Desert Spring Veterinary Services

10/11/2025

Hello everyone, I would like to express my gratitude for your thoughts and prayers. I am deeply humbled and appreciative of the Fruita community's support. It is my privilege to serve this community, and I am proud to do so! My team is working diligently to ensure continuity during my recovery, and I appreciate your patience during this time!
-Dr. Bob Bessert

10/08/2025

💙 Update on Dr. Bob 💙
We’re so happy to share that Dr. Bob made it out of surgery successfully and is now resting comfortably in recovery! 🙏🐾

He’s already cracking smiles (and a few jokes!) and on the road to healing. Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes — they’ve meant the world to him, his family and our entire team. 💕

We’ll keep everyone updated as he continues to recover, but for now, we’re just incredibly grateful that our favorite veterinarian is doing well! 💙

10/07/2025

💙 A Message From Our Team 💙

Sending Love to Dr. Bob,

Our hearts are with Dr. Bob as he prepares to undergo surgery tomorrow. He will be out of the office for a while as he takes the time to rest, recover, and focus on healing.

Dr. Bob isn’t just our veterinarian — he’s the heart and soul of our practice. His compassion, dedication, and love for every animal that walks through our doors have touched so many lives (both animal & human). We know how much our clients and community care for him, and we want to thank you all for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

While Dr. Bob takes the time he needs to recover, our amazing team will continue caring for your animals with the same dedication and kindness he’s always shown and inspired in us.

Please join us in sending love, healing thoughts, and positive energy to Dr. Bob for a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery. We can’t wait to welcome him back when he’s ready! 💙🐾

— Desert Spring Vet Team

09/25/2025

Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

What Is Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs?

Bloody diarrhea in dogs refers to a dog’s stool that is watery and contains blood, which may appear red or black.

Bloody diarrhea is caused by irritation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that leads to blood being released. Red blood is present when the GI issue is located within the colon (large intestines). In contrast, black-colored diarrhea occurs when there’s an issue higher up in the GI tract, such as in the stomach or small intestines, where blood may be digested and turn black or tarry.

When mucus is present, it usually means that the GI issue is within the colon. Jelly-like diarrhea occurs when severe inflammation within the colon causes a significant amount of mucus to mix with the diarrhea.

When dogs have bloody diarrhea, they typically strain to defecate due to discomfort and the constant feeling of needing to relieve themselves.

Symptoms of Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Symptoms of bloody diarrhea in dogs may include:

▪️Tenesmus (frequent urge to defecate but inability to do so)

▪️F***l accidents in the house

▪️Pacing and restlessness

▪️Decreased appetite

▪️Lethargy and decreased energy levels

▪️Increased thirst

▪️Pale gums due to anemia (blood loss)

▪️Abdominal pain

My Dog Has Bloody Diarrhea. What Should I Do?

If your dog is experiencing bloody diarrhea, don’t try to treat your pup at home. Call your veterinarian or take your dog to an emergency vet hospital.

Most causes of bloody diarrhea in dogs require specific medications, and some are even life-threatening if not treated quickly. Because bloody diarrhea can cause a dog extreme discomfort and lead to severe dehydration, veterinary attention is needed within 24 hours.

Until your dog sees the vet, make sure water is always available and only offer your pup a bland diet. This includes cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast (plain, no seasoning) with plain white or brown rice.

Causes of Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Causes of bloody diarrhea in dogs may include:

▪️Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE)

▪️Bacterial enterocolitis (salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Yersinia spp., E. coli, Helicobacter)

▪️Chronic protozoal infections (giardia, coccidia, or cryptosporidium)

▪️Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

▪️Intestinal parasites, such as hookworms and whipworms

▪️Addison’s disease

▪️Pancreatitis

▪️Foreign body ingestion or ingestion of a sharp foreign body

▪️Intestinal blockage

▪️Intussusception (folding of the intestines)

▪️Gastrointestinal ulcer, which may be caused by certain medications such as NSAIDs, steroids, clindamycin

▪️Bleeding (clotting) disorder, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation

▪️Salmon poisoning

▪️Trauma

▪️Viral infections, such as parvovirus or canine distemper virus

▪️Fungal infections (histoplasmosis or pythiosis)

▪️Stress-induced colitis

Toxin ingestion, such as disulfoton, thallium, sago palm (if your dog ingested a toxin, call the Pet Poison Helpline at 1-855-764-7661)

▪️Cancer

All dogs—no matter their age, gender, or breed—can develop these causes.

How Veterinarians Diagnose Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Veterinarians diagnose bloody diarrhea in dogs by first obtaining a pup’s medical history. Let your veterinarian know any relevant information. Your vet will then perform a thorough exam, which will include gently palpating the abdomen and checking for a re**al mass or a**l gland mass.

Your vet may then run the following tests:

F***l float test to check for intestinal parasites. Your vet will request that you bring in a fresh sample of your dog’s stool.

