Is your pet's poop healthy?

Make sure your furry friends are as healthy on in the inside, as they appear on the outside. That gut of our puppies: it ‘s not just a ’stool-making-machine' that goes to the 'toilet' once in a while, or lets out stinky farts in the car or when we are just having dinner at the table, ... That gut doesn't “just hangs there doing nothing” in your dog's belly, and we perhaps too often underestimate how important the health of the gut (and other digestive organs) also affects the overall health of our pets.

Digestion begins when your pets starts chewing food. Enzymes found in saliva begin breaking down the food chemically. The process continues with swallowing, additional breakdown of food in the stomach, absorption of nutrients in the intestines, and elimination of waste. Digestion is critical not only for providing nutrients but also for maintaining the proper balance of fluid and electrolytes in the body. All areas of your pet’s digestive system must be healthy and working optimally to ensure proper digestion of nutrients, the proper balance of fluids and electrolytes, and end with healthy excretion of waste via your pet’s bowel movements. This is why your pet’s poop is a direct reflection of the overall health and wellness of their digestive tract. When you assess your pet’s poop, you should evaluate four general qualities:

1. Color
The color of your pet’s poop is related to what they eat and ranges from golden brown to darker mahogany. Poop color is directly related to the ingredients in your pet’s diet, but also an important indicator about their health (see below).

2. Content
A fecal analysis done by your vet is the best way to evaluate content. We recommend a fecal analysis at least once per year. A pathologist assesses your pet’s fecal under a microscope for parasites, blood, microbiome and food mites.

3. Consistency
Healthy dog poop should be solid but have a softer consistency, kind of like Play-Doh. Ideally, it should be in a log shape and remain thick out on the ends. Changes in consistency to your pet’s poop can result from stress, a diet change, parasites, or disease.

4. Coating
The coating of poop is just as it sounds. There should not be a coating (oily, greasy, or bloody) surrounding your pet’s poop. An ideal, healthy poop is chocolate-brown, somewhat firm, and coating-free with nothing noticeably sticking out of it. If you notice any coating on your dog’s poop, contact your vet’s office to determine if a fecal analysis is warranted.

Let's talk about colours:

Here’s what the color of your pup’s poop could mean for overall health.This information can also help get your dog on the path to better health:

• Brown: a brown poop indicates a healthy gut.
• Red streaks:  Go to your vet straight away. our pup may have eaten  something toxic or could have hemorrhagic gastroentritis.
• Yellow: Call your vet. Yellow stool could mean issues with the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder or an inflammed collon.
• Green: Green stool could indicate that your dog is eating too much grass grass, perhaps to soothe an upset stomach. Could also indicate potentially galbladder issues or parasites.
• Grey: digestive problems. Grey may be a sign of biliary ir pancreatic issue
• Black or charcoal: This could be a sign of bleeding. Charcoal black is a sign of bleeding which means that your dog may have an ulcer in thier stomach or intestines.
• White spots: might be the result of a poor diet. Can also mean that your pup may have worms if you notice small white spots in their stool.

If you have any concerns or if you witness any color poop other than a normal brown color, you should follow up with your vet to make sure your pup has no complications.

The most important factors in ensuring your pet has normal bowel movements is a healthy and optimal digestive tract. Your pets digestive system includes all of the organs that are involved in taking in and processing food. Digestion begins with the mouth and includes the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines, rectum, and anus. Your pet’s poop can be a big indicator of changes in their overall health. Referring back to our healthy dog poop: assessing the color, content, consistency, and coating is integral to properly diagnosing your pet’s health.

Do you have any concerns about the poop or digestive health of your pet? Please send us an e-mail with your questions via help@edgardcooper.com