MURPHY and his owners were amongst my favourites. Always pleasant, considerate and well-groomed, Murphy reflected his owners’ attitude towards life. They were model clients; they turned up on time, followed instructions to the letter and cared deeply for his welfare. So, when Murphy started bleeding from his bottom, his owners were very worried. Having just turned fifty years old themselves, they had each received the little cardboard 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 by the dreaded big C. And so they did what many people do under these circumstances. They did nothing. 

Sure, they winced every time they picked up his poo and saw, with mounting dread, the streaks of fresh, red blood. Of course, they lost sleep night after night, imagining his slow but inexorable, painful demise. Naturally, they Googled and matched the symptom with the disease process. And, yes, they considered life without their faithful friend and how that might affect them. Then, finally, when it all became too much to bear, they popped into the surgery without him, just 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's history was fairly straightforward. He was well, had a healthy appetite and had not lost weight. He looked as good as he ever had and had not suffered from chronic or intermittent diarrhea. 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 a Sunday, 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 was suffering from mild inflammatory bowel disease, which (after simple treatment to exclude parasites) can be separated into three broad, basic types. There are those patients that respond to dietary control, some that require antibiotics and others who need steroids to improve. But first, Murphy required that all important examination and perhaps a poo sample, so that we could see for ourselves what the bleeding looked like! 

Perhaps sensing what was to occur, Murphy entered the consulting room reluctantly. His owner proffered the sample in similar fashion and this showed that the blood was on the poo, not in it; a crucial point. A gentle rectal examination allowed a diagnosis. Murphy had a simple polyp that was subsequently easily surgically removed.  

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