Stool Occult Blood
A stool occult blood test finds tiny amounts of blood in stool that cannot be seen by eye. It can help show bleeding somewhere in the digestive tract of dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes.
- Sample
- Stool
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Hidden (occult) blood in stool
- Blood from the stomach or upper gut, even when the stool looks normal
- Blood from the lower gut or rectum in amounts too small to see
Benefits of this test
- Can find gut bleeding that cannot be seen by eye.
- Gives an early clue in animals with anaemia (low red blood cells) or unexplained weight loss.
- Needs only a small stool sample and nothing painful for the animal.
- Helps your vet decide whether to look further with scans or other tests.
- Can be repeated on different days to catch bleeding that comes and goes.
When your vet may advise it
- Black, tarry stool, or stool with streaks of blood.
- Pale gums and weakness that may point to anaemia.
- Vomiting blood, or repeated vomiting with poor appetite.
- Long-lasting diarrhoea, weight loss or poor appetite with no clear cause.
- A dog or cat on long-term medicines that can irritate the stomach.
- A cow or buffalo with dark, tarry dung, weakness or pale eyes and gums.
About this test
Occult means hidden. Some bleeding in the stomach or gut is too small to change the colour of the stool, so nobody can see it. A small portion of stool is mixed with a test chemical (reagent) that shows a reaction when blood is present.
A positive result tells the vet that blood is entering the gut somewhere between the mouth and the rectum. Possible causes include ulcers, worms or other parasites, gut inflammation, a swallowed foreign object, tumours, or blood swallowed from the mouth or nose. The test cannot say which cause it is. In cows and buffaloes, vets also use it when bleeding ulcers in the fourth stomach (the abomasum) are suspected.
Because bleeding can come and go, one negative result does not fully rule bleeding out. Raw or red meat in the diet can also give a false positive with some occult blood tests, so preparation matters.
How to prepare
For dogs and cats, your vet may ask you to avoid raw or red meat for about three days before sampling, because it can give a false positive. Collect fresh stool in a clean, dry container, keep it cool and follow your vet's advice on food and medicines. Collection is free anywhere in Bhopal, and from outside Bhopal the sample can go by courier, bus parcel or through your vet after you call the lab.
Reading the result
A positive result means blood was detected in that sample, and a negative result means none was found at that time. A registered veterinarian reads it with your animal's signs and may repeat the test or add other tests.
Questions about Stool Occult Blood
Does a positive occult blood result mean something serious?
Does my dog or cat need a special diet before this test?
Can a negative result rule out bleeding?
My cow's dung looks black. Is that blood?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Same day to 24 hours. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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