What Does Unhealthy Dog Poop Look Like?

When potty pad training your dog, or when poop scooping on walks or around the home, as a dog owner, you’re going to be looking at a lot of poop. It's part of being a great pet parent!

If you’ve ever asked yourself, ‘how many times a day should a dog poop?’ or ‘what should my dog’s poop look like?’ Then our dog poop guide is going to help you to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy bowel movements. 

As your furbaby cannot tell you if they aren’t well and often hide their symptoms until they are severe, taking a quick look before you scoop gives you a heads up on their general well-being.

Decoding the 4 C's About Dog Poop

Unhealthy dog poop will have you wondering why your dog’s poop is solid/wet/runny. Diarrhoea isn’t the only sign that something isn’t quite right with your furbaby’s gastrointestinal system. Sick dog poop can come in an array of colours and forms. 

If your furbaby is taking their time toileting, be sure to read up on our tips to make dogs poop quickly to guide them away from any negative behavioural habits they might have picked up. 

Remember the four C’s of dog poop to help you to decode your furbaby’s overall health condition. 

Colour

Normally, a healthy dog’s poop is a chocolate brown colour. Pretty much every other colour of the rainbow can be found, but these can all indicate serious health concerns, bleeding, digestion issues, parasites or an unhealthy diet.

Consistency

A healthy dog poop is in a log shape, which is slightly segmented and has a firm yet squishy consistency to it, much like Play-Doh. It holds its form when picked up. 

A faecal scoring system assigns the consistency of a dog’s poop on a scale from one to seven. One is hard pellets and seven is a puddle. The right consistency of a healthy dog is number two on this scale. 

Contents

By this, we mean anything other than poop in your dog’s poop. These could be white specks that look like grains of rice, which indicate worms, grass or other foreign materials which could indicate a blockage, fur, signalling overgrooming or blood, pointing to cuts or lesions in and around the anus. 

Coating

If a residue is left behind after you pick up your dog’s poop, which could be mucus-like or oily, then it might be worth a visit to the veterinarian to get your fur baby checked out. 

This can indicate a parasitic or bacterial infection or food intolerance. 

Understanding Issues Based on Dog Poop Colour

Unhealthy puppy poop comes in a variety of different shades. This dog poop colour guide will help you to identify some of the possible issues that might be causing their poop to be a certain colour. 

White

When there is too much calcium in your dog’s diet, which can be the case in raw food diets, among others, then your dog’s waste can turn white in appearance. 

Seek the advice of a dog nutritionist or a veterinarian to get guidance on the best diet for your dog. Switching diets should always be done slowly to avoid further gastrointestinal distress.

Black/red

Black and red stools tell us that your furbaby is either digesting blood or has a bleed lower down in its gastrointestinal tract. Black or maroon-coloured stools tell us that a dog has ingested blood somehow, perhaps from a bleeding ulcer. 

Green

Firm green stools could be because your dog has eaten a lot of grass and the chlorophyll has tinted their stools green. Bright green diarrhoea could be caused by something more serious, such as poisoning or being infected by a parasite called giardia. 

Red

Red streaks in your dog’s poop indicate that there is bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. A veterinarian may look for cuts or lesions in the anus, or help to determine the reason behind this. 

Purple

If your furbaby hasn’t eaten something purple that they shouldn’t have, then purple poop could be a sign of something serious. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis will also present with other symptoms, such as your furbaby being lethargic and with a lack of appetite. 

Take them to the veterinarian with a stool sample if possible, to help them to identify the cause quickly to get your pooch on the mend. 

What Should Unhealthy Dog Poop Look Like?

An unhealthy dog poop chart will help you to understand what unhealthy dog poop looks like. You can then compare what your dog’s poop looks like to figure out whether you need to speak to your veterinarian or not. 

There are other factors, such as your dog’s behaviour whilst they are pooping which can help you decide whether they are in good health or not. If your dog is straining a lot and trying to poop several times before it can, then this isn’t a healthy sign.

We also suggest you take a look at the reasons why dogs eat poop to understand other curious dog behaviours. 

Unhealthy dog poop is anything that is not chocolate brown coloured, with a firm yet squishy consistency and is a reasonable size that is relative to your dog’s size. 

Sometimes your furbaby will eat something they shouldn’t and it may take a couple of days for this to get out of their system. Prolonged issues of unhealthy-looking poop or when you cannot explain why their poop is a certain colour is when you need to consult your veterinarian for advice and a check-up. 

Final Thoughts

Cleaning up dog poop is a natural part of pet ownership, so make the most of it and be aware that you can give your furbaby their own little daily health check by taking a quick look at their poop. 

With our tips to clean and dispose of dog poop using dog poop products that pet owners should have, the task can be a breeze and you can get right back to enjoying your furbaby’s loyal companionship. 

If you’re ever uncertain about the appearance of your furbaby’s poop, remember the four C’s to dog poop and just get in touch with your local veterinarian for bespoke advice and support.