Toilet Talk: What Poop Means
Chances are, you don't pay much attention to how often your dog does her business or what the results of that business look like. They're gross, they stink and they belong outside or in a designated indoor spot. What else could her behavior or output possibly tell you? Surprisingly, quite a lot.
"A dog's bowel and urinary habits are outward signs of her health status," says Bess Pierce, DVM, associate professor of community practice at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia. "It is important to monitor the amount, frequency, color and consistency of a dog's feces and urine, giving particular attention to changes in normal pattern."
Determining that normal pattern may take time, because bathroom behavior and output varies from dog to dog. Still, most dogs' bathroom behavior fits within a range, starting with their needing to take two to four bathroom breaks each day. As to what they produce during those bathroom breaks, "urine should be light to medium yellow in color without a strong, objectionable odor," says Pierce. "Feces should be moderately firm to firm, and the color should be in the brown shade ranges."
At times, though, your dog's behavior and output may vary from that range. When that happens, your dog's body may be signaling the onset of a health problem. Here are some common variations and what they might mean:
Straining to urinate.
A dog who tries but can't produce much urine may have urinary stones, which can be fatal if left untreated. See a veterinarian immediately.
Very dark urine.
Extremely dark yellow or rust-colored urine may contain blood, which indicates the possibility of a urinary tract infection (UTI). A visit to the vet is in order.
Housetraining lapses.
A dog who suddenly starts urinating all over the house also needs to see a veterinarian. The problem could be a UTI or, if she's also drinking a lot of water, it could be a serious condition such as kidney disease, diabetes or Cushing's disease.
Straining to defecate.
If your dog's been trying to defecate for a day or so, but can't, she may have a bowel obstruction. Call your veterinarian. If she's vomiting, call sooner.
Diarrhea.
Runny, stinky stools may or may not be serious. Don't feed your dog for a day or so, but make sure she has plenty of water. After a day, start her on a bland diet such as a mixture of boiled rice and hamburger. If your dog still has the trots after two days, put in a call to your vet. If she's vomiting, call sooner. And if she's a young puppy who vomits more than once an hour over a half-day period, bring her to her vet immediately.
Very dark feces.
Stool that's black or very dark brown may signal bleeding in the upper intestinal tract, which can result from many possible problems. A veterinarian's attention is needed.
Grey feces.
Cement-colored stool may mean that a dog is suffering from an obstruction of the bile duct. The obstruction could have one of several causes -- but, in any case, necessitates a visit to the vet.
Changes in stool shape.
If your dog's stool is shaped like thin strips, her large intestine or rectum may be narrowed for some reason. On the other hand, very large stools may indicate a problem in the small intestine. Either way, a visit to the vet is in order.
Your dog's bathroom behavior and byproducts can tell you a lot about her health. No matter how grossed out you are, monitoring your dog's urine, feces and frequency of bathroom breaks can give you and your veterinarian a leg up on treating any problems she might have and keeping her healthy.
For more information on your pet's health, check out the PetVet Disease and Symptom Finder.
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Comments (3)
Jake July 11, 2009 2:44 PM
My little yorky, 5 yrs old, male has had very dark stools the past few days. Not bleeding, just super dark brown to almost black. He seems fine, loss of apetite alittle bit.
Can you help?
George November 22, 2009 2:50 PM
My cat has had diarrhea for about a week. The "poop" is orange in color and she just mopes around. I've tried changing her food, with no favorable results. Any ideas?
Thanks
gloria december 01, 2009 8:19 pm December 1, 2009 9:21 PM
My cat started out sneezing then coughing and i noticed blood in his feces.
tom January 4, 2010 6:09 AM
FlagMy 11.5 mos old Boston Terrier was diagnosed with urinary crystals. now that he has been on special food for almost a month, how can i get him to stop peeing in his crate?
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