Dog Poop Chart: What Your Dog's Poop Color and Consistency Mean

Dog Poop Color Chart

Some foods can change poop color, for example food dyes, red berries or grass.^5,1 A color change that lasts more than two stools, or comes with other signs, is a reason to call your vet.^1,5

Dog Poop Consistency Chart

Vets often score poop on a fecal score chart. On Purina's widely used 1 to 7 scale, the ideal is a 2:²

• 1: hard, dry pellets your dog strains to pass, often a sign of constipation.^2,24
• 2 (ideal): firm and in segments, yet not rock hard; picks up cleanly and leaves almost nothing behind.
• 3: a moist, smooth log with few segments; leaves a slight mark but stays together when picked up.
• 4: a soggy log that falls apart when you pick it up.
• 5: wet heaps that still keep some shape, rather than logs.
• 6: soft, mushy patches with no real shape.
• 7: liquid with no texture that spreads out flat.

An occasional softer stool in a dog who is otherwise well usually settles within a day.¹ Soft stools that last more than a day, or watery diarrhea, are worth a call to your vet.^1,10 Royal Canin uses a different 1 to 5 chart that runs from formed and dry to liquid, so ask your vet which scale they mean.²⁵ For loose poop, see dog diarrhea. For hard, dry poop, see dog constipation.

What's In the Poop: Mucus, Worms, Food and Objects

• Mucus: a small amount can be normal, because mucus helps poop move through the gut. A slimy, jelly-like coating, or mucus that lasts more than 2 days, often means the colon is irritated.^3,4 See mucus in dog poop.
• Worms: roundworms look like long strands of spaghetti; tapeworm segments look like grains of rice or cucumber seeds, sometimes moving.^1,3,23 Visible worms need a vet visit.³ See worms in dogs.
• Undigested food: bits of rice, seeds or vegetables can pass through whole.³
• Hair, grass and objects: clumps of fur from overgrooming, grass, or bits of sock, plastic or rocks.¹ If your dog has swallowed something and is vomiting, lethargic or won't eat, call your vet now, because these can be signs of a blockage.¹⁹
• Blood: see blood in dog stool.

How Often Should a Dog Poop?

Most healthy adult dogs poop 1 to 3 times a day.^3,4 Puppies and older dogs may have different patterns, and your dog's usual routine matters more than an exact number.³ Healthy dogs go at a fairly regular rhythm without straining.⁵ A sudden change, such as going much more often, passing small amounts with urgency, or straining without producing much, can be a sign of colitis.^7,21 Straining that produces only small amounts or mucus is often colitis rather than constipation, so check with your vet before treating it as constipation. Leaking poop or having accidents without seeming to notice is different again; see fecal incontinence in dogs.

Size and Smell

Very large amounts of pale, soft, smelly poop in a dog who is always hungry or losing weight can mean the gut isn't digesting or absorbing food properly, as in EPI.²² Very foul-smelling, soft poop with mucus can be a sign of Giardia.^26,18 If your dog's poop changes size or smell and stays that way, ask your vet about a fecal test.

How to Collect a Stool Sample for Your Vet

• Collect about a one-inch piece, as fresh as possible, ideally within 24 hours.¹⁶
• Avoid grass and gravel, and put it in a clean, dry container with a lid.¹⁶
• If you can't take it in right away, keep it in the fridge. Don't freeze it.²⁷
• Tell your vet when the change started, how often your dog is going and what the poop looks like.¹⁰ A photo helps.

A negative result doesn't always rule out parasites, so your vet may repeat the test.^9,16

When to See a Vet

• Black, tarry, purple or raspberry-jam poop.^6,8
• Several abnormal stools in 24 hours, or one abnormal stool along with other signs.⁵
• Diarrhea for more than 2 days, or diarrhea with vomiting, lethargy or a lot of blood.^10,9
• Any diarrhea in a young puppy.⁹
• Visible worms, or ongoing weight loss.^3,22

Don't give human anti-diarrhea medicines without asking your vet first.⁹

Frequently Asked Questions

What does healthy dog poop look like?

Chocolate brown, log-shaped, firm without being hard, and easy to pick up without leaving much behind.

What color is unhealthy dog poop?

Black and tarry, red, purple or pink, grey and greasy, or persistently yellow or orange poop can all point to a problem.

Why is my dog's poop yellow?

It can be a food intolerance or a recent diet change. Yellow or orange poop that lasts 2 or more days can point to a liver, gallbladder or pancreas problem, so see your vet.

Why is my dog's poop green?

Usually from eating grass. If there's no grass in it and the green lasts a day or two, or your dog seems unwell, call your vet.

What does grey dog poop mean?

Grey, pale or greasy poop can mean fat isn't being digested properly, for example from a pancreas problem. Ask your vet.

What does parvo poop look like?

Usually severe, often bloody diarrhea with vomiting and lethargy, in a young or unvaccinated dog. This is an emergency.

How many times a day should a dog poop?

Most adult dogs go 1 to 3 times a day. What matters most is a change from your dog's normal pattern.