Monitoring the quality of a pet's feces is the responsibility of any owner. The dog does not have the opportunity to complain that it has a stomach ache or feels unwell, so it is extremely important to constantly monitor the quality of your four-legged friend’s bowel movements in order to be able to provide him with timely help.

What is dog poop like?

Normal dog poop

Proper dog poop– moist but strong. Doesn't have a very strong smell.

However, dogs that eat dry food normally produce slightly different stool. In principle, it is similar to normal, but there is a lot of it. Often more than the dog has eaten. This is especially noticeable in dogs of decorative breeds. A dog can poop out as much as it is unclear how it ended up in it.

This “high potassium content” is due to the fact that dry food contains a lot of plant fiber, as well as other carbohydrates that are not natural food for predators. And dogs are predators. And therefore them.

In addition, dry food is enriched with ingredients such as soy, rice, and beets. And so-called “carbohydrate-free foods” usually include potatoes and peas.

It is obvious that all these components of food are not absorbed by dogs at all and come out. Therefore, a dog on dry food produces significantly more feces than a dog on natural meat feeding.

Those dogs that eat natural food with a very high calcium content (the food contains a lot of bones) produce little feces, and it is light in color, sometimes almost white, color. The stool is usually hard and weak-smelling. Often the animal has a tendency to.

All types of dog poop shown are normal. Signs of diarrhea are a cause for concern for owners.

Below are some types of dog stool that, if they do not disappear within 24 hours, require seeking veterinary help.

Types of pathological dog feces

1. Soft stools without blood or mucus

Usually occurs when the food is changed or when the dog is overfed with handouts from the table.

In most cases, no treatment is required. But if it persists for several days, it may indicate an infection in the intestines, usually in the Giardialamblia.

1. Yellow liquid stool

Associated with the dog’s consumption of food that is too fatty for it. Again, it often occurs when a dog is pampered with handouts of fatty treats. Or they give you fatty cottage cheese (more than 5% fat) and butter.

If it does not go away within a few days, it requires contacting a veterinarian, as it indicates the development of pancreatitis in the animal, which can threaten its life.

1. Black chair

It can occur while taking certain medications, as well as when switching a dog from dry food to natural or canned food, when the dog begins to walk noticeably less and less. But if the dog is switched to natural feeding, the stool is not completely black, it is just very dark.

Along with such harmless black feces, black dog stool can be a sign of bleeding in the animal's gastrointestinal tract, the cause of which can be anything from improper food to cancer.

Therefore, if black stool is not associated with switching the dog to natural food or taking medications, it always requires prompt attention to a doctor.

1. Extremely loose stools (with water)

Always open bleeding from the colon, anus or anal glands. Associated with damage to the gastrointestinal tract from inedible objects, ulcers and tumors.

Causes of diarrhea in dogs

Since diarrhea can be a reflection of a variety of animal health problems, it is logical to list these problems. Diarrhea in a dog can be associated with:

The main thing to remember is that a dog is also a “person”.

And just as any of us from time to time have digestive problems that do not require the intervention of specialists for their treatment, dogs also have similar problems.

Therefore, if you know the cause of your pet’s diarrhea, for example, it is a change in food, stress, or overfeeding a holiday dinner, there is no need to run to the veterinarian.

But in cases where a dog has loose stools more than 1-3 times, contacting a veterinarian is mandatory.

As for puppies and older dogs, medical attention may be required even after a single loose bowel movement, since in “old and small” dehydration occurs very quickly.

Here you no longer need to look at the dog’s behavior. Even if she is not yet showing signs of illness, she is seriously ill.

Treating diarrhea in dogs at home

If your pet behaves normally and does not show any signs of illness, except for one or two loose stools, you just need to isolate it from food for 12 hours. But at the same time give him something to drink.

After 12 hours, if everything is fine, you need to feed him boiled turkey (not chicken or beef). You cannot add any porridge to turkey meat. But you can add a little boiled pumpkin.

No more than 2-3 small meals a day.

