Do you know your dog poo?

What should your pets poo look like?

The ideal shape is cigar-like correlating with the size of our dog, it should be soft in consistency, like that of silly putty, and chocolate brown in colour.

There is a natural degree of mucus production to lubricate the passage of the poop, If the poo is formed normally and has a mucous film, it’s usually nothing to be worried about , if the poo itself is looking softer and has an amount of mucous, it could be a sign of an inflamed bowel. there might also be flecks of fresh blood as well.

Adult dogs usually pass stools at least once a day, whilst puppies may do so numerous times over the same period.

Is your dog straining whilst doing its jobs?

Very hard, dry, small pieces of poo may lead to your dog becoming constipated. You may notice your pet not going to the toilet as often as normal or is having trouble doing so. Constipation can occur due to dehydration, poor diet or older age, can also indicate a medical problem when occurring over a prolonged period. Then it would be worth talking to your vet.
However, while straining to poop can be a sign of constipation, it is important to ensure this symptom is not mistaken for an alternate issue.

If a dog gets access to bones, for example, the calcium can cement and accumulate, causing a blockage in their rear end.
Dogs sometimes also strain to poo, not because there is nothing to pass, but because their bowel is “burning” due to inflammation – a sensation known as tenesmus. It can be hard for owners to tell the difference between tenesmus and genuine constipation, but the vet can help determine that.

What about the runs?

Owners sometimes assume that, unless the poo is like water, it is not diarrhoea – which is not the case. If it looks a yoghurt-y consistency, or like a mousse, then this would be classed as diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea can range in colour, from bright yellow or orange to brown, black or red, most bouts of diarrhoea are short-lived, not serious and often resolve in a couple of days. However, if it lasts longer then it is something that needs discussing with your vet.

Puppies are susceptible to Diarrhoea and will need to see your vet as they can get very poorly quickly.

The most common cause of sudden onset diarrhoea in dogs is something that has upset the normal digestive flora of the intestine. However, prolonged symptoms could be the result of infections of a food intolerance, as well as parasites or an inflammatory bowel disease.

A worm test kits and Giardia test from our shop is also worth considering to see if parasites are the problem.

What have you seen?

Sometimes you might notice odd-looking things in your dog’s poo – ‘everything from bone and string to wood, it is thought that a good percent of foreign bodies will pass through the intestine without an issue but could cause a blockage.

Little white flecks resembling grains of rice are quite often remnants of tapeworm, and should be queried with your vet and a worm count completed to see if Tapeworm can be seen in your sample.