When you walk your dog, you always pick up his waste. What do you do if the doo-doo looks strange?
It may be a sign of illness.
Use the below dog poop color chart to figure out if your dog needs a change in diet or if you should seek veterinary care.
Did My Dog Eat Crayons?
There are times when you use a dog poop bag to pick up a pup's waste that you may find some odd things in your dog's feces, such as toy wheels, Legos, pieces of string, or… socks.
You may even find entire boxes of crayons coming out in colorful chunks.
The idea is that when you're watching what's coming out of your dog, you also know what's going on and have the opportunity to clean up or put away the offending objects.
It isn’t weird to keep track of your dog’s poop; in fact, it’s a good way to know what’s going on with your dog.
If your dog is in good health, then poop should have the same color, size, and consistency most of the time.
Besides the unusual toy piece, you can watch for signs of good health in your dog’s poop without being weird about it.
Veterinarians have a guide known as the 4 Cs of dog poop – consistency, coating, contents, and color. You can use the 4 Cs as a guide to your dog’s health.
1. Consistency
This may be one of the first things you notice when you pick up your dog’s poop. Gross as it might sound, your dog’s poop should be generally soft yet firm.
If you notice a watery consistency in your dog’s poop, then it can be a sign of an upset stomach.
However, if the poop seems too hard (and your pet is straining), the dog may have constipation.
These things often work themselves out, but if they don’t, your pup needs a change in diet.
2. Coating
There should be no coating of any kind on your dog’s poop. If there is mucus or a significant amount of blood, you should call your vet immediately.
Even if it's not bloody diarrhea, coating or mucus over a dog's poop is one of the more concerning signs that require immediate attention – it could be hookworm, roundworm, giardia, colitis, and more.
3. Contents
When you are looking at your pet's poop contents, you are looking for anything that is out of the ordinary.
These could be things your dog is eating that they shouldn’t be, or you may find signs of worms.
If you find anything that seems concerning, you should call your veterinarian with questions.
4. Color
Finally, when you are looking at the color of your dog’s poop, you should consider that each color of dog poop can mean something different, and it tells you a lot about the dog's health condition.
There are many health problems associated with specific colors of dog poop. If you see a change or something out of the ordinary, check with your vet.
The Dog Poop Chart Color Rainbow
If you have small children who consistently feed purple frosted cupcakes to your dog, then don’t be surprised if he suddenly starts having purple poop.
Your dog’s diet can affect the color of its poop as well, and if the food is filled with lots of dyes, then you may end up with a dog that regularly poops a green and red speckled patty.
The normal color of your dog’s poop should be close to a chocolate brown color.
However, there is a rainbow on the dog poop color chart out there, and veterinarians will use poop colors to indicate certain health conditions.
You can use the dog poop color chart below to see what your dog’s doody color means.
The universal dog poop chart can also be used as the puppy poop chart as well.
Dog Poop Chart: Black or Maroon
Your dog may be having poop that is very dark, black, and tarry.
Charcoal black dog poop color means the dog may be having problems with bleeding high up in the gastrointestinal tract. It could be a bleeding ulcer.
Black poop means the blood has been digested and if you see this type of poop from your dog, call your veterinarian right away.
White
White dog poop color is not what you should be seeing.
Sometimes dogs on a raw food diet may exhibit white poop, indicating that their diet is too high in calcium or bone. Keep an eye on your dog, and if it continues, then call your vet.
Orange Dog Poop
On the dog poop color chart, orange is a color that could mean something serious. If you're seeing orange dog poop, it can indicate that there's a liver issue or possible biliary disease.
If it's not just hard orange dog poop color but also orange diarrhea, call your veterinarian immediately.
Yellow
Yellow dog poop color can indicate a variety of things. It can mean a simple stomach upset. Watch if it passes.
If not, then it can mean that there's some food intolerance. You should look at your dog’s diet and see what new changes have occurred.
Try a new dog food and if it does not improve, call your vet.
Gray
Grey dog poop color that's also possibly greasy means your dog may be suffering from some form of maldigestion.
Veterinarians who find dogs with gray poop generally run tests for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI. It basically means your dog’s pancreas isn’t functioning properly.
Your dog needs to be seen right away as EPI is treatable.
Green
Green dog poop color can mean that your pet may have eaten a large amount of grass. It can be a sign of a parasite or other issues.
If you continue seeing this color on the dog poop color chart, see your vet.
Red Streaks
If your dog has brown poop with red streaks or a clearly bloody red dog poop color, there's some internal bleeding.
This bleeding is most likely occurring somewhere along the large intestine.
Generally, if the stool is still somewhat formed and your dog still has normal energy levels and a good appetite, this is not an emergency.
Some at-home remedies that can help treat inflammation of the colon are probiotics and a bland diet such as chicken, rice, and pumpkin.
