Dear Mary:
 
>What does it mean when they poop and then scooch blood?  His little rectum
>protrudes out and there's blood sometimes.  His rectum does go back in,
>however (thank goodness).  Is he straining so hard to leave his scent
>because I have an 8 month old jill?
 
The important factor is the prolapsed rectum - anytime you drag mucosa
across the ground, it's going to bleed - it's soft and the ground is not.
Then it becomes a vicious cycle - the rectum gets raw from dragging
across the ground - it irritates him, then he strains when he goes to the
bathroom - and the straining causes more of a prolapse.
 
First we want to see if there is a reason other than the physical
irritation that it is prolapsing - I would have your vet check a fecal
sample, look carefully at the character and frequency of the feces, and
look at what he is eating, as well as a good physical exam.  (Bloodwork
usually isn't helpful in these cases.)
 
If everything checks out, then symptomatic therapy for the prolapse (my
remedy is apply a cream of Preparation H and 0.5% cortisone three times
daily and after every bowel movement.) Hopefully if we can decrease the
irritation, and there is no pre-existent disease which neds specific
treatment, we can handle the problem quickly and expediently.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dvm
[Posted in FML issue 3273]