Puppies are adorable and lovable creatures. Many of us instinctively want to protect them at all costs. That’s why we want to take action right away when we see potential signs of trouble.
The signs of trouble we’re hinting at here may manifest themselves in your pet’s poop. A noticeable change in the color of your pet’s stool is not something you should shrug off right away. Changes to the consistency of their stool may also be pointing to potential problems.
In this article, we will discuss the meaning of your puppy’s soft and/or discolored poop. We’ll discuss just how worried you need to be about those changes and what actions you may be able to take.
Why Is My Puppy’s Poop Soft?
While cleaning up after your pup during a walk, you may notice that their stool appears soft. You may even be able to describe it as loose given how it’s falling apart.
If this is the first time you’ve seen your pup expel soft stool, it’s only natural for you to worry. There are some likely explanations for your pup’s unusual poop. Let’s go over those reasons below.
Change in Your Puppy’s Diet
For the most part, dogs can eat all kinds of things and still end up fine. Their resilient gut allows them to do that.
Your puppy may not have developed that resilient gut just yet. Because of that, eating something new can be a shock to their system.
Making even a minor change to your puppy’s diet can cause their poop to change as well. One potential outcome is that their poop becomes softer than normal.
Long Walks
All dogs need exercise. That’s true for mature dogs and puppies. However, there is such a thing as too much exercise for puppies.
Taking your pup on a long walk can lead to their intestines getting stimulated in different ways. All of a sudden, your pet may have to poop even though they already did that earlier. This time around, their poop may also come out soft.
Try to keep your puppy’s walks short. Get them the exercise they need, but don’t stay out too long because they may be adversely affected by that.
Infections
One more potential explanation for your puppy’s soft poop is an infection. Parasites, in particular, are known for causing soft poop in dogs.
If your puppy’s soft poop is the side effect of an infection, then it will likely be accompanied by other symptoms. You have to take this matter seriously. Infections can endanger your pet’s wellbeing so get them medical attention as soon as you can.
Why Is My Puppy’s Poop Soft and Yellow?
The consistency of your puppy’s stool is not the only thing that may change if there’s something wrong with them. The color of their poop can also clue you in to a potential problem.
The normal color of poop for dogs is something within the brown range. Anything within that range is fine, but a color that is somewhat reminiscent of chocolate is most typical.
If the poop’s color is anything but brown, that is a clear sign that there is something wrong with your dog.
For example, your puppy’s poop may feature a yellow color aside from being soft. Yet again, there are different possible explanations for the change in your puppy’s stool.
Your Puppy Ate Something with Yellow Food Dye
First off, your puppy’s stool may have a yellow color because they ate something that used yellow food dye. Examples of foods that use yellow food coloring include cereals, candies, and pastries.
You can tell that the yellow poop was caused in part by food dye if the discoloration manifests itself in patches.
How worried should you be if the discoloration was caused by an item that contained yellow food dye?
If the item your puppy ate contained some troublesome ingredients, then they will likely fall ill. Get them to a veterinarian as soon as you can.
If the item that contained yellow food dye is made up of ingredients that are safe for dogs, then there may not be much of a problem. After a while, the color of your pup’s poop will return to normal.
Your Puppy Has an Infection
Yellow poop could also be a symptom of a parasitic infection. In this case, your puppy’s poop will both be soft and yellow.
Your pet needs medical attention immediately if they have been infected by a parasite. Don’t wait too long because your pet’s condition can worsen the longer you put off the visit to the veterinarian.
Is It Normal for Puppies to Have Soft Poop?
The ideal/normal consistency for dog poop can be best described as firm. It’s not supposed to be stiff or anything like that, but you should be able to pick it up without it falling apart.
Your puppy’s stool should feature a consistency similar to that. That said, soft poop can still be regarded as normal for puppies. Because of how active puppies tend to be, their intestines may get overstimulated and produce soft poop.
Soft poop can indeed be normal for puppies, but there’s a limit to that. Your puppy’s stool should only stay soft for about a day. If it still looks soft well after 24 hours, it may no longer be a byproduct of your pet’s hyperactivity. Instead, it could be the side effect of your pup being sick so get them checked right away.
How Can I Firm Up My Puppy’s Stool?
You don’t have to sit back and wait for your puppy’s stool to harden. By being proactive, you can even help resolve that issue and normalize your pet’s pooping.
Follow the tips detailed below if you want to help firm up your puppy’s stool.
Feed Your Puppy Food That’s Easy on the Stomach
There’s a good chance that your pup’s soft stool is related to an upset stomach. You need to account for that when deciding what to feed them.
Plain white rice is a good choice here. You can also choose to serve boiled potatoes with no skin or boiled pieces of chicken breast.
Sprinkle some herbs on whatever you’re serving because they can help calm your pup’s stomach as well.
Offer Your Puppy Some Canned Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin is another food item you should consider giving to your pet. You should feed canned pumpkin to your pup because it will help firm up their poop.
Just remember to get the plain canned pumpkin from the store. Don’t buy anything with additives because they can be harmful to your puppy.
Give Your Puppy Some Medication
One more thing you can do to help firm up your puppy’s stool is to give them medication. Consult with a veterinarian regarding what medication you can give to your pet so their poop can return to normal.