Dog Poop Black But Acting Normal? 9 Causes And Treatment Measures

One fine morning when you find your hail, and hearty dog eliminating black poop, it could be a nerve-wracking situation for your indeed. If your dog is otherwise healthy without the black poop, it could relieve you a little. But your worries remain constant.

Black poop may stand for many things, from simple reasons to more complicated ones. It could be because of a change in your dog’s diet, dehydration, and stomach problems. There can be more severe causes like internal bleeding.

There’s nothing to panic. Everything has a solution. Early intervention and treatment will help your dog recover soon. Let’s determine the different reasons for your dog passing blood stool. We’ll read about the probable treatments as well.

Why is My Dog’s Poop Black? 9 Possible Causes

When you see your dog eliminating black stool, it’s pretty natural to be scared. As a pet owner, you need to know the possible reasons why your dog excretes black poop. Let’s discuss each one of them in detail.

1. Dietary Changes

Let’s start with the less serious reasons. The first one is a change in your dog’s diet. There are some foods the ingestion of which may result in black stools. Foods containing charcoal, and blood, may often produce black stools.

Moreover, if there is a lot of meat in your dog’s diet, then too his stool may appear tarry or black. In such cases, your dog might act normal. He won’t show other physical symptoms, especially if he has digested the food well.

So, if you find your dog passing black stools of late, you’d need to check if you’ve given him foods that can trigger the same. If that’s the case, then you would have to bring changes in his diet. At the same time, you should also see to it that he is able to digest the food properly.

The University of Illinois mentioned through a study that dogs consuming a greater proportion of fresh foods produced high-quality stool, which was even less smelly.

2. Side Effects of Medications

The impact of certain medications is also responsible for black stools in dogs. One of them is iron supplements that cause not just black poop in humans but dogs as well.

Bismuth Subsalicylate, sold mainly by the name “pink bismuth,” is a medication for stomach upset, heartburn, and diarrhea. It is not just given to humans but dogs as well. This medication may lead to grayish or black stools that will restore to normal once you stop the medicine.

Another medication responsible for black stools in dogs is antibiotics. Increased use of antibiotics may lead to bleeding of the intestinal tract, resulting in dark stools.

3. Intestinal Bleeding Because of An Injury

Another reason for black poop is bleeding in your dog’s intestines or stomach. In fact, when there’s old blood in your canine’s upper digestive tract, it could pass through your dog’s stools and make them look black.

The reasons for intestinal bleeding could be various. Perhaps, your dog may have ingested any sharp objects like twigs, parts of toys, and so on. This could have injured the intestinal wall, causing it to bleed.

4. Kidney or Liver Problems

When your dog is suffering from liver conditions, there could be black blood in his stool. The reason for the same is the digested blood that causes the stool to look black.

In the case of kidney problems, the black or gray stools may be attributed to the increased urea content.

Dogs with liver and kidney problems will also have other symptoms like dehydration, persistent diarrhea, lessened appetite, lethargy, unexplained weight loss, and so on.

5. Parasites

If your dog has been infected with intestinal parasites like hookworm and tapeworm or has a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection, that too can make their small intestines and stomach bleed. The outcome would be black or dark and smelly stools.

6. Ulcers

Just like humans, dogs too may suffer from ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract. This happens when their stomach and intestinal linings are damaged by the digestive juices and gastric acids.

If your dog has a gastric ulcer, he will show other symptoms as well. These include weakness, blood vomiting, fever, lessened appetite, increased heartbeat, and so on. If you notice these signs in your dog alongside the black, tarry stools, you’ll have to seek immediate medical assistance.

7. Blood Clotting Disorder

Von Willebrand’s disease is one condition that can result in blood clotting disorders in dogs, which may lead to black or tarry stools as one of the symptoms. Certain rat poisons have toxins that could result in blood clotting disorders, causing excessive bleeding.

The outcome will be black and tarry stools. Rat toxins are dangerous for your dogs and can be fatal if immediate medical attention isn’t sought.

