As you can learn a lot from your furbaby’s pooping habits, a dog poop guide will offer plenty of guidance on poop etiquette such as how many times a day should a dog poop and how a healthy poop should look.
Dog poop colour tells you a lot about your dog’s health, so let’s take a look at what is considered normal and what other colours can indicate.
Factors That Affect Dog Poop
From stress to gastrointestinal illnesses to things your dog has eaten, many factors will affect your dog’s poop.
Be aware of this as you try to determine a dog's poo colour meaning and if you are struggling to understand your dog’s eating habits, make sure you check out these reasons why dogs eat poop for further advice.
Their age
Puppies poop more often than older dogs as their metabolism is much faster. It is normal for puppies to poop up to five times a day, whereas senior dogs might only poop once.
Size of meal
The more that goes in, the more that will need to come out. The amount you feed your dog and the timing of their meal will affect their poop.
Illnesses
Health issues can cause diarrhoea or constipation, as well as the colour and other features of your dog’s poop.
Stress or anxiety
Your furbaby’s digestive system is very reactive to stressors, so they may have an upset stomach if they are feeling stressed due to any changes in their life.
Fibre intake
Healthy amounts of dietary fibre will keep your dog’s bowel movements regular.
What Does Different Colour Poop Tell You About Your Dog's Health?
A puppy poop colour chart will tell you what unhealthy dog poop looks like and what puppy poop colour is ideal.
Yellow
This often indicates a food intolerance, especially if there is a mucus-like coating or consistency to the poop as well.
If you have changed your dog’s diet recently, take a look at the ingredients to see whether there might be something different your furbaby may have an intolerance to.
Dogs can develop an allergy to a food they have eaten their entire lives as well. Speak to a veterinarian to get your furbaby tested so you can get them on a more suitable diet.
Orange
This could indicate that food is travelling too quickly through the gastrointestinal tract and not picking up the bile that is produced in the liver.
Speak to your veterinarian about any potential liver or biliary disease that your dog may have.
Green
Green poop is common if your dog has eaten a lot of grass. It can also be a sign of rat bait poisoning or intestinal parasites.
It is best to get your dog checked out by a veterinarian if you have any suspicions. Be sure to take a look at their behaviour, energy levels and appetite to give you an indication of their well-being.
White specks
This is a strong indication of worms. Tapeworms often look like white grains of rice in your dog’s poop. It is treatable with worming medication. Speak to your veterinarian if you are unsure.
Bright red
Undigested blood will appear red in your dog’s poop. Often a normal poop is streaked with blood when there is an injury to the lower gastrointestinal tract.
A veterinarian will check your dog for cuts, an anal gland infection, a tumour or it could be a sign of colitis - an inflammation of the colon.
Pink/purple
A potentially fatal disease, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, has a symptom of pink/purple jam-like stools. Many dogs will recover from prompt treatment, so get your dog to a veterinarian immediately if you see this kind of poop.
Black dog poop
Partially digested blood appears black in poop and it often has a tarry or sticky-like consistency to it. This could be due to an ulcer in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Human medications, such as aspirin can cause ulcers in dogs. Never give your furbaby medication designed for humans unless explicitly told to by your veterinarian.
Dog Poop Colour Chart
A dog poop colour chart has all the information you need readily available to help you quickly identify whether or not your furbaby’s stool is healthy as you scoop.
A glance whilst cleaning up after your furbaby makes you a responsible pet owner, allowing you to monitor your dog’s health constantly so that you are aware of subtle changes in their digestive system.
The dog poop colour chart shows that a healthy stool is chocolate brown, and has a firm yet squishy consistency to it, much like Play-Doh.
Your dog should be able to pass their bowel movement easily in one sitting, without excessive straining or pain.
