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What Should Puppy Poop Look Like? Vet-Approved Feces Guide & What to Look For

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By Nicole Cosgrove

chihuahua pooping

Vet approved

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Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Maja Platisa

In-House Veterinarian, DVM MRCVS

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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When it comes to puppy poop, the less you see it, the better, right? Puppy stool may not be the most pleasant topic, but normal puppy poop is a sign of a healthy puppy.

One way for dog parents to track their puppies’ health problems is by taking a good look at their feces. A puppy’s poop indicates what’s going on in their bodies, and most vets use it to evaluate their well-being. So, what should puppy poop look like?

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What Should Puppy Poop Look Like?

Puppy poop tells a lot about your pet, as it is the direct result of the things they ingest. As a new and young puppy parent, you probably are more familiar with your pup’s mess. After all, you must be cleaning a lot of it every day.

If you are well-attuned to the poop’s appearance, you may be able to see poop that just looks wrong sometimes. But for you to notice that something’s not right means that you must be checking for something, right?

Well, when evaluating your pup’s poop, here are some of the things you should watch out for.

1. Color

A healthy puppy stool should range from medium to a chocolate-brown color. Any color besides brown should be alarming.

A dog’s normal digestion involves the gallbladder releasing bile juice to help break down the food. The bile juice has a pigment known as bilirubin that, when present in excess, causes abnormal poop color, which could otherwise also be due to diet, hydration, or ingredients in your pet’s food.

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Image Credit: Xtotha, Shutterstock

Some of the alarming color patterns include:

  • Black – A dark or nearly black poop is an indication that the pup is bleeding high up in the gastrointestinal tract. It may result from ulcers in the stomach or small intestines, while cancer is more common in middle-aged and older dogs.
  • Red or Blood Streaked – A red tinge in your puppy’s stool could be fresh blood, which is a sign of bleeding in the lower part of the digestive tract-probably the large intestine or anal glands. However, the red coloration could be because your pup has ingested something with a robust dye or medication. Similarly, bloody stool could be a sign of parasite infestation, as parasites like giardia and whipworm produce blood in the poop. Parvo also causes blood-streaked or abundant bloody, loose stools, and this viral illness in puppies is often severe and life threatening. The good thing is, you can’t ignore a bloody puppy poop because while regular poo has an odor, the blood-streaked stool has a nastier smell.
  • Gray or Yellow – Although rare, gray or yellow dog poo that appears greasy may indicate issues with the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, or a food sensitivity that warrants immediate medical attention.
  • Green – If you notice green matter, then your puppy is eating plenty of grass. Although grass isn’t much of an issue, it could indicate an upset system.
  • White – White steaks in the stool may indicate the presence of parasites, such as tapeworms and roundworms. Speak to your vet about worming your pup. You may want to puppy-proof your home because white poop could also result from eating paper towels or tissue paper. Although not alarming, if the matter begins showing in the stool, your pet could be constipating due to blockage.

2. Consistency/Texture

Usually, vets use a numerical system from 1-7 to assign scores to a puppy’s stool. A score of 1 indicates hard pellets, while 7 is a puddle. An ideal puppy stool score is 2—a firm, not too soft or hard, and segmented piece that often appears caterpillar-shaped.

  • Formless and loose – This is often a score of 7, which means the puppy is suffering from diarrhea, a liquid puddle of poop that has no form at all. Formless stool means that the large intestines are not reabsorbing excess water or the pup has ingested something other than puppy food. Watery diarrhea could be a sign of parasites or a viral infection such as parvo. And, if other signs such as vomiting accompany watery diarrhea, check for dehydration. Dehydration is common in puppies and requires emergency vet care. Any puppy with vomiting or diarrhea, however mild it may seem, should see the vet as soon as possible.
  • Hard Stool – Hard poo that is painful to pass may indicate constipation. Constipation can be  caused by fear, anxiety, and stress, mainly due to moving homes, lack of fiber in the diet, lack of water prompting dehydration, ingestion of foreign objects or different food, disease of the colon, neurological disorders, and others. Constipation also occurs if your puppy swallows a foreign object that blocks the intestinal tract or if matted hair blocks your pup’s anus. This will require cleaning of the area around your puppy’s anus to create room to pass poop. A one-off subtle change in the consistency of the stool may not always be a cause for concern, especially if the pet’s behavior is normal, they are bright and happy, and have a good appetite. However, find a vet if it persists for over a day.
  • Also, keep in mind that puppies will strain both when having constipation and diarrhea, as the latter is painful and they will have the urge to continue pooping, although there may not be any feces left to pass. In case of straining, always get your puppy checked by the vet.