It is also very good to introduce into the dog’s diet during and after treatment.

The duration of the diet is 72 hours from the onset of the disease. During this time, the stool should normalize. If it doesn’t return to normal, you need to go to the doctor! Even if the animal behaves normally.

When treating diarrhea in a dog at home, when the exact diagnosis is not known, you should not give your pet any medications.

The exception is activated carbon. But this is only the case when you know for sure that your dog was poisoned by something stale. For example, you yourself ate something bad and shared it with her.

In this case, you can distribute an activated carbon tablet in water and give it to your dog to drink. If she doesn’t drink, then you can try to squirt it into her mouth with a syringe.

Every dog ​​owner will sooner or later be faced with a situation where the pet’s waste acquires an uncharacteristic color, which is a sign of a serious illness. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the causes of white feces in a dog, as well as other unnatural colors, in order to begin treatment.

Normally, dogs' feces should be dark brown or tan in color. They acquire this color due to their high bile content. It plays an important role in digestion by dissolving food particles in the small intestine. In this case, all unnecessary residues are removed from the pet’s body naturally.

Thus, if the animal’s stool color suddenly changes, it is necessary to look for the cause and begin treatment. Typically, such a symptom is the first “bell” of a pathology developing in the dog’s body. That is why contacting a specialist in this situation will be mandatory.

Video “What to do if your dog has diarrhea”

In this video, the veterinarian will talk about the causes of diarrhea in dogs and how to deal with it.

What does color say?

If your pet's stool has changed color, the first step is to find out the reason for this phenomenon. Only based on the results of diagnostic tests and examination of the dog, a veterinarian will be able to correctly diagnose and prescribe effective treatment.

The color of feces can already tell a specialist a lot about a possible problem. Let's look at what can cause stool to turn white or other unnatural colors.

White

White feces indicate that the dog is seriously ill. Moreover, the disease is already in an advanced stage. The lack of color in the feces indicates that bile has stopped flowing into the animal’s intestines.

The fact is that very often a white pile is a sign of developing oncology. Moreover, diagnosing cancer is difficult, since the search for a tumor is a long and complex process.

Yellow

If a dog has yellow, loose stools, various factors can lead to this disorder. Moreover, yellow feces can be either liquid or solid.

The appearance of solid waste is provoked by the following reasons:

• disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas;
• the presence of worms in the animal’s body;
• unbalanced and irrational nutrition.

Liquid yellow stools (diarrhea) are caused by the following reasons:

• intestinal infections (often viral);
• problems with the pancreas;
• parvovirus infection;
• poor nutrition.

Black feces can also be caused by a foreign object entering the dog's body, which can damage the walls of the digestive tract, leading to internal bleeding.

Diarrhea is a very common clinical problem in both humans and animals. Among the features of the manifestation of loose stools, the sudden onset and short duration of this process are usually distinguished. Typically, diarrhea can last no more than 3 weeks.

If we talk about four-legged pets, loose stools in dogs are often accompanied by watery or mucous discharge. Also, in some cases, blood may come out with the stool.

Sometimes dogs suffer from fairly prolonged diarrhea, which can last up to several months. In some situations, diarrhea occurs constantly, and sometimes only once every few days. If the stomach upset was isolated, then there is nothing to worry about. However, in the case of constant loose stools in a dog, which has been going on for more than a day, it is necessary to contact a specialist as soon as possible. The fact is that this phenomenon is not at all harmless.

The consequences of diarrhea can be quite dire. Diarrhea may cause electrolyte disturbances, fluid loss, and dehydration. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the causes as quickly as possible, and begin treating loose stools in a dog immediately. Why do animals suffer from this disease? What to do if your pet has loose stools?

Loose stools in dogs: causes

As a rule, experts associate the appearance of diarrhea with a malnutrition of the animal. This can happen if you change your pet’s usual diet very suddenly. For example, if he switched from regular food prepared by his owners to ready-made food.

Diarrhea can also begin as a result of eating a stale treat that the owner gave to his pet. In some cases, this is an allergic reaction to one of the components of dry or liquid food.

