What Your Dog’s Poop Tells You

I am pretty sure that you are sometimes perplexed that your dog poop of various types. What i am saying is that the poop can be of various degree of moisture as well as shapes. Sometimes, they might poop in pieces, or it might come out in one long piece. Why is there so many variation to your dog’s poop? What your dog’s poop tells you? Let’s find out!

What Your Dog’s Poop Tells You

There are various reasons at which why your dog eat poops, and we have written an article about it here. Understanding your dog’s poop is vital in managing the well-being of your dog as it can help you to determine if they are healthy and on food that agrees with them. Having a grasp of the color, consistency, size, volume, frequency and odor of your dog’s poop would give you an indication if your dog is healthy.

Let’s find out what are the various types of dog poops and the meaning of each type of dog poop.

Regular Stool

What Your Dog's Poop Tells YouA healthy dog’s poop tends to be brown, firm and moist, and with a mild odor. Typically your dog will poop anywhere between two to four times a day; this number could fluctuates based on the dog’s diet and age – usually the older your dog the less frequent he poop. A deviation from his regular poop may indicate an underlying health issue. Hence regular monitoring of your dog’s normal poop is essential!

Greasy Gray Stool

A greasy-looking gray stool is usually a sign of too much fat in your dog’s diet which can trigger pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas that can range from very mild to life threatening. Reduce the fat content of the food your dog consumes to see if this solves the problem.

Soft Stool

Many may regard soft stool as diarrhea, but actually there is a difference between both. Diarrhea is characterized by repeated, watery bowel movements while a soft stool relates to the stool’s consistency. Soft stool without blood or mucus can be caused by dietary change – for example a change in the brand of the dog’s food – or consumption of an object that wasn’t meant for consumption – for instance, rocks and plants. At the same time, it may also be a sign of parasites or stress. Monitor your dog closely and seek medical attention if the condition persists or worsens.

Soft and Mucousy Stool

Mucus is a smooth and thick substance which lubricates the surfaces of the body and allows materials to pass smoothly. Hence, some amount of mucus  in the stool is normal and beneficial; however significant amounts of mucus can be an indication of irritation or inflammation of the intestines which produce the mucus to protect the sensitive absorptive cells.

Watery Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one the most obvious signs of a potential health issue; however, it may not always be a sign of concern. You may like to stop feeding your dog for a day to see if it clears up. If the problem subsides, this should not be a huge concern as the diarrhea could occur as a result of stress or food change. However if the diarrhea persists, and your dog shows negative symptoms, make a vet appointment and have your dog checked.

Undigested food in stools

What Your Dog's Poop Tells YouSometimes you may find that your dog’s poop contains undigested foods such as hair, grains, or vegetables. This indicates that your dog is either not properly chewing his food or is unable to digest it, which may indicate a food allergy. It can also be a matter of the kibble being too large to chew; choosing food product of a small size would do the trick!

White Stool

Dogs produce feces that is white and chalky when they consume raw foods that are high in calcium (e.g. bone), have inadequate water intake, or a lack of exercise. This may result in obstipation, also known as obstructive constipation, causing your dog to lose the ability to pass stool or gas due to blockage or obstruction in the intestines.

Black Stool (a.k.a. Melena)

Black or tarry stool – also term as Melena – could occur when there is bleeding in the stomach or intestine. The bleeding could be caused by infections, tumors of the esophagus or stomach, cancer, or having ingested something sharp and indigestible. Do look out for diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, other areas of  bleeding or bruising on the body and weight loss when melena is observed. Also, seeking immediate veterinary care is important!

Red Stool

If you observe blood in your dog’s stool, this can mean blood or it could be that your dog ate beets. If you only see drops or streaks of blood, and otherwise, he seems happy and healthy, wait a day to see if it clears as the blood could be caused by straining from constipation resulting in blood vessels breaking. On the other hand, streaks of blood in your dog’s poop may also indication an inflammation of the colon, a rectal injury, an anal gland infection or possibly a tumor; immediate veterinary care is advisable. Additionally, you should contact your vet immediately if you see a lot of blood with a horrible odor and your dog looks lethargic or is vomiting as this could indicate parvo virus disease (a highly contagious viral disease that can produce a life-threatening illness).

Green Stool

This could be a sign that your dog has been eating a large amount of grass. It can also indicate a parasite, rat bait poisoning or other issues. Observe the poop for a day to see if the problem subsides. If the problem does not subsides, you may need to contract your vet.

Orange Stool

Rarely do we see orange stools which generally indicates an issue with the liver or biliary disease, or it could simply mean that your dog’s poop moved too fast through the GI tract to pick up the bile which changes the poop to the normal brown we expect. Contact your vet if your dog has orange diarrhea.