It’s a pretty “shitty” topic (mind my language) but it’s really important to monitor your dog’s poo -unless your dog speaks people, how else will you know something is up?
Stools come in many different shapes, sizes, forms and smells but generally a healthy stool is moist, firm and compact with little or a slight smell. Deviations from this usual pattern may indicate an underlying health condition- however by knowing what to look out for you could one day save your best friends life!
If you are feeding your dog dry kibble/pellet food, it’s typical to notice large, voluminous and smelly poo. Often this indicates that the body may not be properly absorbing the nutrients or it reflects that there is colorants, preservatives and other toxins being secreted from the body. As I mentioned before, dogs on a raw food diet tend to have smaller, firmer stools with very little to no stench - such a great benefit, I had to mention it twice!
My cat Mr Peaches' litter box lasts double the amount of time since he’s been on a strict Ostrich meat diet; those packs of crystal litter now actually lasts 1 month and not just 2 weeks – just like the packaging says! Also when my Pug Zuma is on his “best behaviour” and decides in the middle of the night it’s time to drop a steamy, cleaning up after him the next morning (because there’s no smell you can sleep right through the horror) is not inconvenient at all. Think about your next park walk, you’ll have less embarrassing poo to handle. If nothing else has convinced you to make the switch to REAL FOOD for your pets, surely this will!
Signs to look out for:
Constipation could mean your pet is not getting enough water or it’s the first sign of an inadequate diet. Try a spoon of coconut oil or some fiber to help the bowel movement along. Take note of the last time you saw your pet poo - 2 days poop free is not a blessing - off to the vet you go!
If your dog is suffering from diarrhoea and the colour is ranging from mustard yellow to green to very dark brown in colour, I recommend a trip to the vet. Diarrhoea is a tricky one and could be life threatening.
Dark tar like poop or very red in colour could mean something potentially serious is going on in the abdomen, for example parasites, infection, or something sharp and/or indigestible could be stuck.
If you notice only streaks of blood in a stool, it could just be a burst blood vessel, or maybe even splints of undigested bone. Always give your dogs only RAW bones, it’s the cooking that makes them splint! Look out for lethargic behaviour, loss of appetite and nausea before you panic, but if your gut really doesn’t feel right about it, another trip to the vet won’t hurt right?
White powder like poops generally occurs after the consumption of bones – it’s a sign of undigested calcium. The poo should turn to normal after a few days and isn’t something to be concerned about. Although if you notice the poo is white as it comes out (gross I know) it could mean a pancreatic insufficiency – monitor it or get it checked out.
Have you made the switch to raw yet?
If you’re already keeping up with the pet times and have recently made the switch to a raw diet, you may have noticed stools covered in mucus, do not be too concerned – this is normal cause the body excretes all the bad stuff consumed on dog junk food (kibble). Think of it like a detox- it could take up to 6 months to fully leave the body.
If you’re spoiling your pet with Ostrich or Venison meat, their poop will naturally be a darker brown – closely resembling the tar like colour I mentioned above, keep looking for more signs of trouble before you worry.
I was going to add a picture graph for you to examine and compare, but I’ll rather leave that up to you and Google. 😉
Glancing at your dog while he does his business is not creepy, it’s important!
With love from Shané.