Have you ever gone to clean up after your dog and been surprised by the size, shape and texture of their poop? The truth is that your dog’s stool can tell you a lot about their health. Poop is an important indicator of how well their digestive system is working. Here are some things your dog’s #2 is trying to tell you about their health:
1. The Smell
If your dog has healthy poop, its scent shouldn’t be excessively foul. A poor diet, full of overcooked, highly-processed ingredients and fillers, can cause large, smelly stools. Keeping up with regular vet check-ups, in addition to providing them with plenty of water, exercise, and a healthy diet is your best recipe to keep odorless. Additives and other ingredients that require more effort to digest can be the cause behind the rank odor, so it’s important to be mindful of what you’re feeding them. Our favorite dog food, Nom Nom, offers real, whole ingredients, filled with essential meats and veggies.
2. The Color
The color of your dog’s poop can tell you a lot about their health. Normal stools are usually light brown, almost like chocolate, but if that’s not what you’re seeing, here’s what to look out for:
- Red/Red Streaks: A sign of bleeding in the lower portion of the GI tract, possibly due to injury or inflammation of the gut.
- Black: Associated with bleeding in the upper parts of your dog’s GI tract, such as the stomach or small intestine.
- Green: If your dog loves to eat grass, light-green stools may be common. If they don't, keep an eye on this green poop - it can also be a sign of internal issues of the gallbladder, or indicate they’ve ingested something poisonous like rat bait.
- White: Your dog’s diet might be too high in calcium.
Diet can make a tremendous impact on the color and appearance of your dog’s stool. Choose dog food with quality proteins and vegetables, combined with targeted vitamins and minerals, such as what you will find in Nom Nom. It can make a world of difference.
3. The Frequency & Consistency
Your dog’s poop should be firm but not hard. The shape should be like logs that maintain their form. Normal dog poop is compact, moist, and easy to pick up. Poops that are large in size can be an indication that a dog’s diet is high in carbohydrates or processed ingredients that are more difficult to digest. Hard pellets are a sign of dehydration or a low fiber diet. Making the switch to fresh dog food with real quality ingredients could show an improvement in this department. Nom Nom is packed with essential nutrients, including fiber-rich carrots, and none of the fillers commonly found in major dog food brands.
Overly dry stools could be a sign of dehydration or decreased intestinal movement. Long-term diarrhea is associated with inflammatory bowel disease – a condition linked to an imbalanced gut microbiome. It’s always a good idea to consult with your vet when it comes to concerns about your dog’s health. Nom Nom also offers a gut Microbiome Testing Kit that can help you gauge the situation from home.
How to Keep Your Dog’s Digestive System Healthy?
We can’t stress it enough: making sure your dog follows a healthy diet is super important. Many dog foods contain fillers and ingredients that might not be the best for their digestive system. Nom Nom delivers fresh foods formulated by Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists that can help support your dog’s digestive health. Each pre-portioned meal is based on your dog’s unique dietary needs, with recipes crafted by a team of scientists for a variety of dog-health needs.
Nom Nom uses real food designed to generate excitement at mealtime and support your dog’s health. Some improvements you can expect from switching to Nom Nom include increased energy, better breath, less shedding, a silkier coat, and even standardizing your dog’s stool! So, next time you’re wondering why your dog’s poop isn’t looking healthy, you might consider switching their food for a healthier alternative like Nom Nom.
