Healthy Dog Poop: Color, odor, frequency, consistency

Dog poop can indicate when your pet is feeling good, when he’s under the weather, and even if there’s a medical emergency. Watching your dog poop and knowing what is usual for him or her will help keep your canine up to par and set you on alert if anything is amiss. A healthy dog poop will have several common elements: color, odor, frequency, and consistency. Diet and exercise may alter these patterns, so it is important to keep a close on your dog poop at all times. Picking up after your pet will guarantee your familiarity with his or her feces and will help to prevent water contamination.

Color
In general, dog poop will have approximately the same color as the food you’re providing, though it may be lighter or darker or slightly off hue. If the stool changes color to a yellow, green, gray, or black color, or if it significantly lightens, you should contact your vet immediately about possible intestinal or liver problems. If the stool is tarry black or bloody, get your dog to the emergency vet straight away, as he is bleeding in his intestines or colon. Small flecks of blood in dog poop also require veterinary counsel, but can usually wait until proper business hours.

Odor
Dog poop doesn’t smell good. It also shouldn’t smell like the spawn of the devil has crawled up into your dog’s innards and horrifically died. Nor should dog poop smell good, or like food, or like sour milk. Get to know your dog’s particular musk. If any unusual odors are permeating from the dog poop, it’s time to call the vet. Occasionally Fluffy’s delving into the donuts or eating that whole pot of baked beans may cause some unusual scents, but should the smell persist or make your eyes water, it’s time for the doc to take charge.

Frequency
Most dogs poop about twice a day. Sometimes Sirius will squeeze out just one large dropping and holds one over for the next morning. When he was younger, he’d even poop twice in a row, or after vigorous exercise. If your dog is pooping more than twice a day, especially if they are trying to poop more and not succeeding, give your vet a call. (Don’t you have him on speed dial by now?) If Fluffy hasn’t released a dung bomb in two days, it’s probably a good idea to look into the problem. Your dog should develop a common pooping schedule. If you want, you can even mark down his droppings on your very own Dog Poop Calendar to keep track and ensure he stays regular.

Consistency
This is my very favorite category. Depending on how mushy the dog poop, I can tell which dog ate my turkey sandwich, or who’s feeling a little down. A healthy dog poop should be somewhat firm and plump. The stool should keep its log-like shape when eliminated, not splatter like ice cream when it hits the ground. Also be wary of dog poop that is too dry or hard. When you pick up your dog poop, don’t be afraid to give an experimental squeeze to test its firmness. If it mushes with little pressure but holds its form, you’re good to go. If it’s hard and dry like an acorn, your dog may not be drinking enough. Repeated dryness requires a trip to the vet. Also be aware of watery, foamy, greasy, or mucusy stools. These, too, require veterinary attention. Be sure to take a sample for illustrative purposes!

Following these guidelines and keeping a close eye (but not too close) eye on your dog poop will help to ensure that you catch most health problems before they become severe, and you, too, can discover which mutt ate your cheetos!

Technorati Tags: dog poop, vet, stool

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 02nd, 2008 at 6:18pm and is filed under Dog Poop Calendar, Dog Poop Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.