As a responsible dog owner, you’ll take care to pick up after your dog if he does his business when you’re walking him in public parks and around your local neighborhood.

But did you know that your dog’s poop can clearly indicate whether your pup is healthy or not?

Want to find out more? Keep reading this guide for the full story on how to tell if your dog’s poop is healthy!

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What Does Healthy Dog Poop Look Like?

Basically, healthy dog poop should be brown, firm but slightly squishy in texture, in one log-like piece, and in proportion to the amount of food your dog ate for his last meal.

Let’s break that down some more:

Color

Healthy poop should be chocolate brown. However, if your dog eats food containing colorings, those colors might taint the poop color.

Shape

Dog poop should be shaped like a small log and should maintain its form.

If the poop is round and bullet-like, your dog is most likely dehydrated.

Consistency

If your dog’s poop is normal, it should be firm but moist and easy for you to pick up in a poop bag. When squished, the poop should feel like Play-Doh.

Watery poop or diarrhea is a sign of an intestinal upset. In that case, take a look at the food your dog has. Perhaps your dog has a sensitive stomach and would benefit from a specially formulated diet.

Size

Dog poop should be directly proportionate in size to the amount of food your dog regularly eats.

As the fiber content in the dog food increases, so does the amount of poop your pet produces. For example, Labradoodles like dry dog foods that typically contain more fiber than wet food. So, if you feed your pup a diet of kibble, your pet might produce more poop than a dog fed only canned food.

Content

• If the poop contains mucus, your dog could have an inflamed colon.
• Excessive amounts of grass in the poop could indicate a gastric upset or stress.
• Increased hair in the poop indicates that your dog is licking excessively and could have a dermatological condition.
• Small white objects in the poop usually mean that your dog has worms.

If your dog’s poop contains any of the above, a visit to your veterinarian could be in order!

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Problem Poop

As mentioned above, the color of your dog’s poop can be an excellent indicator of your pet’s overall health.

Here’s a guide to dog poop color:

Normal

Normal dog poop should be a chocolate brown color. If your dog eats food containing colorings, that could appear in the poop, too.

Green

Green poop indicates that your dog might be eating lots of grass. More concerningly, green poop could also mean that your pet has gall bladder problems.

Yellow or Orange

Yellow or orange poop is generally a warning sign that your dog might have a liver or biliary system problem.

Red Streaks

If the poop contains red streaks, that’s caused by blood in the poop. Bloody poop could be due to a localized injury to the dog’s anus or, more likely, a gastric upset.

Black or Tarry

Poop that appears tarry or black is generally a sign that your dog has bleeding from his upper gastrointestinal tract.

Greasy and Gray

Grey, greasy poop is often caused by a biliary issue or could also indicate a pancreatic problem.

White Spots

If you see white spots that look like small grains of rice in your dog’s poop, that’s usually because your pet has worms.

You should ensure that your dog receives regular deworming treatments from your vet to control the parasites and keep your pet healthy.

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Final Thoughts

As you can see, your dog’s poop can provide you with many clues about your furry friend’s overall health.

Healthy dog poop should be chocolate brown in color, log-shaped, moist but firm, and should be in proportion to the amount of food your dog last ate. If the poop is a strange color or consistency or your dog seems to be producing a lot more than you would expect, we recommend you consult your veterinarian without delay.

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