Most dogs poop anywhere between one and three times a day.
However, certain things can alter this. Diet, how much they have eaten in the last 24-48 hours, the fiber content of their food, age, breed, exercise, medications, and stress might affect how often your dog has bowel movements and how much poop is produced.
Puppies tend to poo more than adult dogs.
What Is Normal Poop?
The “perfect” dog poop will usually be light or dark brown. Its consistency will be firm, moist, and not crumbly in texture, and it should not fall apart when picked up. The poop will usually be log-shaped. It should not have an extremely strong and unpleasant smell. The size of the dog poo will depend on the size of your pet but will be roughly equivalent to the amount of food eaten.
The amount of food is the main factor in how much your dog will be pooping, because the ingredients that go into their foods can change their bowel movements and metabolism speeds. For example, if you’re feeding your dog a diet that’s high in fiber, then they’re going to be pooping more frequently.
Always research the food that you’re giving to your dog before you give it to them, so you know what to expect and what to look out for.
What Should Dog Poop Not Look Like?
Consistency
If the consistency of poop is runny or watery, this could be a sign that something is not right. Think about what your dog has eaten that day, as this may have been the cause.
If the doggie poop is dry or hard, the dog may have constipation.
Undigested bits of food showing up regularly when your dog poops may mean something is not normal with the dog’s digestion.
Sometimes a change in diet can affect dogs pooping, particularly if they are being fed too often, or have too much of a particular food. So keep an eye on the poop, and if it does not return to normal after a little while, discuss it with your vet to make sure there is nothing else wrong.
Color
The color of the dog’s bowel movement can tell you a lot about whether to be concerned about it. If the feces are not brown, there may be something wrong.
Orange or yellow poo may indicate something wrong with the liver or pancreas. A vet should be consulted.
Red streaks in the bowel movement usually indicate that there is blood in the poo. This might be caused by a cut near your dog’s rear end. A quick check can tell you this, but if you cannot see anything, take your pet to the vet.
Green poo could be caused by problems with the dog’s gallbladder or having eaten too much grass. This is also something the vet should be consulted about as there may be something wrong with the dog’s intestines.
Black or tarry poop may mean internal bleeding. This is serious, and you should take the animal to the vet.
White spots could mean your dog may have tapeworms, which means the animal should see a vet. If the poo is white or chalky or is greasy, this could be due to pancreas trouble, so a vet should be consulted.
Shape
Poo, which looks like pebbles, or is rounded, might be caused by your dog having stiff joints, or being dehydrated. This may happen particularly in older dogs. This is because your pet may not be able to poop in the normal position for enough time when it has a bowel movement. A visit to the vet could help - the vet could give you something to assist your dog to produce softer feces.
Frequency
A healthy dog will poop about the same times a day. It does not particularly matter how many times, as long as the number is consistent. A dog pooping considerably more, or a lot less than usual, and there are no obvious causes, such as changes to your dog food, it is worth consulting a vet.
Constipation And Diarrhea
A healthy dog should not be constipated, but sometimes this can happen. If this goes for a long time, it is something to be concerned about. Do take the dog to the vet. Your pet might be in pain as a result of being constipated. Meantime, you can give your pet some high fiber/lubricating things to help. Olive oil, pumpkin, canned dog food, or fiber supplements will assist in lubrication for the bowel movement.
Constipation can sometimes be caused by a tumor in the digestive tract. This will need surgery. So you should always see a vet if constipation in your pet does not resolve in a day or so.
Dogs need plenty of exercise. Puppies and adult dogs need to be active. Your dog’s health and digestion can suffer if they don’t get enough time exercising.
For good digestive health, dogs should drink water often during the day.
Diarrhea is very loose watery bowel movements often accompanied by much. “going” far too much during a day. Your dog might have eaten too much, or might have eaten bad food. Roundworms and tapeworms can also cause diarrhea. Or your dog might be stressed or anxious about something.
Try only giving your dog water for about 12 hours. If diarrhea continues, take the dog to the vet. The vet can recommend foods to help in the short and long term.
Continuous diarrhea could also be caused by colitis or inflammatory bowel disease, so it is important to see a vet if your pet has a lot of loose stools, particularly if there is blood and/or mucus in the poo.
Keeping Dogs Healthy And Happy
What dogs eat during a day has a direct effect on the dog poop. You should feed your dog things that will lead to them having good digestion.
It is also important to allow your pet to exercise often and minimize the amount of stress the animal is subject to.
Dogs who are healthy and happy tend to have better digestion, and their poop will be normal.