Few guardians are aware of this, but it is very important to observe dog poop every time it is evacuated. The appearance of feces reveals several things about the health of our four-legged friends, so we must take special care when removing and throwing them away. There are several types of dog feces, with different coloring and texture, and knowing what each type means is important.necessary to know when the animal is healthy or needs to go to the vet.

To help you in this mission, the Paws of the House has put together a range of important information about dog waste! Clear stools, green stools, mucusy stools, dark stools: dogs can "release" all of these, and it's up to you to keep a close eye on the situation. Get all your questions about dog poop answered below.

How does dog poop form?

Here it is necessary to understand a little bit of dog anatomy to understand how faeces are formed. It all starts with the process of digestion: as soon as the dog eats, the digested food passes from the stomach to the small intestine. Finally, it reaches the large intestine, which is where water and liquids are absorbed by the body. The other waste products that have not been used and are therefore..,"disposables" form the feces and are stored in the rectum, which is the last part of the canine digestive system. Oh, and an important detail: many people think that poop is the collection of food scraps, but in fact it is basically composed of water and bacteria.

What can the texture and color of dog feces indicate about the dog's health?

The appearance of dog poop is one of the first signs that something is wrong with your pooch, so texture, color and consistency are all factors that should be taken into account when analyzing your pet's waste. Different types of dog feces indicate different situations - and sometimes it's necessary to seek the help of a veterinarian to diagnose what's wrong with your dog.wrong with your friend.

So, when you find a dog with green stool, what could it be? And when it comes to a dog with foul-smelling dark stool, what does it mean? When it's black poop, does dog need an appointment? Learn what types of dog stool are and what they indicate:

• Brown stools: is the normal shade;

• Black feces: may indicate bleeding in the stomach or small intestine;

• Green feces: can indicate anything from something simple, such as ingestion of brush, to something more serious, such as gallbladder problems, allergies and the presence of parasites (such as canine giardia);

• White stools: may indicate a lack of nutrients, excess calcium, malfunctioning bowel and ingestion of foreign objects;

• Stool with white dots: may indicate the presence of parasites (such as a dog with heartworm);

• Gray feces: may indicate problems with the pancreas or liver;

• Bloody stools: may indicate intestinal bleeding or cancer in a dog;

• Stool with yellow mucus: may indicate irritable bowel syndrome, food allergy in dogs and the presence of parasites;

What does healthy dog poop look like?

Now that you've seen what types of dog feces are, you might be wondering what's the best way to tell if your pooch is healthy or not just by looking at the droppings. To guide you through this, you need to evaluate the consistency, coloration, content, and coating of the poop as follows:

• Consistency

The consistency of dog poop should be firm and solid. The material should have a cylindrical shape, similar to a sausage, but at the same time it should not be too hard and not too soft. If it is liquid, it is an indication of a dog with diarrhea and requires medical evaluation. If it is too hard, it may be a sign of dehydration.

• Coloring

The color of dog poop should ideally be brown, ranging from a lighter brown to a darker brown (but never black). Remember that the shade will depend on the ingredients in your pet's food and what they eat.

• Contents

The contents of dog poop should be uniform and free of foreign bodies, worms, hair, or anything of the sort. Most people cannot detect if there is anything wrong with the naked eye, so it is important to make regular visits to the vet to have a stool examination done.

• Coating

Dog poop should not have any kind of coating or covering. This means that the presence of mucus or blood in the dog's stool needs attention, because it can be a sign of a problem.

5 diseases that can leave your dog with diarrhea

There are several diseases that can leave a dog with diarrhea and completely change the appearance of the stool, leaving it with a liquid consistency and a different color than usual. These diseases, in turn, range from simpler problems to more complex and dangerous pathologies, such as canine giardia (or giardiasis). Although it is a common symptom of several health problems,we have separated 5 diseases that are associated with diarrhea in dogs.

1) Pancreatitis

Canine pancreatitis is a serious disease that is usually caused by eating foods high in fat and carbohydrates. It is an inflammation of the pancreas whose main symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, fever, lack of appetite and abdominal pain.

2) Gastroenteritis

Canine gastroenteritis affects the lower digestive tract and can have different associated causes, from poisoning to viral and bacterial infections. Regardless, the clinical signs are often the same: diarrhea in dogs, vomiting, lack of appetite and bloody stools.

3) Colitis

Canine colitis is the result of inflammation of the dog's intestinal mucosa. It can be acute or chronic. In the former the symptoms are usually long-lasting and in the latter they extend over about three weeks and tend to be recurrent. The presence of mucus and blood in dog poo, as well as episodes of diarrhoea, indicate colitis.

4) Food allergy

Food allergy in dogs happens when the animal eats something that causes an allergic reaction in his body. In addition to itching, hives and redness, the dog with this type of allergy may have chronic diarrhea, a clear sign that there is something wrong with him.

5) Giardia canina

Canine giardia is caused by a protozoan that acts in the animal's bloodstream and causes a series of gastric changes in the body and can even be fatal. Diarrhea in dogs is one of the main symptoms, and may or may not be accompanied by blood and small cysts. In addition, food apathy, vomiting, hair loss and gas are also common signs of the disease.

Canine coprophagia: why do some dogs eat their own feces?

As if observing dog poop wasn't enough, guardians should also turn on the alert if the animal exhibits unusual behavior in relation to feces. Canine coprophagia - which is the act of ingesting one's own poop - can happen for several reasons, but it should not be encouraged, let alone ignored. As we have already seen, feces can be contaminated with bacteria and other microorganismswhich should not be ingested by the animal and may harm its health in the long term.

The causes of coprophagia are numerous, and can be divided into physiological or behavioral. In the first case, the habit is usually related to lack of nutrients, illness, nutrient-poor diet, stress or anxiety. If it is a behavioral problem, it may be linked to the need to get the attention of the guardian, curiosity or simply it is a dogIn addition, some breeds have a genetic predisposition to this, such as the Shih Tzu and the Pug.

In any case, it is recommended to talk to a vet about canine coprophagia. If it is due to a disease, for example, the professional will obtain the diagnosis and indicate the best treatment. In addition, he will be able to give guidance on what to do, even if it is a behavioral issue.

What is the importance of picking up dog poop during walks?

If you are going for a walk with your dog, know that one of the most important precautions at this time is to take a bag or poop scoop to collect your four-legged friend's feces. In addition to being a matter of hygiene, dog poop can transmit numerous diseases, and simple contact with this waste is sometimes enough to shake the dog's immunity. So be sure to take it with youbiodegradable bags and a shovel to remove dog feces from streets and parks.

The waste can be disposed of directly in the toilet or you can throw it in the trash (preferably in the organic waste garbage cans). Oh, and a tip: although this care is indispensable on walks, the disposal must be done in the same way when the dog does the needs indoors.