The Guide to What It All Means
When you walk your dog, you always pick up his waste. What do you do if the doo-doo looks strange? It may be a sign of illness. Use the below dog poop color chart to figure out if your dog needs a change in diet or you should seek veterinary care.
Did My Dog Eat Crayons?
There are times when you use a dog poop bag to pick up pup’s waste that you may find some odd things in your dog’s feces such as toy wheels, Legos, pieces of string or socks. You may even find entire boxes of crayons coming out in colorful chunks.
The idea is that when you are watching what is coming out of your dog, you also know what is going in and have the opportunity to clean up or put away the offending objects. It isn’t weird to keep track of your dog’s poop; in fact, it’s a good way to know what’s going on with your dog.
If your dog is in good health, then poop should have the same color, size, and consistency most of the time. Besides the unusual toy piece, you can watch for signs of good health in your dog’s poop without being weird about it.
Veterinarians have a guide known as the 4 C’s of dog poop – consistency, coating, contents and color. You can use the 4 C’s as a guide to your dog’s health.
1. Consistency
This may be one of the first things you notice when you pick up your dog’s poop. Gross as it might sound, your dog’s poop should be generally soft yet firm. If you notice your dog’s poop is watery, then it can be a sign of an upset stomach. However, if the poop seems too hard (and your pet is straining), the dog may have constipation. These things often work themselves out, but if they don’t, your pup needs a change in diet.
2. Coating
There should be no coating of any kind on your dog’s poop. If there is mucus or a significant amount of blood you should call your vet immediately. Even if it’s not bloody diarrhea, coating or mucus over dog’s poop is one of the more concerning signs that require immediate attention – it could be roundworm, giardia, colitis and more.
3. Contents
When you are looking at the contents of your pet’s poop, you are looking for anything that is out of the ordinary. This could be things your dog is eating that they shouldn’t be or you may find signs of worms. If you find anything that seems concerning, you should call your veterinarian with questions.
4. Color
Finally, when you are looking at the color of your dog’s poop you should consider that each color of dog poop can mean something different and it tells you a lot about the dog’s health condition. There are many health problems associated with specific colors of dog poop. If you see a change or something out of the ordinary, check with your vet.
The Dog Poop Color Chart Rainbow
If you have small children who consistently feed purple frosted cupcakes to your dog, then don’t be surprised if he suddenly starts having purple poop. Your dog’s diet can affect the color of its poop as well, and if the food is filled with lots of dyes, then you may end up with a dog that regularly poops a green and red speckled patty.
The normal color of your dog’s poop should be close to a chocolate brown color.
However, there is a rainbow of dog poop colors out there, and veterinarians will use poop colors to indicate certain health conditions. You can use the dog poop color chart below to see what your dog’s doody color means.
Black or Maroon
Your dog may be having poop that is very dark, black and tarry. Charcoal black dog poop color means the dog may be having problems with bleeding high up in the gastrointestinal tract. It could possibly be a bleeding ulcer. Black poop means the blood has been digested and if you see this type of poop from your dog, call your veterinarian right away.
White
White dog poop color is not what you should be seeing. Sometimes dogs that are on a raw food diet may exhibit a white poop indicating that their diet is too high in calcium or bone. Keep an eye on your dog, and if it continues then call your vet.
Orange
On the dog poop color chart, orange is a color that could mean something serious. It can indicate that there is a liver issue or possible biliary disease. If it’s not just hard orange dog poop color but it’s also orange diarrhea, call your veterinarian immediately.
Yellow
Yellow dog poop color can indicate a variety of things. It can mean a simple stomach upset. Watch if it passes. If not, then it can mean that there is some type of food intolerance. You should look at your dog’s diet and see what new changes have occurred. Try a new dog food and if it does not improve, call your vet.
Gray
Grey dog poop color that’s also possibly greasy means your dog may be suffering from some form a maldigestion. Veterinarians who find dogs with a gray poop generally run tests for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI. It basically means your dog’s pancreas isn’t functioning properly. Your dog needs to be seen right away as EPI is treatable.
Green
Green dog poop color can mean that your pet may have eaten a large amount of grass. It can be a sign of a parasite or other issues. If you continue seeing this color on the dog poop color chart, see your vet.
Red Streaks
If your dog is having brown poop with red streaks, or it’s clearly bloody red dog poop color, then it means there is some internal bleeding. This bleeding is most likely occurring somewhere along the large intestine. Generally, this is not an emergency, however, if it continues call your veterinarian for an appointment.
Pink or Purple
If your dog suddenly poops something that looks like raspberry jam, this type of pink or purple dog poop color could indicate hemorrhagic gastroenteritis or HGE. Many dogs die from HGE every year that could have been saved if they had prompt medical treatment. If you see your dog having this kind of poop, take your dog to the nearest veterinarian emergency room.
Polka Dot
If you notice that your dog’s poop looks like it’s full of rice, then this can be worms. This isn’t necessarily on the dog poop color chart, but it is worth noting. The best thing you can do, is give your dog a de-wormer as soon as possible. This should clear up any worms that your dog may have. If not, call your vet.
The Scoop on Poop
You may still find it a little weird to watch and keep track of your dog’s feces. Considering the amount of health problems you can watch for and avoid, it is worth your time to know what you are looking for, and this dog poop color chart will keep you informed.
Obviously it’s a little gross, but since you’re already cleaning up after your dog anyway using poop bags and poop scooper, you might as well investigate a little bit to know what’s happening with your dog’s health. You may even find out where all those Barbie shoes have disappeared to.
READ NEXT: 4 Best Ways to Dispose of Dog Poop
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