Black Dog Poop: Deciphering Color and Consistency
If your dog’s poop is black, it may indicate a very serious, or even life-threatening illness. However, not all poop that appears black may be abnormal. When looking at your dog’s poop, it is important to take note of the stool’s consistency in addition to the color.
Unless there is an obvious cause for your dog’s black poop you should contact your veterinarian. Knowing the consistency of your dog’s stool–i.e. hard, crumbly, liquid, soft and sticky, etc.—can help your veterinarian to determine how urgently your dog should be examined, if at all.
It is also helpful to take a picture of your dog’s abnormal poop so that you can show it to your veterinarian.
Why is my dog’s poo black?
Black or tar coloured faeces indicates that there is blood present in your dog’s digestive tract, this is called ‘melena’. Black blood tells us that the problem is likely to be in the upper digestive tract (stomach or small intestine) because the body has already worked hard to try to digest this blood.
Fresh, red blood in poo would indicate a bleed in the lower digestive tract, this is called ‘haematochezia’. Dogs with melena may produce large volumes of black, tarry faeces in a short space of time, or alternatively, they may produce small volumes of black, tarry faeces intermittently over a longer period.
There’s always the chance that the cause of red poop is a cut on the dog’s anus too, which is less of an immediate concern.
What to do: It all comes down to circumstances. There’s probably not a lot to worry about if you know your dog has eaten a lot of grass, but if you’re concerned and if they’re displaying other symptoms such as restlessness and vomiting, take them to the vets as soon as you can.
Did you know you can tell quite a bit about your dog’s health and wellbeing from checking the colour of their poo?
The dog’s digestive system is effectively getting rid of the digested food earlier than it normally would, before the bile has had a chance to turn it into a normal and healthy-looking brown. This may indicate a liver or biliary problem.
Red poo, or poo that appears streaked or laced with red, can be a sign of a few things:
Black Dog Poop: What It Means For Your Pet
Did you know you can tell quite a bit about your dog’s health and wellbeing from checking the colour of their poo?
True story! As it turns out, the colour of a dog’s poo may be a precursor of health problems and if you know what to look out for, can serve as a useful indicator of when it’s time to seek the assistance of your vet.
Do you ever encounter black or yellow dog poop and wonder what may be causing it? Well, we have some answers for you…
Very dark or even black dog poop can be a sign of stomach ulcers in dogs, or bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract. Black dog poop gets its colour because the blood isn’t fresh – it’s been digested and had time to darken.
What to do: Keep an extra eye on your dog’s droppings. If they’re losing weight and vomiting regularly as well leaving black dog poop, give your vet a call.
Grey poop is a giveaway that your dog’s digestive system is struggling to break down fats. This can occur either as a result of eating too many fatty foods, or of a bigger, more complicated problem with their pancreas.
What to do: If your dog has broken into your bin or stolen your BBQ snacks, you can probably put their grey/slimy poo down to that. If you know of no reason for their poo being this colour or if it persists, arrange to see your vet.
It’s unlikely you’ll come across white dog poop, but if your dog’s poo has lots of white specks in it (that look like little rice grains), this is a sure-fire sign that they’ve got tapeworms.
What to do: Set about worming your dog ASAP! Your vet will be able to help you find a suitable product for treating tapeworm.
Red poo, or poo that appears streaked or laced with red, can be a sign of a few things:
There’s always the chance that the cause of red poop is a cut on the dog’s anus too, which is less of an immediate concern.
What to do: If you see any red dog poop, keep an eye out. Contact your vet if it happens repeatedly.
If your dog’s poo is pink or purple in appearance, sort of like jam, contact your vet right away. It could be a sign of severe gastroenteritis.
What to do: If you’ve recently changed your dog’s diet or you know they’ve eaten something they shouldn’t, think about reversing the change if yellow dog poop carries on for too long. If you haven’t made any changes and know of no reasons for your dog pooping yellow, have a chat with your vet. They’ll be able to investigate further and test for potential food intolerance issues.
The dog’s digestive system is effectively getting rid of the digested food earlier than it normally would, before the bile has had a chance to turn it into a normal and healthy-looking brown. This may indicate a liver or biliary problem.
What to do: Once again, keep an eye out and have a chat with your vet if symptoms persist.
What to do: It all comes down to circumstances. There’s probably not a lot to worry about if you know your dog has eaten a lot of grass, but if you’re concerned and if they’re displaying other symptoms such as restlessness and vomiting, take them to the vets as soon as you can.