Full blood work to screen for hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, anemia, and low protein levels that may occur with GI disorders

▪️Parvo test

▪️cPL test: to screen for pancreatitis

▪️Abdominal X-rays and/or ultrasound to check for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, intussusception, foreign body ingestion, and pancreatitis

▪️F***l cytology to test for Clostridium perfringens

▪️ACTH stimulation test to screen for Addison’s disease in dogs

▪️F***l culture to test for bacterial infections, such as salmonella and E. coli

▪️Endoscopy or colonoscopy to look for gastrointestinal masses and obtain a biopsy if one is present. Your vet will also obtain biopsy samples of the GI tract to screen for inflammatory bowel disease.

▪️Cobalamin/folate levels to determine if there’s a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency that can occur with GI disorders

Treatment of Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Treatment for bloody diarrhea in dogs depends on the underlying cause as well as the severity of the diarrhea and dehydration.

Treatment options may include:

▪️Diet change—A bland diet, such as Royal Canin®/MD Gastrointestinal Low Fat diet or Purina® Pro Plan® EN Gastroenteric Dry Dog Food, or cooked boneless/skinless chicken breast (plain, no seasoning) with plain white or brown rice.

If inflammatory bowel disease is diagnosed, then a hydrolyzed protein diet, such as Purina® Pro Plan®Veterinary Diets HA or Royal Canin®/MD Hydrolyzed Protein HP, may be prescribed.

▪️Probiotics—Probiotics like Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets FortiFlora® or Nutramax® Proviable® can help restore the healthy bacteria in the GI tract.

▪️Medications—Medicine may be used, depending on the cause of the bloody diarrhea. These medications may include metronidazole, Albon®, Panacur®, or Drontal™ Plus.

▪️Hospitalization—Hospitalization includes 24-hour intensive care, which will be needed for dogs who are critically ill with conditions such as parvovirus, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, or Addison’s disease.

▪️Intravenous (IV) fluid therapy or subcutaneous fluids (fluids given under the skin)—These methods help with hydration.

▪️Referral to an oncologist—If cancer is present, your vet may refer you to a veterinary oncologist. Treatment options may include surgery and/or chemotherapy.

▪️Surgery—This may be indicated for treatment of trauma, cancer, pythiosis, foreign body obstruction, intestinal mass, or intussusception.

▪️Discontinuing medications—Your vet may recommend stopping any medicine that may be causing bloody diarrhea in your dog, such as steroids or NSAIDs.

Recovery and Management of Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Recovery from bloody diarrhea in dogs depends on the cause and severity.

Some dogs recover within 24 hours after being sent home with medications, probiotics, and a bland diet. Others may need to be hospitalized for several days.

If surgery is needed, recovery may take 10 to 14 days. Certain conditions—such as Addison’s disease and IBD—are not curable and require long-term medications.

During your dog’s recovery, provide your pup any medications, supplements, and diets as directed by your vet.

A recheck appointment should be scheduled with your vet after treatment to make sure your pet is improving. During this visit, your vet will determine if any additional diagnostic tests are needed to manage chronic illnesses, if present.

Some dogs may not improve even with treatment, and humane euthanasia may be recommended.

Prevention of Bloody Diarrhea in Dogs

Preventing bloody diarrhea in dogs includes:

▪️Keeping your dog up to date on vaccines

▪️Not feeding your dog a raw diet

▪️Not giving your dog “people food”

▪️Dog-proofing your house—including securing lids on all trash cans and hampers, and keeping toxins and medications out of reach.

▪️Minimizing your dog’s stress

▪️Not abruptly changing your dog’s diet

▪️Giving your dog heartworm and flea/tick prevention year-round to protect against parasites

Can a stomach bug in dogs cause bloody diarrhea?

A stomach bug may cause inflammation and disrupt the normal bacterial population in a dog’s GI tract. This could lead to bloody diarrhea as well as other symptoms, such as decreased appetite, lethargy, and vomiting.

Why is my dog p**ping blood but acting fine?

Sometimes dogs p**p blood at the end of a normal bowel movement due to straining. If this happens, continue to monitor your dog’s stools. Call your vet if you continue to see blood.

Michelle Diener, DVM
By Michelle Diener, DVM
Published Mar. 21, 2024

Ref:

https://www.petmd.com/dog/symptoms/bloody-diarrhea-in-dogs

09/23/2025

Giardia in Dogs

Giardiasis is a common parasitic infection that can cause diarrhea in dogs. It is caused by an intestinal parasite called Giardia, which can be found in f***s-contaminated soil, food and water.

Some dogs infected with Giardia may not show any signs of infection, but younger dogs or dogs with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience symptoms. It is very easy for dogs to reinfect themselves with Giardia, so successful treatment relies on effective anti-parasitic medications, cleaning and managing the surrounding environment — both indoors and outdoors.

⸻

Prevention
• Practice good hand hygiene
• Disinfect the environment
• Dispose of f***s promptly
• Bathe the dog at the end of treatment to reduce the spread of Giardia cysts
• Prevent dogs from ingesting potentially contaminated water, food or soil

⸻

Causes

Dogs get Giardia from ingesting f***s-contaminated water, soil, food or objects. Giardia has two forms: trophozoites, which live in the intestines of infected dogs, and cysts, which are trophozoites protected by an outer shell and that get shed in the dog’s stool.

