My 6-month, 46-lb Golden has had bloody stool for days; first soft now hard, red blood at start and end. What is the cause?

Blood in a dog’s stool can come from constipation fissures, parasites, gut scratches, hemorrhagic enteritis or canine parvovirus. If it ate hard food or bones, the gut may be scraped, causing mucosal bleeding and infection; then withhold food and water, give probiotics and pet anti-inflammatory, and see a vet if no improvement.

If stool is dry and hard, too much protein and bone may cause constipation and mucosal bleeding; give more water, probiotics and stool softeners like lactulose and coconut oil, plus oral antibiotics. For soft stool, get a fecal test for coccidia, whipworms or roundworms and deworm. If stool is dark red or black with vomiting, lethargy, it may be parvo bleeding; seek urgent care.