Key Takeaways
- Yellow dog poop typically indicates indigestion which is caused by a change in or some reaction from a dog’s food.
- Although typically a stomach upset, a vet needs to dog proper diagnosis to confirm that the yellow dog poop is not a sign of a more serious medical condition.
- A normal and healthy dog poop color is generally somewhere around medium brown and consistency should not be too soft or too hard.
It can be odd to see your dog passing stool that is a yellow color. If you notice yellow dog poop, it often indicates indigestion or stomach upset from something that your dog has eaten. It could be a sudden change in your dog’s diet or a food intolerance.
Typically, I would expect a normal brown poop from my dog, but that yellow color can be disconcerting. As I often remind pet parents, any time your dog’s stool is not a normal brown color, you should watch him as well as his future stools more carefully as this could be an indication that something is wrong with your dog’s health.
Dog stool can change color for a variety of reasons dog owners should know, such as simply eating something that was not a food item, or he may have allergies to his food—in which case you may consider something more friendly for their diet. Other reasons can be more serious like liver disease, pancreatitis, or gallbladder problems, intestinal infections, gastroenteritis, or irritable bowel syndrome. When you see a lasting change in stool color, it’s important to take your dog to the veterinarian to get him checked out.
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Why Do Dogs Passing Yellow Stool?
There are quite a few reasons why a dog’s poop is yellow, and some of the reasons are pretty serious.
Eating Non-Food Items
When we say non-food items, we mean grass, a stick, or something they picked up off the floor in your house. If your dog ate something that isn’t food and shouldn’t be eaten, it is called foreign body consumption. Basically, these are items that your dog’s system cannot digest.
Liver Problems
When a dog has a problem with his liver, it can cause jaundice, which is a discoloration of his skin, urine, eyes, and feces. Damage to your dog’s liver can happen as a result of cancer, drugs, toxins, disease, and inflammation that is caused by fungal and bacterial infections. In the case of fungal infections, something superficial like a yeast infection can become intrusive and affect internal organs like the liver. This may also be the reason why a dog won’t eat his food.
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is the inflammation of your dog’s intestinal system, which refers to the intestines and stomach. Causes of this condition can include reaction to medication or food or an infection from parasites, viruses, or bacteria.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of your dog’s pancreas will happen due to digestive enzymes leaking into the tissue of the pancreas. Lack of appetite, depression, and abdominal pain as well as diarrhea and vomiting will occur in some dogs while chronic pancreatitis may cause diabetes in your dog.
Gallbladder Problems
Problems with your gallbladder will occur when your dog has a stoppage of bile that flows from his gallbladders to his intestines. These issues can happen after trauma to his gallbladder or if there is an obstruction like gallstones, a tumor, or congealed bile turning his urine, skin, eyes, and feces yellow.
Intestinal Infections
This type of infection can be parasitic, fungal, viral, or bacterial. If you leave an intestinal infection untreated, it can become very serious for your dog.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Causing yellow mucus in your dog’s poop, irritable bowel syndrome needs to be treated early to stop it from progressing into a very serious health issue for your dog.
So, What Does Dog Poop Color Mean?
As long as we’re talking about poop colors, what do the other color of poop indicate for your pup? You’ll be comforted to know that most of the mild changes in the color of your dog’s stool are probably due to a dietary change, are isn’t something you should be concerned with. However, the consistency and color of your dog’s poop can be an indication of a more serious health issue, so it is important to keep an eye on it if you notice any color changes.
Here’s a summary of what different colored dog poop could be telling you.
If you’ve noticed that your dog’s poop isn’t looking normal, then here’s a little background on what each color means and what it could be telling you about your dog.
Normal Poop
So, what is “normal” dog poop? The color can actually be different depending on the dog and breed. It can also change based on what type of dog food they eat. But, in general, it should be somewhere around medium brown. The poop should also not be too liquidy and soft, which would be diarrhea, or so hard you know that he passed it uncomfortably, which would mean he’s constipated. Always keep an eye on a healthy poop from your dog as far as frequency, color, and consistency, so you will be able to notice when there is actually a problem.
Very Dark or Black Dog Poop
You may notice a sticky or tarry consistency in black dog poop. That’s because the black color is the result of partially digested blood. When you see black stools, it could be a sign of an ulcer in your dog’s upper gastrointestinal tract, like a stomach ulcer.
There are several medications for humans like aspirin that can cause a dog to have a stomach ulcer. Plus, there are also medications made just for dogs that can increase the possibility of a stomach ulcer in a dog if he takes it for a long time. Remember that you should never give medicine that you take to your pup without first talking to a veterinarian.