Also, a dog may develop loose stools due to an accidentally swallowed foreign object. In addition, experts note that diarrhea develops in four-legged pets when viral infections occur. For example, such symptoms are characteristic of hepatitis or plague.

In addition, similar symptoms develop when:

• poisoning with chemicals or toxic substances;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• mechanical intestinal injuries;
• stomach cancer.

Sometimes the causes of diarrhea can be determined by the color of the stool:

• A yellow tint indicates that the diarrhea will also contain blood or mucus.
• Black color is most often found with intestinal bleeding.
• White stools indicate possible liver disease.
• dangerous because it can be one of the symptoms of canine distemper.

Manifestation of diarrhea

To independently determine why your dog has loose stools, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

• feces have changed their density, that is, they have become liquid;
• a very pungent and unpleasant odor appeared;
• blood began to appear in the feces;
• During defecation, the animal experiences severe pain.

At the same time, pets often begin to behave very nervously. Dogs whine and stop eating as usual, which is why they lose weight very quickly. Very often diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting. In this case, the dog may lose control of the bowel movements.

Diarrhea with blood

And if your pet has diarrhea with blood clots, then it is quite possible that the dog is suffering from a rather serious illness. In this case, you must show the animal to a veterinarian. Most often in such situations, poisoning is diagnosed.

The fact is that dogs very often pick up various small objects and foreign bodies on the street. If they get into the pet's stomach, this can cause irritation of the intestinal walls. Also, liquid may appear due to developing parvovirus enteritis. Typically, this disease is observed in puppies between 2 and 12 months of age. Unfortunately, this virus most often leads to the death of a young pet. Therefore, it is necessary to help him as quickly as possible.

In addition, blood in the feces may appear due to the fact that the dog is suffering from traumatic enterocolitis. In this case, there is a possibility that the pet has eaten some sharp foreign body that could injure the walls of the stomach or intestines.

Acute form

This type of diarrhea occurs quite often in veterinary practice. In this case, the animal begins to suffer from bouts of diarrhea suddenly. In this case, the symptoms pass quite quickly, but constantly recur after some time. As a rule, such diarrhea does not last more than 3 weeks.

So, your dog has loose stools - what to do if the disease is acute? In this case, do not underestimate the danger of the situation. This disease requires appropriate treatment. If an animal suffers from acute diarrhea, the feces will be watery, sometimes containing blood impurities. If the animal defecates quite often, this will lead to disruption of the internal organs.

Chronic form

In this case we are talking about diarrhea, which can last more than 3 weeks. If a dog has loose stools with mucus, this is the first sign of a chronic form of the disease. Most often, such consequences result from the fact that the pet consumes low-quality products or damage to the gastric mucosa occurs. Sometimes this form of diarrhea can develop as a result of an infectious disease. Therefore, if your dog has loose stools with mucus, you should not turn a blind eye to it.

Consequences of diarrhea

The most dangerous thing for a dog is diarrhea with blood. If there is abundant bloody discharge in the feces, then you need to immediately call a specialist and not wait until the last moment. It is worth considering that in rare cases very terrible diseases, such as rabies, manifest themselves in this way.

Also, if an animal suffers from acute diarrhea and there is strange discharge in the feces, then this may indicate damage to the internal organs by some object. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the animal may die from blood loss or disruption of internal organs.

Self-treatment of loose stool in a dog or ignoring problems can greatly affect the pet’s health, even to the point of death. Also, do not self-medicate if there is blood or mucus in the stool. However, in some cases, you can try to help your beloved pet yourself.

A dog has loose stools: how to treat it at home

In a situation where diarrhea lasts less than 2 weeks and there is no blood or mucus in the feces, self-treatment can be done. To do this you need to follow these steps:

• Stop feeding your pet. This diet should last 1-3 days.
• Give him as much drinking boiled water as possible.
• When your pet stops vomiting and he doesn’t run to the toilet so often, you can prepare rice water for him.
• In the subsequent diet, include only fermented milk products (give for about 3 days).
• Give him the Regidron solution.
• Prepare medicinal decoctions of plants such as sage, St. John's wort, blueberry or alder.

