A “fecal occult blood test” is a simple, non-invasive way to determine if there is bleeding in the digestive system of dogs. The test is recommended for dogs with an iron deficiency anemia, as chronic external hemorrhage from the gastrointestinal tract is the most common cause of iron deficiency in adult animals ²³. The test is performed by placing a small amount of fresh stool on a special testing material. Blood contains a substance called hemoglobin. When a stool sample containing blood is placed on the testing material, the chemical activity of hemoglobin causes a visible color change in the testing material. This color change signals the presence of blood ¹.
Fecal occult blood refers to the presence of small quantities of blood in the stool that cannot be seen with the naked eye (occult means hidden from view). The blood can come from anywhere in the digestive tract, including the mouth, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, or rectum ¹. The test is important because even a small amount of bleeding into the digestive tract may result in substantial blood loss if it is not detected quickly. Left untreated, bleeding can lead to anemia or iron-poor blood ¹.
In summary, a fecal occult blood test is a simple and non-invasive way to detect bleeding in the digestive system of dogs. It is recommended for dogs with an iron deficiency anemia, as chronic external hemorrhage from the gastrointestinal tract is the most common cause of iron deficiency in adult animals. The test is important because even a small amount of bleeding into the digestive tract may result in substantial blood loss if it is not detected quickly ¹²³.
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Source:
(1) Fecal occult blood | eClinpath. https://eclinpath.com/chemistry/iron-metabolism/fecal-occult-blood/.
(2) Fecal analysis: occult blood in Dogs (Canis) | Vetlexicon. https://www.vetlexicon.com/canis/gastrohepatology/articles/fecal-analysis-occult-blood/.
(3) Fecal Occult Blood | VCA Animal Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/fecal-occult-blood.
(4) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_occult_blood.