dog bleeding from anus

Question
Otis is a 1 1/2 year old German Shepherd. He developed diarrhea Monday evening. After it seemed he had gotten everything out of his system, he began dripping blood from his anus, red blood, that is the only thing coming out of him. He is still acting like his normal self. He has not eaten anything since Tuesday morning. He drinks water. He was given table scraps 3 days in a row. We usually do not give him scraps because it causes gas but never the less he had some. He shows no other symptoms. He still wants to play like nothing is wrong. Could this be colitis? We just had to file for bankruptcy and we do not have the money to take him to the vet. I called our vet and asked if they would see him and if we could make payments and they will not except monthly payments. Is there anything we can do for him at home? He does not act like he is in pain but the bleeding is not good and I am very scared.

Answer
What a challenge you are facing. May your bankrupcy be the beginning of living communally and finding ways to barter for all you need and to need a lot less. So many people are having trouble with money right now and yet they have animals who are dependent on them.
Contact other clinics in your area about payment plans and bartering, even to clean their parking lot. Check for Humane Societies or other shelters who may have low cost care. Long term try these: First, you can save money by doing no vaccines after baby shots except for Rabies Second you can spend the time to find inexpensive sources of raw meat, fish, eggs and dairy which will build healthy animals. Third, find an integrative veterinarian who is willing to barter (may take calling several to find one willing) and a local, hands on clinic (may be the same one or not) where you can volunteer to trade your skills or labor for something they need. Do it before the money is needed - build up some credit with the clinics. Fourth, start a savings account, even a small one of pennies at first, so you have money when needed.Fifth, go to the library to find books on holistic healing of animals.

Ok, for now, while you are finding professional care (and I would be willing to consult with you by phone for barter of computer work/editing/organizational skills or for promise of payments of at least $10 per week until your bill is paid - www.ChristinaChambreau.com) there are a few things you can try. As long as he is active and hungry, urinating, no pain in his abdomen and passing some stools, even if diarrhea, you can treat him yourself. If he has no stool (and eats) for 2 days AND continues to bleed or becomes lethargic or has a painful abdomen, you do need to find veterinary care.

The bleeding can just be from the straining in which case it will subside. Feed just liquids for 24 more hours to rest the system - give chicken or beef broth made with vegetables for possible loss of sodium, potassium, chloride. Add some soy sauce or Amino acids (from health food store). Feed frequently. Get some marshmallow root (health food store) and make a slurry of it (1 teaspoon per 1 Cup cold water. Boil, then simmer a few minutes till thick. Give 3 Tablespoons 3-4 times a day. An alternative would be carob powder (health food store). Another alternative is drinkable aloe vera juice or drops off of an aloe plant. These all coat the intestine and relieve inflammation in the tract.

Make sure there are no poisons around and do not give any drugs (flea preventative, heartworm medication, etc). If you do have to go to a conventional clinic, do NOT let them vaccinate, even if "overdue". Save money and your dog never needs any vaccines again except for legally required rabies. Even that, by manufacturer recommendation, is only to be given to healthy animals.

To find integrative veterinarians who may be willing to barter or work with payments, You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: www.IVAS.org & www.TCVM.com
Chiropractor - www.animalchiropractic.org
Homeopath (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): www.theAVH.org
Wide range of other treatments: www.AHVMA.org, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

There are also lots of practitioners and approaches that are used by trained people that you can find by searching the Internet.

When you have more time and energy, read some of my other posts for more general health care information. I do not want to overwhelm you now.
Dr. Christina Chambreau.