Dog Poop Color Chart: What to Look for in Your Dog’s Poop
Green, yellow, black or red stool are all signs to be aware of in your dog’s bowel movements.
In general, your dog’s feces should be a brown color, though the color will vary depending on what your dog is eating. A healthy bowel movement should be firm but not too firm, and your dog should go regularly, though not more than a few times a day.
Green feces might indicate that your dog has been eating grass. No one is quite sure, but many believe dogs eat grass when they have an upset stomach or are feeling sick. Dogs might also eat grass simply because they’re bored, hungry or like the taste, so this color stool is not always cause for concern. The main concern when a dog eats grass is vomiting. If you notice your dog is eating grass and vomiting, reach out to your veterinarian.
Yellow to orange feces is not normal under any circumstance and most likely points to an issue with your dog’s gallbladder, liver or pancreas. If you notice that your dogs stool has a yellowish color, then a trip to the vet is warranted.
What Does Dog Poop Color Mean?
Does your dog’s poop look funky? Here’s the scoop on doggie-doo of every color and how to tell normal dog poop from problem poop.
What “normal” color is varies from dog to dog, breed to breed, and can change depending on the type of dog food they’ve eaten. In general, the color should be medium brown and neither too soft and liquidy (diarrhea) or too hard to pass comfortably (constipation).
Pay attention to your dog’s “healthy” poops (color, consistency, and frequency), so you can recognize when there’s a problem.
What Does Normal, Healthy Dog Poop Look Like?
Let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what normal dog poop usually looks like before we get into the nitty gritty of funky caboose creations.
Healthy dog poop is firm (but it still gives a little — think Play-Doh), slightly moist, easy to pick up, and medium to dark brown in color.
It should also be comprised of segments that fall apart easily, and lack any type of coating. Finally, the contents should look mostly uniform.
That said, occasional visible variations are nothing to worry about. This includes things like bits of undigested food or a poop or two that are wetter than normal.
It is a good idea to get in touch with your vet to get your pooch some help if:
Dog Poop Color Chart: What It All Means
You might find yourself on a walk with your dog and suddenly they go to the bathroom… but this time it looks different. Either the consistency doesn’t look right, the color is off or maybe there’s something in there that doesn’t look like it belongs… Either way, you find yourself asking, “What the heck should dog poop look like?!” Luckily, we’re here to help. Here’s our guide to dog poop!