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What’s Pooh Got to Do with It?
By Collin Walker
If you have ever found yourself secretly sneaking off to call and ask your pet sitter if your precious pooch went number two today or if you have ever had to use a disposable bag to pick up your pet’s boo-boos then you have joined the rest of us pooh obsessed dog owners. It isn’t as if we enjoy talking about our pet’s pooh; it just happens to be a significant part of being a dog owner. By paying attention to your dog’s potty habits you may be able to recognize signs of underlying health issues. If you have ever been puzzled about pooh related issues then this is the article for you. Here are all the answers to the questions you always wanted to ask, but never did. Q: What should my dog’s pooh look like? A: The stool of a healthy dog should be firm, small and moist. If it is large and loose a possible cause could be your pet’s diet. If she is eating a low quality food than she could experience larger than normal stools because poor quality food is not easily digested and results in more waste. Q: Why does my dog eat pooh when we go on walks? A: This phenomenon is relatively common among dogs and is called coprophagy. In some cases it is caused by boredom or separation anxiety and poses no health risk to your dog. In other cases it can be a symptom of a case of worms or other parasites. Your dog may be eating pooh to replace nutrients that the parasites are absorbing. In some cases there is simply a deficiency in her diet and can be fixed by switching to a higher quality food. Q: My dog’s stool has small white spots that look like grains of rice, what could these be? A: Your dog might have a worm infestation. Of the several types of worms this could be, it is most likely roundworms or hookworms. These two types of worms are visible in canine stools. Some puppies are born with worms that they got from their mother and other dogs can get them through close contact with the feces of dogs that have worms themselves. Your Veterinarian can prescribe a wormer depending on the type of parasite your dog has. You should have your Vet check a stool sample from your pet as part of their yearly examination. Intestinal parasites can cause diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting and other more serious side effects if left untreated. Q: My dog has had diarrhea for a few days, is this normal? A: Diarrhea is quite common among dogs and can vary from stool that is merely soft to watery stools. Often times this is simply a result of her eating something that did not agree with her. Dogs can be quite the scavengers. They could have eaten a foreign food item or leaves and in some cases, even rocks! When diarrhea is the result it is simply their body purging their system of toxins and is completely normal. In these cases you should cut your dog’s food intake in half and administer a probiotic vitamin until the condition clears up. There are some cases; however, that require Veterinary care. When diarrhea is accompanied by lethargy, bloating or abdominal pain, persistent vomiting or blood in the stool it is best to seek medical care. While poop patrol is not the most glamorous subject; it could be one that helps you monitor the health of your pet and diagnose possible health problems before they become serious. Good luck and happy hunting!
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Contributor's Note
I am no vet, but I have been around this sort of stuff for sometime now. You should take my article as the final diagnosis to your pets problem, but this is accurate with current veterinarian practices.
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I don't think a veterinarian could have written a better article on this subject.
The copyright for this content entitled "What’s Pooh Got to Do with It?" has been specified by the contributor as:
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This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
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This intel was contributed by cwalker
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May, 2012
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