The Ultimate Guide to Decoding Dogs Poop: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Dog Poop & Dog Health : What to watch for

When it comes to monitoring your dog’s health, the first thing that you want to be proactive about is a little unpleasant. You need to pay attention to your doggy’s poos. Your dog’s poop is going to one of the first warning signs that you get if there are any problems going on that need to be handled right away.

In this article, we’re going to discuss doggy-bathroom issues so that you know a little about the why’s and a little about what to look for to head off potential problems early. We’ll cover the questions that we get the most so that you have a wide range of symptoms to file away in case you need them.

Without further ado, let’s ‘step’ into a doggy-poop discourse!

Causes of diarrhea in dogs?

First off, we’re going to go over some common reasons why your dog might have diarrhea. The most common causes of doggy-diarrhea include the following:

•   Bacteria or a virus
•   Change in diet
•   Ingestion of something toxic
•   Irritable bowel disease
•   Parasites in the intestine

Causes of dog constipation in dogs? 

Constipation is a whole different animal and these are the most common causes when your doggy can’t poop at all:

•   Diet (often not enough fiber)
•   Hair-chewing (this will show in the poop)
•   Hyperthyroidism
•   Ingestion of non-food items
•   Lack of exercise
•   Not enough exercise
•   Renal issues
•   Side-effect of aging

My dog is pooping blood, is this normal? 

If you are noticing blood in your dog’s poop then it could be a sign of a ruptured anal sac or a similar injury. Other causes of blood in the stool include:

•   Cancer
•   Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis
•   Inflammatory bowel disease
•   Parvo
•   Viral or bacterial infection

Don’t panic right away if your dog has red stools. As we know, our furry friends often chew or outright gobble up things that they find, and if your dog has eaten something with red dye in it then this could be what you are seeing. That said, if your dog seems to have bloody stools a vet check is always a good idea.

How to get your dog to poop fast

There are a few tricks for doggy constipation which you can use if your dog is not pooping at all. If that is the case, you can try one of the following:

•   A doggy enema can do the trick if your dog is calm enough
•   A good exercise session
•   Canned pumpkin
•   Bran cereal
•   Get your dog to drink extra water if you can
•   Lots of canned dog food
•   Metamucil (with vet permission only)

If you have an older dog, then a vet visit is really the best idea. Your veterinarian can prescribe medication for your dog to help them to be more regular on their bathroom breaks.

Decoding poop & health: what does the colors mean?

When decoding doggy poop there are a number of things to keep an eye out for. To keep things simple and practical, we’re going to start off with a ‘doggy poop rainbow’ of colors so that you know what they indicate and we’ll follow that up with what your dog’s poop SHOULD look like. This is the most practical way to give a quick primer on what to look for. Here are the colors you might see and what they mean:

•   Black or super-dark brown poop – This can mean that your dog has found a pill bottle. Medications, particularly aspirin, can darken your dog’s stool. This can also be an indicator of a bleed in the GI tract.
•   Fatty, gray poop – This is often a sign of maldigestion, so you will need to reassess your dog’s diet or switch to healthier treats such as Hangry Woof Multivitamin Chews.
•   Green poop – If your dog is eating a lot of grass then this can occur, though it can also be indicative of a parasite.
•   Pink or purple poop – Unless your dog got into some crayons, this color in the poop warrants a vet visit immediately as it could be a sign of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is potentially fatal so you’ll want to see the vet TODAY.
•   Red, streaky poop – This could be a torn anal sac or an infection and is another good reason for a quick vet visit.
•   Yellow or orangey poop – If you’re feeding your dog a new diet or new treats, this could be a food issue, but it is also a common sign of liver issues and this warrants a vet checkup.

Now that we’ve gone over the ‘quick and dirty’ list of poop decoding, here is the profile of healthy dog stool:

•   Color: Healthy dog poop should consistently be a chocolate brown.
•   Consistency: The poop should be soft but a solid piece – not runny and not too hard.
•   Size: This depends on how much your dog eats. Lots of food, bigger poops.
•   Shape: The poop should be shaped like a log. If it’s looking a bit rounded then your dog might be dehydrated.

Hangry Woof Multivitamin Chews can help to boost your dog’s immune system

As we’ve indicated in this article, there are a number of different symptoms that can go with various pooping issues that your dog might have. The best defense is a good offense, so why not flood your dog’s body with good nutrition and an herbal defense strategy in the form of Hangry Woof Multivitamin Chews? Check out this list of ingredients that these delicious, peanut-butter chews bring to the table:

•   Coral Calcium – This easily-digested calcium is great for joints and bones
•   Taurine– Taurine is great for your dog’s heart and it’s especially good for older dogs
•   Vitamin E – This is good for your dog’s skin and muscles
•   New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels - a natural source of omega-3, chondroitin and glucosamine, these mussels help alleviate arthritis pain and inflammation
•   Icelandic Sea Kelp – Hydrates the skin and acts as an anti-inflammatory to help calm skin conditions
•   Hawaiian Kona berries – Helps to fight cell damage and to supercharge your dog’s immune system
•   Well-rounded blend of vitamin Bs, C, D, E, antioxidant, and calcium  

That’s all, folks!

That’s all the space that we have for today but we hope that you’ve found an informative tidbit or two that you can use in the article. Watching your dog’s poop is important, if a little icky, because often this is where you are going to notice the first signs of trouble. Remember that you can always use a doggie-poop bag to bring in a sample for analysis to your vet if your dog is having abnormal poops and you aren’t sure what it is. When in doubt, don’t hesitate, because your vet is there to help you!

Until next time, we wish you and yours the best!