Why is my dog's poo not firm?

Are you even a dog owner if you don’t talk to someone about your dog’s poop?  But you’re absolutely right to, because one of the most telling indicators of a dog's overall health is their stool. Monitoring your dog's bowel movements can provide valuable insights into their digestive health and overall well-being. 

We’ve popped together three stool signs that suggest it might be time to reconsider your dog's diet.

1. Consistency

The consistency of your dog's stool is a key indicator of digestive health and therefore a contributor to overall wellbeing. Ideally, a dog's stool should be firm but not too hard, maintaining a log shape.  It should always be “pick-up-able.” Consistent changes from this norm—either too loose or too hard—could indicate issues.

Loose Stools:  Loose stools can indicate that your dog's current food is not being properly absorbed or the digestive system isn’t working as well as it could.  This could be due to poor ingredients included in the food, food intolerances, stress or an issue in the digestive system. Chronic loose stools could lead to dehydration along with nutrient deficiencies, so it’s important to address the issue. Transitioning to a diet with better quality ingredients, eliminating potentially problematic ingredients, tackling your dog’s stress or digestive function could help. 

Hard Stools: On the other hand, if your dog's stool is consistently hard and dry, it might indicate insufficient fibre or water intake. Hard stools can cause discomfort for your dog and lead to constipation, making bowel movements painful.  Increasing dietary fibre, either through a change in your dog’s food or by adding fibre-rich vegetables like pumpkin, could help improve stool consistency. Ensuring your dog has constant access to fresh water is also essential.  If your dog is a fussy drinker, offering bone broth can sometimes encourage rehydration.

2. Colour

The colour of your dog's stool can reveal a lot about their health. While the exact shade can vary based on diet, there are certain colours that should raise concerns.

Black or Tarry Stools: Stools that are black or have a tarry appearance can indicate the presence of digested blood, which can be a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. We’d recommend speaking to a vet, but a dietary change may also be necessary to address underlying issues causing gastrointestinal distress.  If you are a raw feeder, you may find black-ish coloured stools if you feed too much tripe or offal, so be mindful - this isn’t always linked to a digestive concern.  

Grey or Greasy Stools: If your dog's stool is grey or has a greasy, shiny appearance, it might be a sign that your dog is struggling to digest fats, leading to malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies.  We’d recommend considering how your dog’s pancreas and liver are functioning to support healthy fat digestion.  In addition, consider the type of fat included in the diet you are offering your dog.  A diet lower in fat and higher in easily digestible nutrients may suit your dog better short term.  In addition, ensure the types of fat are beneficial for your dog.  Healthful fats for your dog include: oily fish like sardines, mackerel, anchovies and herring, eggs too contain beneficial fats, lastly olive oil and hemp seed are great oils to support overall health. 

Bright Red Stools: Fresh blood in the stool, resulting in a bright red colour can indicate bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. While this could be due to dietary sensitivities or allergies, it is crucial to consult with a vet.  It can sometimes be an incidence of colitis, which is inflammation of the colon and this can be stress related.  If it is deemed your dog is responding to his diet, you may need to run an elimination diet to establish what is causing the problem. 

3. Frequency

Changes in the frequency of your dog's bowel movements can also indicate issues with their diet.  

Increased Frequency: If your dog is pooping more frequently than usual, it could mean that their current diet contains ingredients that they are sensitive to.  When the digestive system doesn’t like what it finds, it tries to expel it as soon as possible.  You may find that switching foods or running an elimination diet may help.   

Decreased Frequency: If your dog is pooping less than usual, it might indicate constipation. Ensure your dog gets enough water and add some fibre to their diet.  Pumpkin is a great addition to support digestive health.  Chop into chunks, boil until soft and then mash into a puree.  Add to your dog’s usual food to see if symptoms improve.  If they do, you have your answer and so you may want to swap to a different feeding plan that includes more fibre.   

Summary

Poop watch can give you invaluable insights into your dog’s overall health. These three stool signs are essential indicators that something may be awry with your dog's diet or digestive system. You may need to address some underlying digestive issues, make some additions to their current diet plan or change their diet completely.  If you’d like any support with this, please get in touch with us.