If the bloody stool continues, becomes watery, or if your dog becomes lethargic, stop treating at home and call your veterinarian for an appointment. – Dr. Myles Rowley DVM
Pink or Purple
If your dog suddenly poops something that looks like raspberry jam, this pink or purple dog poop color could indicate hemorrhagic gastroenteritis or HGE.
Many dogs die from HGE every year that you could have saved if they had prompt medical treatment.
If you see your dog having this kind of poop, take your dog to the nearest veterinarian emergency room.
Polka Dot
If you notice that your dog’s poop looks like it’s full of rice, then this can be worms. This isn't necessarily on the dog poop color chart, but it is worth noting.
The best thing you can do is call your veterinarian and let them know that you are seeing what you suspect are tapeworms.
They will likely recommend that you check a fecal sample for other parasites and pick up a prescription dewormer called Praziquantel.
Tapeworms come from your dog eating fleas, so it will be important to make sure your dog is on monthly flea prevention and treat your yard and home for fleas. – Dr. Myles Rowley DVM
Common Causes of Dog Diarrhea and Constipation
It can also help know the common causes of other waste-related issues in dogs, such as diarrhea and constipation.
Some of the common reasons your dog has diarrhea include:
- Stress
- New medication
- Eating human food
- Changing dog foods too quickly
- Infection or internal organ disease
- Eating something they picked up on their walk
- Drinking water from stagnant ponds or puddles
Some of the common reasons for constipation in dogs include:
- Medication
- Dehydration
- Kidney disease
- Not enough exercise
- Excessive self-grooming
- Infected or blocked anal glands
- The incorrect amount of dietary fiber
- Motility disorders of the intestines
- Plants, plastic, gravel, or bones in the intestinal tract
The Scoop on Poop
You may still find it a little weird to watch and keep track of your dog’s feces.
Considering the number of health problems you can watch for and avoid, it's worth your time to know what you are looking for, and this dog poop color chart will keep you informed.
Obviously, it’s a little gross…
But since you're already cleaning up after your dog anyway using poop bags and poop scooper, you might as well investigate a little bit to know what’s happening with your dog’s health.
And remember the age of the dog doesn't matter this chart can also be considered a puppy poop chart as well.
You may even find out where all those Barbie shoes have disappeared to.
Common Questions about the Dog Poop Color Chart
What Color Poop Is Bad for Dogs?
You want the dog poop to be brown. Any other color can indicate a problem. That includes black, maroon, green, and purple.
Why Is My Dog’s Poop Light Tan?
If your dog’s poop is a light tan, yellow, orange, or another pale color, there may be something wrong with his liver or pancreas.
Why Is My Dog’s Poop Yellow and White?
Yellow dog poop can indicate that your pooch has an upset stomach. If you see white spots in the poop, these may be worms.
What Does Parvo Poop Look Like?
If your dog has parvovirus, he will likely have diarrhea and vomit. Diarrhea will frequently have blood in it and otherwise be mustard or light yellow in color.
The vomit is typically clear, brown, or yellow.
What Should You Do If There Is Blood in Your Dog’s Poop?
If you notice blood in your dog’s poop, regardless of the color of the rest of it, check his bottom for any obvious injuries.
You should ideally bring a sample of this bloody stool to your dog’s vet. Monitor your dog’s appetite and energy levels.
If your dog is otherwise acting normal, you can try probiotics and bland diets. If they are not as energetic or not interested in food, then call your veterinarian right away.
What Are Signs of Your Dog Dying?
Some of the indications that your dog may be dying include vomiting or incontinence, loss of appetite, loss of coordination, muscle twitching, confusion, not drinking water, and lack of desire to do anything, including things they once enjoyed.
Why Is My Dog Eating Poop?
Coprophagia is when a dog eats poop. Experts are still unsure about the reason for this behavior, but some theorize they want more nutrients.
You can stop this behavior by cleaning the poop up right away and telling your dog to “leave it.”
If this is not working, you can ask your vet for recommendations for a dietary supplement that will help deter your pet from eating poop. – Dr. Myles Rowley DVM
Why You Should Trust Top Dog Tips
Well, as dog owners, we also want to know as much as we possibly can and find the truth out there in dog ownership.
We want to clear the fog that surrounds certain topics like nutrition, dog care, dog health, and more.
So we went ahead and brought aboard not only long-time dog owners but Veterinarians onto our website.
For each article we publish, we want to make sure the information is accurate and has been vetted by real veterinarians.
READ NEXT:
- 4 Best Ways to Dispose of Dog Poop
- White Dog Poop: What Does It Mean?
- 4 Common Types of Worms in Dog Poop
Disclosure: We may earn affiliate commissions at no cost to you from the links on this page. This did not affect our assessment of products.
