The Scoop on (Dog) Poop: Part 1
Your dog’s number two ✌️ is your number one ☝️ tool for improving their health.
A dog’s stool is a treasure trove of information; what we glean from poop leads to greater awareness of our dogs’ digestive health and musculoskeletal comfort, as well as how certain foods and supplements are (or aren’t) working for our dogs.
Manufacturers of highly processed pet feed know how rewarding it is for an owner to see and to experience picking up the perfect poop. There are ingredient combinations that are known to firm the stool. A dog may have perfect stool and poor digestive health.
Perfect stool on fresh food tells the real truth about canine digestive health. We, as dog owners, are empowered to track changes by understanding our dogs’ stools.
Bravo (right) with his cousin, Chewie (left)
Tales of a pooper scooper
Bravo the Aussie
Picture this: Bravo, my very handsome, three-year-old, vibrantly healthy Aussie, and I were on our morning walk. The dewy grass had soaked through my shoes, and my feet became damp. Bravo’s morning “movement” was causing him to strain, which was certainly abnormal. His stools normally match his namesake!
What he produced was not normal; thick, clear mucus coated the cow patty-like plop, and it melted into the grass. The greasy sheen was coupled with the malodorous scent wafting through the foggy air.
Bravo was evidently in acute housekeeping mode, and his highly intelligent body was working to clear something irritating from his system. The rest of Bravo was well and happy. He darted from the pile and initiated play, clearly relieved of his internal burden.
I wasn’t worried given the whole picture and knowing Bravo. There were things I could do to support him as his body took care of the rest, and I knew to not interfere beyond making sure he had ample opportunity to evacuate his bowels and stay hydrated.
Bravo has eaten freshly cooked food for all three years of his life and has a resilient GI tract. Raw food has never been his thing. This rapid GI exit strategy was likely spurred by a new treat, creek water from our hike, or something “savory” he found on the farm.
After a few days, everything about Bravo was fine, other than his stools. Despite a bland diet and well-indicated probiotics, I did not see much improvement. Neither are quick fixes, nor are they suppressive of symptoms. His stool went to the vet, and then to the lab, where a parasite and Giardia screening were all clear. He’d earn a re-test and a thorough vet visit if his stool worsened or didn’t normalize quickly.
Click photo to enlarge
Food as medicine
A brief (~12 hour) water-only fast allows the digestive tract to rest. My young, healthy, adult dogs benefit from about 8-12 hours on water alone in the event of simple loose stool. Note: Consult your vet before you decide to fast your dog, as it’s not appropriate for all dogs.
The next step is providing highly digestible recovery food. Chicken and white rice is famous for this. It’s not my first go-to. Congee (a traditional Chinese rice gruel), as detailed by Dr. Judy Morgan in Yin and Yang Nutrition for Dogs: Maximizing Health With Whole Foods, Not Drugs, is a far better option.
However, Bravo is picky and does not like soupy textures. What ended up working for him was a mixture of:
1 part baked sweet potato (sans skin)
Organic psyllium
BioStar’s Terra Biota K9™
I later swapped out the beef for cooked, lean pork and paired it with Green Juju’s Golden Blend as the veggie and fiber portion. This gave Bravo’s microbiome more diversity and provided additional fuel for his digestive tract to recover. He was better than ever just a few days later.
Click photo to enlarge
What makes the “perfect” poop perfect?
Cigar-shaped
A perfect balance of moist and firm
Not terribly smelly
Ideally, a daily activity that occurs without excess straining
Your dog’s preferred pooping posture is revealing. Observe your dog while having a movement and keep an eye out for:
Not wanting to flex a back leg while squatting
Cocking a hip or twisting their spine to avoid pain while squatting
A front leg way out in front, unusually underneath, or crossing the midline
These positions can be tell-tale signs of discomfort. Take a picture for your vet.
The scoop
As you dutifully lift your dog’s stool from its earthly nest into poop bags (such as these biodegradable ones from GreenLine), you cannot help but notice the odor and texture. It’s a sensory experience.
Coaxing residue off the grass with your bagged hand means there’s room for improvement, and the same goes for pebble-like stools.
Especially fragrant stool may indicate excessive “heat” in the digestive tract. Stool that just slips out in a liquid heap without much odor may mean there is too much “cold” in the GI tract.
Dog poop should be brown, though it can take many forms: liquid, to cow patty, to soft-serve, to downright crumbly, to perfect. If it does come out as a liquid, or has blood in it, or your dog is “off” in any way, go to your vet.
“Houston, we have a problem!”
Poop that is “off” for any reason presents an opportunity to gather clues to help your dog. Your descriptive tabs on your dog’s stool, including odor, appearance, texture, and frequency, will be helpful, should you engage your vet’s expertise.
Digestive tract solutions from BioStar’s canine selection
Terra Biota K9™ is a first aid tool for loose, and often excessively smelly, stool affecting otherwise healthy dogs.
Sym-Biota K9™ provides easy-to-dose liquid digestive support for intestinal disharmonies, including constipation and chronic loose stool.
Hedgerow K9 Boulardii™ is a great choice for chronic gastrointestinal issues and antibiotic-related stress to the intestinal tract.
Integral K9™ does not contain probiotics and is often used in combination with our probiotics to support a healthy intestinal mucosal environment and to provide nutrition required for tissue repair within the GI tract.
If you want to talk about your dog’s stool…
Lizzy and Bravo
and how to improve it, come on over!
As BioStar’s Canine Product Specialist and the person who provides our complimentary canine consultations, we will undoubtedly talk about your dogs number two.
Please note: the educational information BioStar provides during complimentary consultations is not a substitute or replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
*Get thee to thy vet!
YOU are the expert on your dog. If you feel your dog has more than a short-term, simple GI imbalance, or your dog is at all uncomfortable or unwell, see your vet ASAP. Changes, including “tarry”or dark stools, blood in the stool, prolonged diarrhea or constipation, inappetence, and vomiting, mean your dog needs to see the vet.
– Photos of Lizzy, Bravo, and Chewie are credited to Lizzy Meyer
About the Author: Lizzy Meyer, BioStar’s Canine Product Specialist, has a real knack for explaining the nutrition basics for dogs and how every dog can benefit from supplementing with whole foods. She loves helping dog owners learn about the about the power of a whole food diet and enjoys working with customers who have dogs with special needs. Lizzy has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a degree in Veterinary Technology, blending science with a truly holistic approach. Find out more about Lizzy here!
