Author KellyPosted on Categories Blog
If you are like the rest of us, chances are that when your dog poops, you do not give it a second look and you simply dispose of it. That is absolutely natural because poop is smelly and disgusting, to be frank. Very rarely though would you have ever noticed your dog’s poop or noticed anything peculiar about it? The truth is, there is a lot that can be learned about your dog’s overall health and digestion by noticing its poop.
What an ideal poop should look like
This is a very good question. The ideal color for your dog’s poop should be brown. It should be hard and a little elongated. If your dog poops like that, then you have nothing to worry about. You have a healthy pet. Congrats!
Now that we know what the norm is, let us discuss what are some other kinds of dog poop and what they can tell you.
- Small and hard
This is a sign that your dog is constipated. It can happen when the dog does not have enough liquid in its diet and ingests a lot of insoluble fiber. Another issue, which is more common in cats than dogs are ingesting fur balls. If your dog licks itself a lot, then it can swallow a small amount of fur, which can build up in the digestive system.
- Very Liquid
As is the case with us humans, loose stool means diarrhea. Diarrhea in dogs can be caused by eating something they shouldn’t have. Generally once whatever they have eaten passes through their digestive system completely, everything should go back to normal. Liquid poop can also mean your dog is allergic or intolerant to a particular food item in its diet. You should go to a vet for a consultation just to make sure there is no serious infection that is causing the upset stomach.
It is also recommended that when your dog has diarrhea, you should hold their food for 12 hours. You can still keep giving it water. After that, your dog should be given as bland a diet as possible.
- Too much with a pungent smell
If your dog is suddenly pooping more than it normally does, it means there is more food in its tummy that is going undigested. If you are serving your dog low-quality dog food or adulterated dog food, this can be one of the causes for the amount of poop as well as the smell associated with it.
- Noticing a Peculiar Color
As mentioned above, the ideal color of your dog’s poop is brown. If it has any other color, that can be a sign of some trouble. For example, if your dog has an issue with its gall bladder, the poop can be greenish in color. Some other colors to what out for are yellow, which can be a sign of infected liver, blue – which can be a symptom of poisoning and black – which can be a result of internal bleeding in the digestive tract.
When to Worry?
If your dog is pooping blood, then its a huge cause for concern and you should not delay taking it to the vet. Also, if the dog seems very weak and tired all the time, it can be a symptom of an underlying problem. A fever, combined with abnormal poop can also be a sign of an infection. In all such cases, please consult your dog’s vet immediately.
Your dog’s poop can tell you a lot about its health and now that you know how to see the signs, it will guide towards taking care of your beloved companion better. And remember, no matter what kind of poop your dog excretes, it is very important to dispose of it in a hygienic manner or simply call our dog poop clean up service and we will haul it away for you.