Pooping is a natural process and, depending on your dog, it could happen a lot. One walk may lead to a couple of different poo stops. If you have a puppy, getting back home may result in another one. Most of the time this is absolutely normal and you may not even give it much attention.
Let’s take a look at the factors that affect your dog’s poop patterns, how many times they should be pooping, and what to look out for.
Just as our bowels can be impacted by the things we eat or the way we are feeling, a dog’s bowels can react much the same. For instance, a few factors that may impact a dog’s poop patterns include:
Of course, it should also be noted that age plays a role - which explains why puppies often poop more than dogs.
Adult dogs generally poop anywhere from one to three times each day. This is most commonly upon waking or about 30 minutes after a meal - both can be considered prime opportunities to walk your dog.
As dogs age, the frequency at which they poop slows down, too. Senior dogs, on average, will poop once per day.
Puppies love to play, eat, sleep - and poop. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to poop five or more times a day! This usually happens after every feeding. Why so much? These little fur babies have a high metabolism and very clean intestines, so what goes in is digested and shipped out quickly.
As they begin to grow, the frequency at which they poop slowly begins to slow down. For instance, at around 6 months of age, your puppy should be pooping about three or more times per day. At one year of age, they usually adopt an adult dog poop routine of one to three times per day.
Since a dog’s poop can tell you a lot about the health of your dog, it is a good idea to take a peek. Ideally, you want it to have the right color and consistency, such as solid poop that isn’t too hard or too soft and that looks like the color of a tootsie roll. In addition, you will want to keep an eye out for its content.
It is natural to occasionally see a piece of food that they ate still in their poop, but you don’t want to see foreign materials your dog may have ingested or worse - worms or blood! Finally, your dog’s poop should not have a mucous-like coating on it. Anything that looks out of the ordinary or has you concerned could be indicative of bowel inflammation and may warrant a trip to the vet.
Even healthy-looking dog poop can contain germs, parasites, and other dangers. So all this pooping means you are going to have a risky mess in your yard. To keep your pup, your family, and the environment around you safe, you must clear the poop from your yard as soon as possible.
Remember, your dog’s poop has a lot to say about their health - so pay attention.
Scoop Soldiers is a pet waste removal service. That’s right - we make your dog poop our business. With services like pet waste removal, sanitizing, and deodorizing, we always leave behind a clean and healthy turf for your pup.