3. Content

Unfortunately, puppies are curious, and just like infant humans, there’s no telling what they may swallow as they explore their surroundings.

However, there’s only one way to get the inside of a poop—dissecting it. Here are some peculiar contents you may find:

  • Intestinal Parasites – You may find roundworms, which look like long and skinny spaghetti-like fragments. On the other hand, tapeworms appear tiny and rice-shaped and usually come out in segments. Check for signs of worms, although they may not always show beforehand. Once they start showing in your pup’s poo, they’ve been in their body for a little while. You may also notice eggs around the anus after it releases the segments.
  • Foreign Materials – You may not know that your puppy is digging in the trash until you find bits of grass, sock bits, rocks, tiny sticks, bits of bark, seeds, and plastic. Some dogs experience pica, the eating of non-food objects. Luckily, seeing them in the stool means that your dog may not need veterinary treatment in the form of surgery to remove them. Also, you may notice whole pieces of food in the stool, which may result from absorption and digestion issues. Whole food pieces may be seen among young puppies as they are still getting used to ingesting solid food, and their system is still adapting to the switch from milk to soft food to kibbles, or with change of food that has been done too quickly. Always change your dog’s food gradually over 7-10 days.
  • Fur – If you notice hairy stools, it is a sign that you need to groom your puppy. Puppies may ingest excess fur due to stress, allergies, skin disease, or even boredom and loneliness.

Dog pooping


4. Coating

  • Mucus – Puppy stool shouldn’t have a covering or a film, such as mucus, over it. A filmy appearance or if you tend to leave a trail after picking poop indicates bowel inflammation or parasite infestation. Diarrhea, mucus, and blood streaks often accompany such stool, which indicates that your puppy is straining to defecate.
  • Greasy Appearance – A greasy stool is a sign of too much fat in the pup’s system. You could be feeding them excess fat or an indication of an underlying health problem, although liver problems and pancreatitis are most common in adult and middle-aged dogs. Consult your vet if it persists for over a day. However, young dogs may be affected by a condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), which causes chronic diarrhea, weight loss, big appetite, greasy anal area, and soft, fatty-looking feces.

5. Quantity & Frequency

It’s normal if your puppy defecates five times a day, as the younger the puppy, the more bowel movements. The frequency reduces with age to just a couple per day or once a day when they reach adulthood.

If you think your pup is pooping more than you think, speak to your vet and check if you are overfeeding them, if the food is highly fibrous, if they’re eating excess treats, or consider a change in puppy food.

You’ll have a baseline from which to begin if you monitor how often your healthy puppy defecates in a day by counting the number of poop they produce within 24 hours. The quantity and frequency of poop does not always indicate a medical concern, especially if the stool is normal, but it’s best to get them checked by your vet, as it may be a sign of an underlying digestive issue.

However, the size of your puppy’s poop should be relative to their size and weight. You should find smaller or larger-than-normal stools concerning, as small poop may indicate constipation, while huge stool may reveal that the pup’s absorption capacity is failing.

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Summary

While it’s vital to monitor every dog’s stool throughout their lives, it is imperative throughout their puppy ages since they tend to be more prone to a host of health issues during this stage. As gross as it may be, it’ll help you discover underlying health issues and help you create a befitting diet for your puppy friend.

There’s no need for immediate worry if you notice unfamiliar stool as long as your puppy is feeding, drinking, and behaving normally and does not have diarrhea. Monitor them closely for the next couple of days. However, it’s important to alert your vet if the issues do not clear within 24 hours, or if the stool contains blood in any amount.

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Featured Image Credit: Chaisit Rattanachusri, Shutterstock

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