As unpleasant as this task can be, it is essential to know how to evaluate the consistency of your animals’ feces. Cleaning the yard and litter boxes can provide important information about your pets’ health. However, these animals often defecate in the same place, and you can’t identify whose waste it is. Has this situation ever happened to you? Don’t worry. In this article, you will learn to identify dog and cat poop.
For identification, you must observe the color, smell, texture, and shape. All these characteristics vary according to the diet these animals consume and the food quality. It can also change due to the occurrence of verminous and sickness. Be it color, consistency, frequency, or amount, any change in any of these parameters can indicate that something is wrong with your furry friend.
What Does Dog Poo Look Like?
Dogs usually defecate twice daily, and poop consistency is soft and firm, forming a “cigar” with no coating content. The color varies according to the diet consumed, but follows a brown color pattern reminiscent of milk chocolate color.
Dog poop can be one of the first signs that something is wrong with your furry companion, which is why it is so important to know what types of poop are and what they mean. Check out the different types of dog poop:
- Black;
- With worm;
- With giardia;
- Green;
- With yellow mucus;
- White;
- Grey;
- With blood.
What Should Dog Poop Look Like?
You are probably already familiar with the typical appearance of dog poop, as you are the one who cleans your pet’s feces every day. Anyway, there are four parameters veterinarians use to evaluate wastes that you should be aware of:
- Color: the standard color of dog feces should be a “chocolate brown,” color provided by the pigment called stercobilin. Changes in stool color can indicate several problems. Black stools: Soft and black dog poop are common and usually indicate the presence of blood in the upper part of the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Several possibilities can cause blood in the dog’s feces, in this case, especially a stomach ulcer.
- Consistency: Dog poop should have a firm texture. Formless waste can indicate that your dog’s intestines are not properly absorbing nutrients, which leads to a dog with soft poop. On the other hand, tough dog stools can indicate dehydration. If your dog occasionally has a change in consistency, it’s nothing to worry about. If the difference persists for more than a day, contact a veterinarian. Diarrhea: The surface of dog feces, in this case, is soft to completely watery. Sometimes it can be green and have excess mucus. Other symptoms accompanying diarrhea are weight loss, loss of appetite, and vomiting occasionally, although this is rare.
- Content: The appearance of the waste must be uniform. However, you can observe from worms, foreign bodies, hair, etc. For this reason, it is essential to pay attention. Dog feces with worms If your dog’s stool has small white dots that look like grains of rice or pieces of spaghetti, your dog’s stool is likely to have worms. Internal parasites are often passed through the feces, so you might notice them when cleaning up your best friend’s waste. You should also be aware of the dog’s anus because sometimes it is possible to observe the parasites in this region directly.
- Coating: Dog poop should not have a layer or coating around it. When you pick up your dog’s poop on the street, there shouldn’t be any traces of mucus left behind. The same applies to the presence of blood; it is not normal, and a veterinarian must observe your dog.
Poop With Blood
There are numerous reasons for a dog to defecate blood. From something simple, like eating garbage and some object caused damage when passing through its anus, to something more serious like cancer. You should try to remain calm, consult your veterinarian, and, if possible, bring a stool sample to the clinic. If the bleeding is heavy, don’t wait until your dog starts defecating again. The sooner your dog is diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis.
How To Identify Cat Poop?
Cats like to defecate in places where they can bury the poops. That’s why litter boxes are often used. The feces of cats must have a firm consistency. What differentiates them from dogs are their more elongated and thin format, with a color that can vary between yellowish brown and dark brown. Sometimes the feces come out in pieces and are very hard, almost crumbling, and often whitish with a bit of color. It is also a problem to be analyzed because it indicates that the animal is not evacuating frequently. It may be partially obstructed. It can cause a problem called a megacolon and needs some clinical tests. If your kitten has stools of this consistency for a long time, take him to the vet.
Why Is Cat Poop Worse Than Dog Poop?
The variation of smell between the feces of dogs and cats is evidenced by the different diets consumed. Cats consume dry food with more amount of proteins and fats while dogs consume more carbohydrates. When proteins are metabolized in the body, they are transformed into a compound that we call biogenic amines, and these cause more unpleasant smells in cat feces.
What Poop Looks Like Dog Poop?
If you live in areas with wild animals such as bears, raccoons, and coyotes, some may use your backyard as a toilet. Bear and coyote poop is usually darker than dog poop, and raccoon poop is typically a cluster of little balls. As the diet of free-living animals is usually more diversified, it is normal for them to have seeds and different textures. The best way to know if it’s your dog’s poop is by looking at his habits and the appearance of his poop.
