My dog has bloody diarrhea and black skin. Are they related?

Bloody diarrhea is pretty common in dogs, and tells us that there is a LOT of inflammation in the colon. It can have several causes, and it often needs medications to clear up. I would recommend taking Holly to the vet for evaluation. The vet may also recommend some lab work to see if they can identify the cause and decide on the best treatment.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching (if any). The other signs are quite concerning and could be caused by a possible gastrointestinal infection. A check up would be absolutely needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thank you for submitting your question. Diarrhea and the bloody urine are likely due to separate causes. Diarrhea can be the result of an intestinal infection, dietary indiscretion (eating something that upset her gastrointestinal tract), inflammation or even stress. Bloody urine is typically due to a bladder infection, bladder stones, a primary bleeding disorder or in rare cancers bladder cancer. She will need to see her veterinarian for urine and fecal testing as she will likely require medication to treat her issues. I hope this information helps!

Blood in the stool, even if it seems to "go away" and come back later, is never normal. The fact that it's accompanied by diarrhea suggests colitis, or inflammation of the colon, as opposed to some type of bleeding mass in the rectum or colon. Colitis can have a number of causes, including dietary indiscretion (eating something rotten or non-food), parasites, food allergies/food sensitivities, inflammatory bowel disease, or infection. Leah may improve with a diet change, perhaps a more digestible diet specifically for gastrointestinal problems. To assume it's a "tummy issue" could be to ignore causes that are treatable, and at this point she's not only having diarrhea but she also lost her appetite. It's been three days and she's not improving, so I recommend having her seen by her vet for labwork to include parasite testing, blood work, and urinalysis for starters. If all is normal consider a bland diet (as recommended above), and a probiotic supplement. Ultimately, she may need to have biopsies taken to diagnose the exact cause.

I am very sorry to hear about Luna! Diarrhea with blood is a concerning symptom and veterinary care is recommended in these cases. We can have a variety of causes depending on the dog's age and history including parvovirus, gastrointestinal parasites (worms/coccidia/giardia), hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bacterial infections, dietary sensitivities and more. I would recommend making an appointment for Luna to be examined ASAP to help determine what is causing her symptoms and how best to treat her!

There are probably two separate issues going on with Buster. His skin looks very irritated and infected which usually occurs because of an allergy or fleas. To treat this he will need to be put on a good flea control, antibiotics and something to help the inflammation in the skin. Bloody diarrhea is usually indicative of colitis, gastroenteritis, or pancreatitis. I would be concerned also about intestinal parasites, Buster possibly getting into something he shouldn’t have, or less likely,irritable bowel disease. Because Buster has several issues going on I would recommend taking him to a vet to be fully worked up. Your vet will likely want to run a fecal test, a skin scrapping and cytology (to understand the cause of the skin infection) and possibly blood work and X-rays. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Diarrhea can be due to bacterial overgrowth in the colon, liver or pancreatic disease, or parasites that are not covered by a typical dewormer. If you are seeing blood you should definitely make an appointment to see a vet. They may want to check a stool sample or even check some blood work.