A few days back, I was vacationing with my family. During the vacation, I received a call from a friend who wanted advise regarding her 04 year old, male Labrador. The Labarador had reportedly vomitted a tarry coloured vomit and was passing stools that were again tarry coloured in appearance. Thanks to modern medicine and the dedication of the dog owner, the condition resolved in about 03 days. However, I felt that it was worthwhile to highlight the condition and its implications through a post. Hence this post.
Tarry coloured vomitus or tarry coloured stool indicate haemorrhage (bleeding) in the digestive tract (stomach or the small intestine). The tarry colour is a fall out of complex chemical reactions occurring when the blood comes in contact of various digestive juices and enzyymes. This condition is not a disease as such but is indicative of some underlying condition as a result of which the bleeding occur(ed) in the digestive tract.
The common causes that may lead to this condition ulcers in the stomach, ingestion of a foreign body, trauma, tumours, infections, pneumonia, kidney failure, inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract etc. Such a condition may also occur, if the dog is on iron tonics.
In general, such a condition requires proper investigations and expert veterinary cover and attention otherwise the condition may deteriorate very fast.
