How to assess dog poop for health problems

Deviations from normal, compact, firm, moist poo is cause for concern. The feeding of kibble products cause large, voluminous, smelly poo indicating the body may not be absorbing the nutrients properly. However, in many instances this type of feces will be perfectly normal.

Raw feeders would normally have small, firm poo. Diahrrea, or black, tarry consistency would indicate a system alert.

Constipation causing dog to strain could mean they are not getting enough water or it could be the first indication of a lack of nutritional requirements. From normal to deviations taking a dog's poo seriously means checking it from time to time.

Fecal samples are a necessary requirement to keep a dog healthy. The veterinarian can detect the presence of worms long before you see any white moving particles in the daily excrement. If any part of the feces moves, run, don't walk to the nearest veterinarian.

Fecal samples should be done at least yearly on all dogs and more on dogs who run on trails, interact with other dogs on a daily basis at dog parks, or show dogs who travel. Getting the inside scoop, can deter health problems.

Again, normal poo is firm, small and moist. Deviations indicate a problem. The occasional stool that is slightly loose, contains a tinge of blood or even mucous may not be a cause for concern. It is when an abnormal amount is seen, or more than two days go by with stools deviating from the normal and almost normal states.

Diahrrea in colors from mustard yellow to green to dark brown indicates something wrong in the dog's system. It could be as simple as eating something nasty to the start of severe health problems.

Blood in the stool will be black and tarry or red. Blood in the stool can indicate parasites, ingesting something sharp and undigestable, or infections, polyps, cancer and allergies. Black tarry stools indicate bleeding in upper portion of intestine while red blood in the stool indicates problems in lower intestine or rectum/anal area.

Check your dog's temperature. If there is a fever, anything above 101 degrees, a visit to the veterinarian is the recipe of the day. Be sure to take along a stool sample.

The average temperature of a dog is not 98.6 like humans, but between 99 and 102.5 degrees. While the average temperature is 101 degrees F, or 38 degrees C, it can quickly accelerate from there. Prevention is worth a pound of cure so be on alert for temperatures above 101 and at least call a veterniarian to get an opinion.

Generally a dog's stool will be brown. In the course of a month, the color may vary slightly from brown to variations of yellow, mostly depending on what the dog ingested. Causes for conern are:

Tarry black poo which could indicate the presence of blood being digested, for instance from a bleeding ulcer or other malady.

Red blood in the stool could indicate undigested bone, fissures, intestinal bleeding and even cancer.

Yellow stools may indicate giardia, tiny parasites that have invaded the intestine, usually through something the dog ate or drank such as water from a puddle in the woods, or horse poo, bunny poo or other excrement. It results in not only a yellow stool, but yellow diahrrea and is contagious, a cause for immediate attention from a veterinarian.

Use your nose. Healthy poop has a light smell, not too overpowering. Does your dog have gas resulting in awful smelly poops? This could be the result in a change of diet, getting into something nasty or an alert to upcoming health issues.

For important diagnostic clues to a dog's health, the basic scoop on poop is simply knowledge to keep in the bag. Simply knowing what is normal and having concern for any deviations in color, smell, and consistency is as important as having a first-aid kit on hand for emergencies.  Assessing your dog's poop for health should be as natural as taking them for a walk.