What does it mean if a dog poops blood and clear slime?

Bloody stool or diarrhea, also known as hematochezia, is a medical sign of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, generally referring to bright red blood in the stool.[1] Bright red blood in the stool signifies lower GI bleeding, while dark, tarry stool signifiesupper GI bleeding. The presence of pus, mucus, or fat in the stool (pus) may also indicate that gastrointestinal perforation or gastrointestinal cancer is also involved.[2]

There are many possible causes for bloody stool, including:[1][3]

Infection

Clostridioides difficile colitis

Shigella spp

Salmonella spp (i.e., nontyphoidal salmonella or enteritidis)

Campylobacter jejuni infection

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections[4][5]

Viral gastroenteritis, usually caused by rotavirus or norovirus[6]

Parasitic infections, including Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia

Hookworm infection

Infection by Cryptosporidium or Cyclospora or Isospora belli or Microsporidia[6]

Bacterial (e.g., tuberculosis) or fungal infections (e.g., histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis)

Inflammatation such as:[7]

Inflammatory bowel disease

Ischemic bowel disease

Radiation colitis/proctitis

Ulcerative colitis

Diverticulitis

Infectious colitis including amebic colitis, pseudomembranous colitis and viral hemorrhagic colitis

Colorectal cancer

Trauma from rectal foreign body insertion or anal fissure

Bleeding disorders such as vitamin K deficiency

Meckel's diverticulum

Other causes (such as ingestion of iron pills, beets, or red dye)[1]

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (if blood has a coffee ground-like appearance) including:[8]

Esophageal varices (rupture)

Peptic ulcer

Esophagitis

Mallory-Weiss tear

Cancer of the esophagus, stomach or pancreatic cancer and other upper gastrointestinal malignancies

Vasculitis

Aortic dissection

Bleeding disorders

Other (such as trauma, NSAID use, or angiodysplasia)[8]

Hemorrhoids

Anal fissures

The management and prognosis for people who present with bloody stool depends on the underlying cause.[9][10]

In case of lower gastrointestinal bleeding or hematochezia, there are 2 main differential diagnostic questions:[2]

Is it bleeding of small intestinal origin or of colonic origin?

What is the cause of the bleeding?

Physical examination for signs of hypotension and shock is important (to estimate blood loss). Vital signs (i.e. pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature) are also important. It is important to obtain a proper medical history, perform a physical examination and obtain laboratory studies (e.g., blood tests) to provide a better differential diagnosis and prognosis as different conditions have widely varying prognoses.[2] In a stable adult with lower GI bleeding, colonoscopy is indicated within 24 hours to allow evaluation of the entire colon and possible treatment of the source of bleeding using endoscopic therapy.[11] An emergency or urgent consultation with a physician is recommended if you are experiencing unexplained rectal bleeding for any reason.