8. Cancer or Tumors

When your dog has a tumor in his digestive system, especially if it is malignant, then he could be passing black stools. There’ll also be other symptoms, like lessened appetite, lethargy, constant vomiting, weight loss, and so on.

9. When Your Dog Has Ingested Blood

If your dog has licked a blood-stained wound, had an episode of nose bleeding, or injured his mouth, chances are that he may have swallowed some of the blood. If that is in excessive amounts, then it could culminate into black or tarry stools.

What to Do If Your Dog’s Poop Is Black?

When you find your dog has passed black stools, the onus lies on you to get it treated at the earliest. If it is just the first time that he has eliminated black stools, you can choose to wait for a day or two and see if it recurs or not and then consult a vet.

Or else, for your mental satisfaction, you can consult the vet immediately. Yet, if your dog is doing well despite the black stools, it is better to observe him for a day or so and then speak to the vet.

Before going to the vet, you must also make a note of some important points which will help your dog to be treated effectively. These include:

• Since when has your dog been passing black stool?
• Is your dog acting normal even after passing black stools?
• Does he show other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, lessened appetite, and so on?
• Was there any change in his diet?
• Is he under any medication?
• Did he ingest any foreign object like a stick or anything similar?

When you have that at hand, it will be easier for your vet to diagnose your dog’s problem and start treatment at the earliest. It would also be better to take along a fecal sample when you go to the vet. Make sure that the time frame of the sample hasn’t exceeded 12 hours.

How Do You Treat Black Stool In Dogs?

The treatment for black stools depends on what has caused the same. The reasons may not always be worrisome, though in some cases, it may be a cause for serious concern.

• If the issue is with the diet, the vet may suggest alterations in the same. If you are feeding your dog kibble, you could be advised to change the brand. If your dog’s diet lack fiber, the vet will ask you to include more of the same. Adding a sufficient amount of fiber helps to regularize bowel movements, making your dog’s tool more firm.
• If it is bacteria or parasites causing the black stool, then your vet could prescribe antibiotics to eliminate the infection.
• When the black stool is because of gastrointestinal bleeding, then the vet might even advise hospitalization, particularly if your dog’s condition is severe. He may even put your dog on blood transfusion and fluid therapy if needed. If the bleeding is due to intestinal obstruction, then surgery might even be needed to remove the same.

How to Prevent Incidences of Black Poop in Dogs?

It is essential to keep track of your dog’s poop from time to time. If you notice any change in coloration, do not delay in getting in touch with the vet. Also, as preventive measures, there are things you can do from your end to ensure that your dog does not eliminate black poop.

• Take utmost care of your dog’s diet. Ensure your canine is provided with a healthy diet devoid of any preservatives and allergens. The most common allergens in your dog’s diet are the proteins that come from beef, dairy, chicken eggs, chicken, wheat gluten, and soy.
• It is also necessary to keep fresh and clean water near your dog’s bowl. The more hydrated your dog is, the lesser the chances of him getting constipated or suffering from other digestive disorders.
• Please keep a close watch on your dog and make sure that he doesn’t ingest foreign objects like toys, sticks, etc. When you keep your dog engaged for most of the time, he’ll be less inclined to resort to destructive activities like chewing, licking, or putting everything into his mouth. Give him his daily dose of exercise, and also provide him with interesting toys indoors to keep him busy.
• Lastly, keep a watch on your dog’s daily activities. If you see any signs of discomfort, do not delay in contacting a vet.

FAQ’s

I know there are some hot-burning questions you might want or are tempted to ask related to your canine partner’s pooping problems. Don’t worry I have tried to address them here:

Conclusion

We understand that black stools in your dog are a worrying matter for you as a responsible pet owner. But we sincerely advise you, do not panic; instead, try your best to get to the root cause. Early intervention by a veterinarian may help your dog recover at the earliest.

If your dog looks and acts normal after the black poop, you might want to keep him under observation for a day or so. If your dog looks sick, besides eliminating black poop, it’s an indication that he needs immediate medical attention.

We hope this article was informative for you regarding properly caring for your dog in such a problematic situation. We wish you all the best and a speedy recovery for your beautiful pet dog.