Dog Poop Color Chart and Other Characteristics: A Comprehensive Guide to Stool

What Does Healthy Stool Look Like in Dogs?

Healthy dog stools occur at a regular frequency without excess straining or flatulence. Ideally, they're medium-brown in color, smooth and log-shaped to somewhat segmented. When you pick it up, the stool should be fairly firm and largely maintain its shape, with only a small amount of residue left behind (e.g., small bits of stool stuck to blades of grass).

What Are the Key Characteristics of Dog Poop?

From what they ate to their overall gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome health, toxin exposure, hydration status, organ health, stress level and more, the amount of information you can gather about your dog's health from their waste can feel mind-boggling. To make it more digestible (no pun intended), let's break down the main physical stool characteristics that provide insights into your dog's health: color, shape, consistency, coating, contents, frequency and accompanying bathroom behaviors.

Color.

"Help! My dog's poop's orange!" The color of dog stool is usually something pet parents pay little attention to — until it changes. Here's a simple dog poop color chart to learn what the different hues of dog stool can mean.

Dog Poop Color Chart.

Shape and Consistency.

Stool shape and consistency typically go hand in hand because they're both largely tied to a dog's hydration level. On one end of the spectrum, stools can be dry and hard to the point where no fecal particles are left behind when you pick them up. Stools like this are usually deposited in multiple smaller segments, often pebble-shaped, and can indicate dehydration. On the other end of the spectrum are watery, flat puddles with no shape or texture. Dogs with diarrhea are also at risk of dehydration as they're losing too much water through their stools.

Coating or Contents.

Though an abnormal finding, your dog's stool may have a shiny or mucous coating. You may also observe fresh streaks of shiny red blood, both of which indicate large bowel diarrhea or disease.

If you suspect your dog ingested something out of the ordinary, examining their stool is the least invasive way to find out if they've passed the object. Rocks, bits of toys and food wrappers are some of the more commonly encountered foreign objects found in dog stool. Anytime you find an unusual object in your dog's poop, let your vet know and monitor their other physical signs closely.

Parasites can sometimes be seen with the naked eye, ranging from tan spaghetti-like noodles to short, cream-colored segments similar in appearance to grains of rice. However, most cases of parasites in dogs are not visible. In other words, the absence of physical worms in your dog's stool doesn't necessarily guarantee that they're free of parasites. To identify parasites, your vet will need to examine your dog's stool for parasitic eggs under a microscope, a common part of your dog's routine wellness exams.

Frequency and Behaviors.

Dogs are creatures of habit, and their bathroom habits are no exception to this rule. Keeping a steady routine, including mealtimes, exercise and bathroom breaks, will help your dog's GI system establish a regular rhythm. Some behavioral signs that can indicate abnormal bowel activity include:

• Vocalizations (such as yelping).

• Taking longer than usual to pass stool.

• Stopping to squat more frequently.

• Squatting without defecation.

Additionally, an increase in gas can indicate your dog's gut microbiome (the population of microorganisms living in the GI tract) have been affected. A change in stool volume, whether or not it's the regular consistency, also provides your vet with valuable information, such as when diagnosing the origin of diarrhea.