The reasons for blood in your dog’s urine or stool may not be a serious health problem. Does your dog spend a lot of time outside and have access to twigs, sharp plastic objects, or even garden tools that may have splintered causing injury to the lining of the intestinal tract? This type of bleeding would probably only last a day or two. Did your dog eat an animal or did he have a wound on another part of his body that he may have licked, causing him to ingest blood? Even rawhide treats can swell inside your dog’s stomach and cause intestinal discomfort as they pass through the digestive system. Please note that rawhide cannot be digested at all.

The color of the blood can also give you an indication. Have you noticed if the blood was bright red or dark red, almost black? Bright red blood usually comes from the colon or rectum. Blood that turns darker has been digested (further up the intestinal tract or stomach), causing it to become discolored. Many times it’s hard to tell if the blood is in the urine or feces, so take a sample of both the feces and urine and take it to your vet for testing.

Some reasons for blood in your dog’s urine or stool may include a minor problem like an allergy or a more serious health issue like cancer or a dog’s bladder stone. The following list shows the wide range of causes of blood in the urine or stool.

–Straining due to constipation

–Food allergies that can lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), also called Colitis or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

–Parasites

–Polyps that are not cancerous

–Parvovirus

–Bladder cancer and other diseases

–dog bladder stones

–Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Many times, blood in your dog’s urine can be attributed to the dog’s bladder stones or a UTI infection. Your vet can run the correct tests to determine the cause of the blood, treatment, and how to prevent future problems. He can also take steps to prevent further bladder stones in the dog by using the correct diet that is prescribed along with supplements.

Supplements that help maintain or enhance your pet’s immune system can help fight infections and delay future illnesses. If your dog does not have a strong immune system and is prone to dog bladder stones and infections, he will not be able to prevent ongoing urinary problems; or in the case of other health problems such as cancer.