Cysts are hardy and can survive in the surrounding environment for months. They are instantly infectious, and just a few ingested cysts can cause infection. A dog could easily get reinfected by grooming themselves, for example, if cysts remain on their fur, paw pads or hind end.

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Clinical signs

Patients will often be asymptomatic and still have a normal appetite and energy levels. In severe cases, dogs may experience lethargy, decreased appetite or weight loss.

The most common clinical signs of Giardiasis include:
• Acute or sudden diarrhea
• Soft or watery stool with mucus and a foul odor
• Abdominal discomfort

⸻

Diagnosis

To diagnose giardiasis, your veterinarian will need to examine a stool sample. Because Giardia cysts can be shed intermittently in the stool, they might not be seen on a single stool sample.

Your veterinarian may perform a second f***l test that is unaffected by the intermittent cyst shedding to look for other signs, such as Giardia-specific antigens, which are small proteins produced by the parasite.

⸻

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to resolve diarrhea and other clinical signs. Dogs without symptoms may not require treatment.

Medication
• Fenbendazole is a common deworming medication used to treat Giardia.
• Another treatment option is an antibiotic called metronidazole.
• Your veterinarian may also use the two medications in combination.

Diet

Your veterinarian may prescribe a diet that supports digestive health to help resolve diarrhea.

Bathing

Dogs should be fully bathed on the last day of treatment to remove f***l material and any remaining Giardia cysts in the dog’s fur.

Cleaning
• Common household disinfectants and steam-cleaning are the most effective ways for killing Giardia cysts.
• Remove and dispose of all f***s promptly.
• Giardia cysts on the lawn can only be killed by direct sunlight drying them.

⸻

Outcome

With proper treatment, most dogs fully recover from giardiasis.

If diarrhea continues after treatment, your veterinarian may need to recheck a stool sample to see whether your dog has been reinfected. Retesting for antigens is not recommended because Giardia antigens can remain present after an infection has been successfully treated, which may result in false-positives on a test.

Dogs may become reinfected if their surrounding environment is not properly managed. Additionally, if the Giardia is resistant to the medication used or if the medication was not dosed properly, then refractory infections may also occur.

⸻

Zoonosis

Humans and other species can become infected with Giardia; however, the type of Giardia that normally infects humans differs from the type that infects dogs and cats. (Dogs and cats are also affected by different types of Giardia).

For this reason, it is rare for humans to get infected from a strain of Giardia that pets may carry and vice versa. Regardless, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling pets or infected f***s is always important.

⸻

Contagion

If there are multiple pets in the household, a dog infected with Giardia does not pose a risk to a healthy cat because the two species are vulnerable to different strains. Similarly, an infected cat does not pose a risk to a healthy dog.

However, an infected dog does increase the risk of exposing other dogs in the household to Giardia, due to the presence of cysts.

You can limit their risk by having them defecate in separate areas, by wiping the infected dog’s butt after defecating and by preventing them from grooming each other. Otherwise, continue to dispose of f***s promptly, bathe the infected dog at the end of treatment and remember to wash your own hands after petting them and handling f***s.

Ref:

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/giardia-infection-treatment-and-prevention

09/08/2025

08/28/2025

08/27/2025

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PROUD FLESH? 🔎

Wounds on the bodies and limbs of our equine companions are exceptionally common. In particular, wounds on lower limbs can be especially difficult to manage. There is little extra skin in these areas, making large wounds difficult to close via suturing.

In addition, wounds on the lower legs are contaminated easily with bacteria since they are closer to the ground, bedding, and manure. The constant movement of an animal's legs as it walks, turns, and bears weight can also greatly impair healing, especially if the wound occurs over a joint. All of these factors can often halt the normal progression of the healing process and result in a chronic wound.

Persistent inflammation, along with infection, is a major contributor to exuberant granulation tissue (or proud flesh) formation in a wound. Proud flesh is not conducive to wound healing as it prevents the wound from epithelializing (the process of the skin cells covering the wound), and sometimes it can become so large that it appears to be a tumor, usually obliterating the original wound.

Prevention of proud flesh involves good wound management. For the best healing, wounds should be identified and treated quickly and properly — especially on the lower limbs. Consult your veterinarian about any wounds that appear deep or extensive, that lie over important structures (like joints and tendons), or that already show signs of proud flesh development. Rather than waste time and money in trials and errors that could delay your equid's healing, ask your veterinarian what products are best for your situation.

08/18/2025

Wow!

08/13/2025

05/23/2025

We will be CLOSED for Memorial Day! Be safe out there and God Bless!

04/25/2025

🌸🌺 LOOK 👀!!! Just in time for show, rodeo, ALL them Summer fun Activities!! Platinum DJ!! 🌼🌸

NOT 1🫣, NOT 2😳, but …… 😱3 ALL IN ONE!!! 🎉
Wellness, Digestive & Joint support

Come on down to the clinic and get yours today! 🥳