It is very important to monitor the animal’s body temperature. If it increases, then in this case you need to stop self-medication and immediately contact a veterinary clinic.

In the case of an infectious form of the disease that leads to the appearance of loose stools, antibiotic therapy is used. It is strictly forbidden to treat your pet with such strong drugs yourself!

If your pet suffers from traumatic intestinal injury, surgery will most likely be required. This procedure also cannot be performed at home.

What to give your dog for diarrhea

To try to help the animal cope with unpleasant symptoms, you should first prepare rice water. It also helps to consolidate feces, so the animal will not suffer from severe diarrhea. To prepare such a mixture, you need to pour rice cereal into a small amount of water. After this, just put the mixture on the stove, collect all the grounds, and give the broth to the dog.

Features of animal nutrition with diarrhea

If an animal does not want to eat on its own, then you should not force feed it. However, when a pet refuses water, it is necessary to take any measures, but force him to drink the liquid. To do this, you can purchase the largest syringe at the pharmacy, remove the needle, pour water into it and thus give your pet water.

When the dog feels better, you can introduce low-fat foods into the diet, for example, boiled eggs, chicken or fish. However, during the first 3 days, the dog must be given rice water.

Prevention

To prevent your animal from getting sick again, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

If the owner notices even the slightest discomfort in his pet, then he needs to consult a specialist as soon as possible.

Husky

As already mentioned, rare breeds of dogs suffer from such ailments much more often. Therefore, you need to select a diet based on the characteristics of the animal.

To prevent your husky from suffering from such ailments, you need to feed her immediately after she comes from a walk. Moreover, the amount of food directly depends on how old the pet is, as well as on the conditions in which it lives.

A huge amount of specialized dry food has been developed for this breed, which can form the main diet of the animal. You can also give him canned food and some types of natural food.

Shar Pei

It is worth considering that this breed of dog has a rather poor appetite. At the same time, they have a very sensitive gastric system. Therefore, the composition of the food must be developed for these dogs on an individual basis. In no case should you overfeed Shar Peis, as they may become less mobile, and because of this, your pets will develop kidney disease.

Diarrhea in these dogs very often begins due to an allergic reaction. This is due to food sensitivities. Therefore, you should not change food too often; it is better to choose a specific menu with a specialist and stick to it. In addition, Shar Peis should never be given liquid food (for example, broth). You need to make sure that the food is thick and dry, so it is best to feed the animal dry food.

Labrador

If we talk about diet, then it is necessary to calculate the norm for each meal. The fact is that these animals spend a lot of energy and constantly want to eat, but under no circumstances should they be overfed. It is recommended to feed Labradors natural meat, but vegetables and cereals should be given to them as rarely as possible. Pasta products are also contraindicated for these animals.

Smaller representatives of rare breeds need increased attention. It is important to consider the reasons why your dog has loose stools. We described what to do in this situation in the article.

The normal color of feces in dogs and cats is considered to be dark to light brown. Black stool is most often not a sign of normality, so it should always alert you and prompt you to visit a veterinarian to determine the cause.

All possible causes of black stools

Physiological reasons

If the animals feel satisfactory, they have preserved their appetite and general cheerful state, then we can assume that blackening of the feces does not mean anything terrible:

• perhaps pets are given iron supplements or vitamin and mineral supplements with it;
• pets are fed raw meat, and a large amount of blood meal with black licorice is added to the diet.

