Milton Keynes Vets educating owners on their dog poops
As a dog owner, picking up after your dog is something you will find yourself doing a lot! This faecal matter contains the components of your dog’s diet that cannot be digested, as well as some digestive system secretions. It is good to be familiar with your dog’s “normal” poop as it can give an excellent insight into their health – picking up on changes to the appearance and/or frequency can help identify early warning signs when something isn’t right.
The size of your dog’s poo
The size of your dog’s poo reflects how much indigestible material, such as fibre, they have eaten. If they have had extra food, they will pass a large amount in one go. When they are excited and running around, they may pass more than one motion but in a smaller amount.
The shape of your dog’s poo
A healthy digestive system should produce small logs of poo. If your dog isn’t drinking enough, this may change the change to a pebble shaped poo. Long sausages of poo can be produced when the poop is soft.
The consistency of your dog’s poo
Healthy dog poo should maintain its shape and be easy to collect. If it is difficult to pick up, their stools are a bit too loose. The Bristol Stool Scale is often used to provide standardised way of monitoring consistency.
The colour of your dog’s poo
Typically most poops are a mid-brown colour. The colour can be affected by diet and health. If they are fed on white meat or fish diets, poop will likely be lighter in colour, while those dogs who are fed a varied diet will slightly change day by day.
Sometimes changes in dog’s poo can be an indication that there is a underlying problem:
- Black in colour – can be a sign of digested blood which could be a result of injury or gastric issues
- Red, purple or pinkish in colour – this is likely that there is undigested fresh blood which could be linked digestive system infection, or inflammation or tears in the rectum or anus
- Blue in colour – could occur if you dog has eaten an item with blue colouring, for example some rodenticides
- Orange in colour – can be related to increased bile being released from the liver into the intestines – this should be investigated for possible underlying issues
- Yellow in colour –can occur when food has passed through the intestines too quickly or if your dog has eaten something that hasn’t agreed with them
- Greasy or grey in colour – can suggest excess oils and fats being secreted
The smell of your dog’s poo
Again the smell of your dog’s poop will depend on their diet, if you notice a sudden change to the smell and its is particularly stinky they may have eaten something that hasn’t agreed with them.
If you notice something unusual or concerning regarding your dog’s poop, please contact us to arrange an appointment with one of our veterinary surgeons.