My 10 year old red nose pitbull had blood in his stool this morning. Should we bring him in now?

Q: Hi – My family is new to the area and hasn’t found a vet for our 10 year old red nose pit bull. Our baby is up to date on all of his shots and take heart worm preventatives. We keep our dog inside, and is only exposed to other dogs wen we take him for walks. With no change in diet or routine, we noted that our dog started having diarrhea [Friday] and found blood in his stool this morning [Monday]. Should we bring him in now?

A: Welcome to Tampa! Sorry to hear your pit is not feeling well.  My pit is almost 15 now, really getting up there too!  As you know, the older our pets get, the more there are things that can go wrong with them.  We worry with vomitting and/or diarrhea (fluid loss) about them getting dehydrated, just like children.  And, when we see blood in the stool, we know they need medical attention.  If you have not already sought care for him, definately bring him to us first thing that morning and we will take care of him.  We have 3 locations across Tampa:  New Tampa area 813 973 8566, Temple Terrace area (near Busch Gardens) 813 988 1189, and West Tampa (near Town n Country, Westchase) 813 885 4477.