Dogs can have all sorts of health issues that will have many different signs and symptoms. Black stool can be one of them. Dog poop black but acting normal is a rare issue. Usually, dogs will show other signs and have certain issues that will affect their behavior. Here we will have to investigate this and reveal all the things you need to know. Let’s begin with why this happens.
How Does Black Stool Happen?
Black stool is a severe issue. Just because your dog is acting normal doesn’t mean there are no complicated issues. In a nutshell, the digestive tract will bleed. This occurs before the stomach or in the small intestine. If there is fresh blood in the stool, this happens in the rectum or colon. The blood doesn’t pass the stomach hence there is no digestion.
The blood will not look black. Dog poop black but acting normal usually means that there is massive bleeding. A lot of things can cause bleeding. All of the main ones are below and we will explain each one.
Infection
Bacteria, parasites, or even fungi can cause bleeding in the digestive tract. This can happen in the stomach or intestine and it can be severe. A vet will have to examine your pet. He will use endoscopy, check the stool and use all kinds of things. Your dog may act normal because the bleeding is not massive at the moment the infection is still progressing.
Gastrointestinal Ulceration
Gastrointestinal Ulceration can cause black stool. Once again, we can see bleeding in the digestive tract. Neoplasia, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and liver disease all can cause this problem. It is possible that a dog doesn’t show any signs. He will act normal. However, he will soon start showing weakness and a lack of appetite. This is another issue here that requires immediate help from a vet.
Injuries
Injury in the upper digestive tract can cause black stool. This simply means that a bone, toy, or something similar damaged the system. All kinds of injuries can cause this and all of them are severe. It is possible that your pet acts normally, but it is rare. If the injury is big, your dog will show that. Normal behavior might be possible if the injury is small but there is a lot of bleeding coming from it.
Cancer
Cancer can cause bleeding in the digestive tract. Your pet will have a black stool and you will know about it. Usually, these dogs don’t show other signs at the beginning. They act normally and there are no other problems you can notice. But soon your pet will show other signs. Some of the most common include vomiting, lack of appetite, and also behavioral changes.
This is a severe problem that needs treatment as soon as possible. It is much more effective if you start it at an early stage.
Acute Hemorrhagic Diarrhea Syndrome or Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis
Believe it or not, there is no known cause here. Vets still don’t know why this happens. If it happens, you will have to get your dog tested. A blood test will show elevated PCV counts. This means that the issue here is present. Your pet needs immediate attention. He needs treatment in order to solve this problem.
Clotting Disorders
Clotting Disorders can cause black stool. This simply means that your pet has bleeding in the digestive system that won’t stop. As such, blood will reach the stomach and end up as stool at the rear. The problem here doesn’t have to be in the digestive tract. It can be in the blood. For example, your pet may have a small injury in the digestive tract. Because it can’t heal, he will end up with black stool.
When To Take Him To A Vet?
The simple answer is immediately when you notice black stool. As you should know by now, this happens when there is digested blood in the stomach or intestine. This also means that bleeding is massive and it will not stop. As such, you must take him to a vet in order to diagnose the problem and find the cure.
It is always a much better choice to take him to a vet as soon as you can. All of these health problems do have proper treatments. But they are more effective if you start with them soon. If you wait, the treatment will last longer and it will be more expensive.
There is only one exception when this issue is not extremely severe. If your pet had a black stool for one day or two and never again, it is probably not a severe problem. What this means is that there was an injury inside the digestive system. A small injury from a bone is probable. But, it healed. We still recommend you take the dog to a vet and examine him.
Possible Prevention
There is nothing you can do in this scenario. The only thing that can help you theoretically is to make sure your pet doesn’t eat bones, sharp objects, or anything similar. If you live in an apartment, you can do this. If you have a large backyard this is not an option.
Sadly, nothing else will work. Black stool means that a dog has severe health problems and treatment is the only option. Preventive methods and options are almost non-existing. The best thing you can do is to take him to a vet as soon as you see black stool for the first time.
The Final Word
A dog pooping black but acting normal is a rare but possible problem that affects some dogs. This means that blood reaches the stomach or small intestine. Proper treatment from the vet is mandatory as soon as possible. There are all kinds of treatments that can help your pet. If you start with one sooner, the effect will be much better in less time!