Many of us are familiar with the popular phrase “You are what you eat”. Considering this saying can very much apply to your dog as well, how would you describe him? Factors such as the amount of calories in the dog’s diet, the amount of food intake per day and the types of ingredients that make up his meal will all have a say in the overall health of your pet.
Your dog’s droppings are the most tangible outcome of his eating habits, and a direct outcome of his food intake. The stools produced by the dog are also indicative of the health of the dog. Although other conditions may affect the dog in this sense, besides food, such as nervousness and weather, it is mostly due to his diet. Pet owners should become aware of any health conditions affecting their dog that might alter how often the animal goes to the potty, or produces any kind of digestive intoxication.
Looking at it from a selfish pet owner’s point of view, who wouldn’t want his dog to produce consistent and uniform stools when the time comes to walk the dog at the park. A healthy dog with a well planned diet leaves less mess, and that translates into an easier job for the owner when the time comes to clean up the after him. We don’t want to even begin describing the picture of a pet owner with a brown bag, going after the stools of his sick dog.
If you spoil your dog with cake and ice cream, you’ve better prepare yourself for a flood. His output will be very messy and watery, and will give you a hard time to clean up. Feeding your dog with table scraps may all look and sound like lots of fun at the moment, but stuff he’s not used to eating may provoke nausea and diarrhea. Timing is also of high importance. A schedule to regulate treats for your dog can help to reduce chances of indigestion. Feeding your dog all the time is generally grounds for messy stools.
Some dogs may even have an adverse reaction to rawhide bones. It is always a good idea, although perhaps a discomforting one, to take a peek at the dog’s excrement to supervise his response to what he is being fed. Learn to read the signs, such color, size and amount. These signs can say a lot about the health of your dog and the effects that the food he’s eating actually have on him.
Keep in mind that a healthy dog that is well fed, with a balanced diet, will produce less amounts of stools in your walk around the park. The excrement will be firm and dry. As opposed to messy and wet, which are the signs of an unhealthy dog that is not going through the digestive cycle properly.
Consulting your veterinarian is your best bet if you detect irregularities on the outcomes of your dog. The vet might even ask for samples in order to detect and diagnose any potential health conditions. A trained eye can tell a lot just by looking at your dog’s poop.