The reasons for blood in your dog’s urine or feces may not be a serious health concern. Is your dog outside enough and has 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 have a wound somewhere else on his body that he may have licked, swallowing blood? Even rawhide treats can swell inside your dog’s stomach and cause intestinal discomfort as it passes 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. The blood that turns darker has been digested (higher in the intestinal tract or stomach), causing it to become discolored. It is often difficult to tell if blood is in urine or stool, so collect a sample of both stool and urine and take it to your vet for analysis.

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

–Stress 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)

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

Supplements that help maintain or enhance your pets’ immune systems can help fight infection and delay future illnesses. If your dog doesn’t have a strong immune system and is prone to dog bladder stones and infections, you won’t be able to avoid ongoing urinary problems; or in the case of other health problems such as cancer.