Signs of pathologies

The main reason for the darkening of animal feces is the ingress of blood into them. This condition may be a symptom of some disease, and black feces occur in dogs for the same reasons as in cats:

When a visit to the vet should not be postponed

If, along with blackening of the stool in a cat or dog, the following signs are noted, this is a reason to go to the veterinarian immediately:

• against a black background, obvious red blood clots are noted - this is a sign of severe open bleeding, in any part of the intestines or stomach;
• the animal has a stomach ache (you can hear whining or a plaintive meow, there may be a slight trembling in the body; when trying to stroke or feel the stomach, the animal seems to try to move away);
• body temperature increased (above 38.5°C in mustachioed pets and more than 39°C in dogs - when measured rectally);
• stools are black and runny (melena), there is vomiting (especially when there is blood in the vomit);
• lethargic general condition, lack of playfulness, decreased appetite or complete refusal to eat.

Ways to identify the causes of black feces in animals and treatment

In order to make an accurate diagnosis, you need to conduct a stool test for the presence or absence of occult blood. If the result is positive, then the veterinarian begins to determine the cause:

• performs an ultrasound of the abdomen;
• checking blood for clotting (coagulogram);
• does an x-ray and/or gastroscopy;
• Blood tests are required.

Treatment and help at home will not give results. Any therapeutic procedures should be carried out only after determining the cause of black stool.

First of all, it is necessary to use hemostatic drugs (the type of drug and its dosage is selected only by a veterinarian):

• vikasol 1%(about 75-90 rubles/pack of 10 amps): daily dose for cats – 1-2 mg/kg body weight, dogs – 1-3 mg/kg per muscle; Duration of use is from 3 to 5 days;
• ethamsylate 12.5% or dicinone(up to 140 rubles/pack of 10 amps): intramuscularly 10-12 mg/kg (on average 0.1 ml/kg body weight) twice a day - up to 3 days;
• aminocaproic acid 5%(35-65 RUR/bottle 100 ml): orally for both types of animals up to 5 times a day, 8-10 mg/kg. Give to dogs with caution, as... possible gastrointestinal irritation. Can be administered slowly intravenously at a rate of 1 ml/kg;
• tranex(RUB 1100-1700/pack of 10 amps): 10-15 mg/kg intramuscularly or intravenously every 6-8 hours until the blood stops permanently.

After stopping the bleeding and determining its cause, the following is prescribed:

• antibiotic and antiviral therapy;
• carrying out deworming (treatment against worms);
• surgical intervention, with the help of which foreign traumatic objects or tumors are removed;
• mandatory nutritional correction;
• gastroprotectors.

If there is black liquid stool and vomiting?

This condition is often observed during poisoning (for example, rat poison). It is necessary to soberly assess the surrounding situation and try to understand what the animal might have eaten. Take your pet to a veterinarian for first aid, because... This condition is characterized by internal bleeding and can cost him his life.

After taking what medications can stool turn black?

The feces will turn black if the dog or cat is given iron supplements or any vitamin and mineral supplements with iron. In this case, this condition is considered normal and will go away immediately after these medications and supplements are no longer given.

Black feces are detected and the animal does not eat anything

Lack of appetite in a cat/dog accompanied by blackened stool is definitely a sign of ill health. What kind of pathology is and what its cause can only be determined by a veterinary specialist - it is better to take the animal to the veterinarian.

Black feces before the death of an animal

In a state of death agony, relaxation of all physiological sphincters and involuntary emptying of the colon can be observed. At the same time, against the background of dysfunction and failure of internal organs, feces may change color to a darker one. This phenomenon can be observed in everyone.

Brown-black cat feces with an unpleasant odor

Most likely, a mustachioed pet has indigestion or gastric stagnation. The food stagnates in it and begins to literally rot. The unpleasant odor that accompanies dark feces is reminiscent of the specific smell of rotting meat. You should contact a specialist to start the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and populate it with beneficial bacteria.

Ideally, the color of dog poop should range from dark to light brown. This color is given to feces by bile, which comes from the liver to the small intestine; it helps digest food. When bile for some reason does not reach the intestines, or is supplied in small, insufficient quantities, the pet’s stool may become white or gray-white in color.

