It is a common saying that dogs are what they eat. Green or orange poop can be caused by your dog eating grass or adding canned pumpkin to his meals. Sometimes, poop that doesn’t turn brown can be a sign of a more serious health problem. The chart below will help you determine when your dog should visit his veterinarian. Although the actual color of your dog’s feces may not match that of our PlayDoh replicas, you can get an idea of what to expect.
Green poop: If your dog has been eating grass, or if he enjoys eating leafy greens like kale and spinach, then it may have green poop. OraVet and Greenies can lighten the color of dog’s poop. Fluorescent green poop could be caused by a dog that has had rat poison or mouse poison recently. A dog that hasn’t eaten any green in recent times might have fluorescent green poop. This could be due to a problem with the small intestinal nutrient absorption, such as inflammatorybowel disease, protein-losing Enteropathy or intestinal parasites. To screen for intestinal parasites, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Orange poop: The pigments in certain foods can make a dog’s urine orange, just like green poop. These foods include carrots, squash and canned pumpkins that are high in beta-carotenes. If these foods are not part of your dog’s diet, orange poop could be a sign of an underlying gallbladder disease or liver disease. Consult your veterinarian if orange poop appears soft or if your dog is vomiting but not eating.
Yellow poop: Yellow stool is not normal. It is usually not caused by food pigments. A yellowish poop can indicate liver disease or gallbladder disease. Yellow diarrhea is usually an indicator of intestinal disease. It is important that your dog sees a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Red poop: Your dog may have red poop if he or she eats beets. The beet pigment can cause a variety of colors in his poop. For all dogs, however, red poop (or red streaks on the poop) is an indication of large intestinal disease (colon), or rectum. You should immediately take your dog to a veterinarian or emergency veterinarian.
Black poop is caused by bleeding in your stomach or small intestinale. You should immediately take your dog to a veterinarian or emergency veterinarian. Black poop can only be considered normal if the veterinarian has given activated charcoal to your dog. Dogs that have eaten certain toxic substances, such as chocolate or mouse poison, are given activated charcoal.
Grey poop: A grey poop indicates a problem with your dog’s stomach. Other symptoms include greasy poop and diarrhea. Get in touch with your veterinarian immediately.
Brown poop with small white spots: These little white spots could be signs of intestinal parasites such as roundworm and tapeworm. Send a sample of your dog’s stool to the veterinarian for testing for intestinal parasites.
Non-brown poop does not necessarily mean that you should be concerned. As you can see, not all poop colors are alarming. If you are concerned about your dog’s poop color, talk to his veterinarian.
Are You Seeing a Strange Color in Your Dog’s Poop? Whole Dog Journal.
