By Dogs love to eat. Their life revolves in and around food. It motivates them to live and do other things. But it is also important to note how that food comes out of their bodies. For us humans, dog poop may be the most awkward and enjoyable part of having a pooch at home but your dog’s poop has a lot to say about his lifestyle and health. So it is extremely important to know the right consistency, color, and contents of his poop to determine whether there are any underlying issues or not. Read on to find out.
It Is All About The 3 Cs :
Consistency and shape:
It is extremely important to know what should be the ideal consistency and shape of dog poop and make sure that your dog fits in that category. The consistency of the dog poop should be like play-doh – not too hard and not too loose. If the poop is too dry, it will not be shaped like a log or barrel and is a sign of constipation. And if its too loose, it is a sign of diarrhea. In both cases, it is important that there is a balance in the consistency of the poop.
Color:
The color of the poop is key to what is going on in your dog’s system internally. The right color of poop is dark brown. If your dog’s poop is differently colored, it is important to know which color is the indication of what underlying problems.
Yellow/Orange poop: this might indicate some problems in the liver or biliary system. Orange poop could also mean pancreatitis or a liver problem.
Red stained poop: this might indicate that there’s blood in the stool which could either mean issues in the anus and the surrounding areas or in some rare cases, it could also mean Parvo Virus.
Green poop: this means that the dog has ingested grass and it is an indication of some issues in the gall bladder. It also means your dog’s diet is full of green leafy vegetables.
Black poop: this might mean that your dog may have internal bleeding or some underlying issue in the bladder, kidney, or pancreas.
Grey Poop: a lot of dogs who are on a raw diet, might have grey-colored poop. It is an indication of calcium-rich food. Raw bones and meat have high-fat content hence, this color.
Brown poop with white specks: this is an indication that your dog might have an infestation of worms. These worms look like tiny rice particles and might lead to a lot of gastrointestinal problems.
Content:
It is important to know what are the contents of dog poop. The content of the poop will lead to constipation or diarrhea in your dog. Whatever your dog consumes might directly come out through his poop. A lot of times, the underlying issues might also change the content of the poop. If the digestion is not happening properly, there might be bits and pieces of that food item in the poop. This also might change the consistency of the poop.
Some of the reasons behind constipation are discrepancy in the quantity of fiber, drinking less water and ingesting pebbles, dog hair, stones, grass, bones, or other non-edible things. A lot of times, the wrong kind of medication can also do this.
Some of the reasons behind diarrhea are stress due to a new lifestyle, new home, getting introduced to new food habits, new or inappropriate medicines, food poisoning, heavy or allergic food, contaminated water or some kind of infection as well.
Our two cents:
It is extremely important to keep in mind all these things if you have recently adopted a dog. If not observed properly, your dog might end up with some serious health issues. So do keep an eye on your dog’s poop.
If you are thinking of adopting a dog then here’s a list of all kinds of safe and toxic food that you need to keep in mind before you decide his diet.
