiosity.
Keep these things in places where you are sure the dog will not be able to reach and find them.
By ingesting toxic substances, dogs can have a number of serious problems, and these problems can be showcased with a bloody stool. The blood is usually dark red, but it can also be bright red.
This can make the diagnosis harder, but there will be some evidence left behind by the dog, so you will know what they ingested.
The tricky thing is if they find something in the dog park. If you are letting your dog play without a leash, which is completely fine, you need to always watch what they are doing.
7. Ulcers
Ulcers can be described as a heartburn, but this is something that our dogs cannot tell us. Canine ulcers are mostly located in the upper digestive tract and stomach.
There are various symptoms connected to ulcers, and one of them is dark poop. The feces will not only be covered with dark blood, but it will also have a lot of mucus.
Ways Of Treatment, And Home Remedies
Treatments really depend on the problem. It can vary from a simple bland diet to some medications that your dog will need to take for the rest of its life.
For example, if the French Bulldog has parasites, it will be prescribed dewormers, and inflammatory bowel disease can potentially put your dog in a situation where it will need to take medications for the rest of its life.
Antibiotics, changes in diet, sucralfate, fluids that help with dehydration, surgery, and famotidine are just some of the things that your dog will potentially need, based on the problem.
When it comes to home remedies, you need to be careful. Some home remedies can actually help the dog that has problems with bloody poop, while other home remedies can cause even more harm.
When it comes to this problem, home remedies are mostly connected with giving the dog certain foods. It can be a complete change in diet, but it can only involve including some ingredients in order to help the pooch.
If you decide on giving your dog home remedies as the treatment option, you need to always have a discussion with the vet for some medical advice. They will know, and can help you with what to give to your dog. This is a safer option than looking for advice on the internet.
RELATED: 8 Best Home Remedies For A Sick Dog Not Eating
How To Determine The Problem
The only person who can for sure know what is wrong with your dog is the vet. You can have some knowledge, and you can know your dog’s behavior, but you will not be able to know for sure what could be the issue with your dog.
There are different things that the vet can do to find the issue, and those things are:
– X-rays
– Bloodwork
– Ultrasounds
– Fecal tests
– Urine tests
– Endoscopies
Sometimes, they will know what way to determine what is wrong with the dog by the general state that the dog came in.
Other times, the vet might need to conduct several of these methods in order to come to the conclusion. It is very important to find the exact reason for the dog’s bloody stool mainly because of administering the proper treatment.
To Sum It All Up
Seeing your pet showcasing any symptoms of potential health issues is truly scary. A French Bulldog pooping blood is a thing that will make any pet owner nervous.
Seeing bloody poop is not the same as seeing your dog being a bit more tired than usual, which can also be scary. Seeing blood in anything will only bring the worst thoughts.
We listed some reasons for this problem. Some are truly dangerous and can be fatal for the dog, while others can be easily and quickly treated. Try not to jump to the conclusion that your dog has the worst scenario.
The best thing you can do is take your Frenchie to the vet, and only after the vet finds the problem can you react correctly.
We hope that your pooch will recover in no time, and that all of this does not take a big toll on you. We are sure that you will be there for your dog, and that you will make its life much easier.