It’s probably not your favorite activity to take care of your dookie duties while walking your dog. But did you know that understanding your dog’s overall health depends on paying attention to her deposits?
The truth is that a variety of illnesses and conditions can be detected in your dog’s feces. Being a doody detective and understanding the potential causes of your dog’s unusual-looking poop is crucial information.
Here, we’ll explain what the various poop colors typically mean and when it makes sense to take your pet to the veterinarian.
Black Dog Poop Or Very Dark Dog Poop
Dogs’ black stools sometimes have a “tarry” or “sticky” texture. The black color comes from partially digested blood. Black stools could indicate an upper gastrointestinal tract ulcer, like a stomach ulcer.
Dogs’ stomach ulcers can be triggered by a variety of human medications, particularly aspirin. Additionally, there are drugs designed specifically for dogs that, when used for an extended period of time, raise the risk of stomach ulcers.
Never give your dog human medications without first consulting your veterinarian.
What Does Dog Poop Color Mean?
Here’s the skinny on doggie-doo of all colors and how to distinguish problem poop from normal dog poop if your dog’s poop looks strange.
What constitutes a dog’s “normal” color varies from breed to breed and is influenced by the type of dog food that animal has consumed. The color should generally be medium brown and should not be too soft and liquidy (which would indicate diarrhea) or too hard to pass comfortably (which would indicate constipation).
Pay attention to your dog’s “healthy” poop so you can spot issues when they arise (color, consistency, and frequency).
Does Poop Color Matter In Dogs?
In contrast to what we typically believe, dog poop is not just an unpleasant waste that should be ignored.
The consistency of your dog’s poop provides a window into their digestive health and can provide you with additional information that you otherwise might not have known.
Watch our video where we discuss the main points about dog poop color and what to watch out for if you don’t want to read the entire article.
When inspecting your dog’s poop, you want to see it be brown.
Indicators of ideal gut health and digestion in our canine friends include firm brown dog poop.
Your dog is probably in good standing if their feces are chocolate in color and firm enough to pick up with ease.
Our pets’ green dog poop may indicate a number of different issues.
Your dog probably consumed a lot of grass if their poop is brown and contains green material chunks.
Although it may not necessarily be a serious problem, if the behavior is becoming a regular snack, you should try to limit it.
However, if your dog’s feces are any shade of green, this may indicate GI distress caused by a variety of possible factors.
When a dog has an intestinal parasite, a bacterial infection, or another type of GI upset, their feces may be green.
You should seek advice from your veterinarian if your dog’s feces suddenly turn green.
White specks in a dog’s stool are abnormal, even though brown dog poop is completely normal.
In addition to being material remnants, white specks in a dog’s feces can also be an indication of intestinal parasites.
Once they reach adulthood, some worms will shed in a dog’s feces, leaving behind minute white specks or worms that resemble noodles.
You may have intestinal parasites if you notice any movement in these enigmatic white flecks.
Black dog poop may indicate a severe issue with a dog’s upper GI tract.
The blood will then undergo the same digestive process as the other materials passing through if a dog is bleeding high up in the digestive tract.
The blood will turn black during digestion, which typically results in dark, black feces.
Intestinal parasites, GI ulcerations, and other conditions that harm the stomach or intestines’ tissue can all result in black dog poop.
It is best to call your veterinarian right away if your dog has suddenly started passing black stool.
FAQ
Is light brown dog poop normal?
The healthiest dogs will have stools that are playdough-like in color and consistency and are brown in color. Depending on the diet you feed them, these can range from light to dark brown, but the color should remain constant every day.
Why is my dog’s poop pale brown?
If your skin is orange, yellow, or pale in color, your liver is probably the culprit. It might be a symptom of liver or biliary disease, or it might just mean that your dog’s poop passed through the GI tract too quickly to pick up the bile, which causes the color to change to the familiar brown.
What does light brown poop mean?
A more serious issue, such as cholestasis, a form of liver disease, may be indicated if the stool is white or very light brown. Any issue involving the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas may be a medical emergency in newborns, including cholestasis.
Why is my dog’s poop different shades of brown?
Even normal can occasionally change, depending on important factors like your dog’s diet. For the majority of dogs, a medium chocolate brown to a darker coffee brown is the ideal and healthy poop color. Protein type can also impact color. High-poultry diets frequently have a bicolor coating or are more yellow.