How Should Normal Dog Poop Look?
Before looking at treating dry and crumbly poop, I needed to understand what normal stool looks like. As expected, dog stool varies from one dog to another depending on the diet and volume of food. However, a few features indicate dog poop is normal:
Normal stool shouldn’t be too soft or too dry, and it should be consistent. My dog defecates two to three times a day, so it indicated a huge problem when he reduced the number to one. Sometimes the dog poops many times, which shows he’s eating more food or the body isn’t absorbing food correctly.
Normal dog poop is brown, but you may notice changes depending on the diet. For example, if your pup has been eating carrots or grass, the poop color might be orange or green. Orange poop is also a telltale sign of inflammation of the pancreas.
Green poop, on the other hand, shows the dog’s gut is moving too fast, and the bile pigments don’t have enough time to reabsorb food from the gut. Other unusual colors like red, black, yellow, and tarry indicate a problem in the intestines or anal region.
Normal dog poop has the shape of a log. It’s well-formed, easy to pick up, slightly moist, and doesn’t leave traces behind. If it’s hard, pebble-like, and difficult for your dog to get out, he might be dehydrated.
Normal dog poop has a mild odor. If it’s strong or unusual, it indicates poorly digested food or a digestive disorder.
The 9 Reasons Why Your Dog’s Poop is Dry and Powdery
Dehydration in dogs is a condition that results when the body doesn’t have enough water to function properly. Dogs may become dehydrated for a variety of reasons, including illness, excessive urination, excessive exercise, vomiting, or exposure to heat or sunlight. One common sign of dehydration is dry, powdery feces. Other symptoms of dehydration in dogs include a lack of energy, lethargy, dry mouth and tongue, and sunken eyes.
Constipation occurs when the dog’s body is unable to supply enough moisture to keep the feces from becoming hard and crusty. Severe or ongoing dehydration can also lead to other, more serious health problems, such as kidney failure. If your dog has dry, powdery poops, make sure they are drinking enough water!
If your dog’s poop is lao sai (diarrhea, watery poop)
Feed some plain, steamed food that is gentle in your dog’s stomach. You can consider steaming food like broccoli and pumpkin, together with your dog’s preferred meat and mix together. During this period, giving slightly more vegetables or starches is alright, as the purpose is to help cleanse the body and solidify the stools.
Feeding bones is also another option. A couple of raw or dehydrated chicken or duck feet or wings (do not feed cooked – feed raw, dehydrated, or freeze-dried) may help.
You can also give some pre and probiotics to help with maldigestion, especially diarrhea issues.
Feed the current food (especially if it is new) less per meal. Continue for a few meals and monitor the condition of the poop for a couple of days. See if the loose stool improves.
You may want to consider adding a small quantity of mashed steam pumpkin to your dog’s current (new) food.
Give plenty of clean water during this period too.