White feces - a consequence of the disease

The formation of white feces in a dog occurs due to a disruption in the flow of bile into the intestines from the liver. Its outflow, in turn, can be a consequence of diseases, among which the most common are:

• Liver cyst.
• Tumors.
• Gallstone disease.
• Inflammatory disease of the liver and bile ducts (cholangitis, hepatitis, cholangiohepatitis).
• Cirrhosis or fibrosis of the liver and so on.

Separately, veterinarians highlight compression of the bile ducts and liver, associated with animal injuries of varying severity.

Diagnosis of diseases

As soon as the vigilant owner notices the appearance of white feces, he will have to immediately take the pet to the veterinary clinic.

To establish a more accurate diagnosis, the animal will be taken feces for analysis, you will also need to take a general urine test, blood test and blood biochemistry. These test results will help determine whether the animal has an inflammatory process in the body, and it also helps to determine whether an internal organ such as the liver is functioning normally.

The veterinarian will definitely send the animal to undergo a test such as an ultrasound, which will help to timely determine the presence of tumors, cysts on the liver, gallstones, or will refute the veterinarian’s preliminary diagnosis. Ultrasound will give a complete assessment of the condition of the liver parenchyma and bile ducts.

It will help to exclude the presence of tumors and gallstones in the dog’s body. x-ray, which will also allow you to estimate the size of the liver.

In particularly severe cases, the veterinarian may direct the animal to undergo liver biopsy. To do this, a small piece of the liver is taken using a puncture - this procedure is carried out in conjunction with an ultrasound. Histological examination takes place in laboratory conditions. This examination allows us to determine what type of pathology the animal has.

Treatment

After the veterinarian has established the clinical picture of the disease and made a reliable specific diagnosis, only then should the appropriate treatment methods be chosen.

Depending on the occurrence of white (acholic) feces, a method for its elimination is selected. In more severe cases (tumors and stones), surgical treatment is prescribed. If a dog has been diagnosed with an inflammatory disease of the liver and bile ducts, the veterinarian will prescribe medication in the form of antibiotic therapy(Cephalexin, Trimetroprim. Trichopolum and so on).

During the treatment process, the animal’s daily diet must be radically revised; the choice should be made in favor of a comprehensive diet. In some cases, veterinarians prescribe a therapeutic diet for animals that have any liver disease. Dogs should be given semolina, oatmeal and rice porridge, adding ground beef or chicken to them.

It would be advisable to start the course of treatment with fasting day. It is not recommended to give the dog food during the day; it should be replaced with water and healing decoctions of sage, chamomile, St. John's wort and string. Coming out of fasting should be combined with taking low-fat meat or fish broth.

Next, the dog should be fed low-fat cottage cheese and sour cream, and after the dog’s body gets a little stronger, a mixture of boiled vegetables and minced meat is introduced into the dog’s diet. During treatment, the dog should under no circumstances be fed fatty or sweet foods.

The dog will definitely be prescribed choleretic drugs (Alahol, Holosas, Bisulfate).

Preventive measures

The disease that causes white feces in a pet cannot be identified without an accurate diagnosis. The presence of white stool in an animal may indicate a serious illness.

The owner should show his pet to the veterinarian at least once a year, or even better, a couple of times a year.

To avoid the appearance of white feces and, at the same time, liver diseases, which for the most part are involved in the appearance of white feces, proper nutrition, an annual preventive veterinary examination, treatment for fleas, ticks and helminths, as well as timely vaccination will help.

And on the Internet they say...

On the Internet you can find a huge number of various communities and forums, on the pages of which people write about how they cope with various diseases of their pets. There is, of course, information about white feces.

Many owners write that often a problem of this kind (the appearance of white and gray-white feces) appears when the dog eats bones. Whether the owners themselves give food of this kind to their pet, or the animal finds it somewhere on the street, the result in the form of white excrement is the same.

Forum members write that waste in the form of bones can turn a dog’s liver into a garbage dump. They recommend owners a budget-friendly way to feed their dog: cereal porridge with the addition of skin, meat trimmings, offal, and absolutely no bare bones should be given to the pet.

Love and care can also help the animal avoid many health problems; you should not be negligent about your dog’s health.