Bottom line on bleeding

WHEN Murphy started bleeding from his bottom, his owners were worried.

Having just turned 50 themselves, they had each received the little package from the NHS in the post that starkly reminded them of their advancing years and suggested they might send a stool sample back for testing for bowel cancer.

It put the thought in their heads that Murphy, their black Labrador who was similarly middle-aged, might be afflicted. So they did what many people do under these circumstances – nothing.

They winced every time they picked up his poo and noticed the streaks of blood. They lost sleep at night, imagining his slow but inexorable, painful demise.

And, yes, they considered life without their faithful friend and how that might affect them. Then finally, they popped into the surgery without him, to have a “chat”.

I wish they had come in sooner. Bowel cancer is relatively rare in dogs. Far more common causes of rectal bleeding or “blood in poo” include various forms of colitis or inflammatory bowel disease, parasitic infections, relatively benign polyps and issues concerning the prostate and anal glands.

Murphy was well, had a healthy appetite and had not lost weight. All good signs. He regularly had blood in his poo, however, and this could be soft at times.

His owners had detected a worsening of symptoms on Sundays, which seemed odd until we realised that Saturday night was takeaway night and Murphy’s treat was to reduce any food waste. Very environmentally friendly, perhaps, but not always conducive to good bowel function.

Given everything they said, we were pretty sure Murphy had mild inflammatory bowel disease, which (after simple treatment to exclude parasites) can be split into three broad types. There are patients that respond to dietary control, some that require antibiotics and others who need steroids to improve.

But first, that all-important examination. A poo sample showed the blood was on the poo, not in it. A rectal examination allowed a diagnosis. Murphy had a polyp that was easily surgically removed.

Rectal bleeding is not always bad news. As long as you do something about it.