Red Streaked or Bright Red Dog Poop
When you see a bright red color in your dog’s poop, that is a sign that there is some undigested blood in your dog’s GI tract, particularly in his lower GI tract. When you see blood streaks in his poop, that could be a sign of something like colitis, which is an inflammation of the colon, a tumor, an infection of an anal gland, or an injury in his rectum.
Purple or Pink Dog Poop
If you notice poop that looks like raspberry jam, that could be hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, or HGE, which is a possibly fatal disease that could cause your pup to suddenly have diarrhea and vomiting. Most pups that have HGE tend to recover when they receive prompt treatment. So, it’s important to get emergency medical attention when you notice this color poop.
Greasy-Looking or Grey Poop
If your dog’s poop is glistening, fatty, or appears soft and large, this could be a sign of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency or EPI. It is commonly called maldigestion, but EPI is a serious disease where the pancreas won’t produce the enzymes necessary to digest fat. This disease is treatable and can be caused by a fatty diet.
Green Dog Poop
Commonly observed as a result of puppies eating grass, green poop could also be a sign of an intestinal parasite or poisoning by rat bait. Always see the vet if you notice that your dog has green-colored poop.
Orange Dog Poop
Indicating a biliary disease or liver issue, orange dog poop may also mean that food has moved too quickly through your dog’s GI tract on its way to pick up bile. Made in the liver, bile is what will change the color of your poop to the expected brown color, so if your dog has orange diarrhea, take your dog to the veterinarian.
Yellow Dog Poop
Indicating a food intolerance, yellow mucus often appears if you have recently made a change to your dog’s food or diet. Make sure you look at what your dog has been eating to try and rule out new ingredients to his diet that could be upsetting your dog’s digestive system and giving him yellow poop.
There are also home allergy tests you can administer to your dog to see if he has any environmental or dietary allergies. Even with the at-home allergy test, you will want to take him to the veterinarian so you will know for certain which of the ingredients is affecting your dog’s gut health and causing stomach issues.
Poop that has White Specks In It
If your dog has poop with white specks, that means he has worms. To be specific, we mean tapeworms. These worms often look like grains of rice in your dog’s stool. This is a treatable condition with dog dewormer, so it’s important to take him to the veterinarian.
Why What Food Your Dog Eats Matters
The best prevention of stool issues is to be aware of exactly what your dog eats. Here are a few tips to help you keep an eye on his diet:
Always feed your dog a diet that is consistent and features the highest quality dog food.
Remember to limit the amount of human food your dog ingests. Even people’s food that is pet-safe can cause your dog issues if he has a sensitive tummy, allergies, or if he just has too much of it. Also, make sure your kids and other members of the family know exactly what your dog should be eating.
Keep your dog from going through the trash and your compost pile.
Know what’s in your yard as far as trash and plants that are growing, especially if your dog spends a lot of time outside in their invisible dog fence. There are several types of plants, including berries and mushrooms, that can make your dog really sick if he eats them.
Keep pest-control chemicals, car care products, lawn and garden products, cleaning products, trash, and medicines out of your dog’s reach since they can all pose a serious threat to your pup’s health if he ingests them. Use this rule of thumb, if you don’t want your kid to eat that food, then you don’t want your pup to eat it either.
What to do if your Dog is Passing Yellow Stools
Yellow stool or diarrhea can happen on and off during your pup’s life. This is a normal occurrence for many dogs, so unless a dog’s condition worsens there is usually no need to worry. Similarly, if Fido continues to have yellow stools more than a day, or if he starts to become sick, get your pup to the veterinarian immediately. Cases like this need professional medical evaluation. Although the cause can be typically not serious, it could still be a sign of a health issue that needs immediate treatment. A dog insurance is helpful in such situations.
When you bring a sick dog to the vet, he will be thoroughly assessed and will most likely need tests to rule out different causes to the yellow stool. Depending on the diagnosis, the vet may recommend treatments such as medication, dietary supplements, dietary regimen, or even a surgical procedure if required.
Prevention of Yellow Stool
If your dog has been passing yellow stool, the first thing to do is to take note of any diet or lifestyle changes that may have caused it. If you are unsure which part of his food or lifestyle need improvement, always seek vet advice. In cases of pre-existing health issues with his liver, gallbladder, or pancreas, the vet will most likely asses the dog’s diet and make the necessary changes.
Observing your dog’s environment is also important. It is possible that the change in stool color is caused by something your dog ingested which he should not have. Keep your dog’s vet checkups, parasite control, and vaccinations up to date, not just to avoid infection in your dog’s intestinal tract but also to keep him generally healthy.
Finally, always monitor your dog and note of any unusual behaviors that may indicate pain—this will greatly help your vet during the assessment and diagnosis.
FAQs
Why is my dog’s poop yellow?
If your dog has yellow poop, it can just be a sign of an upset stomach. If the yellow poop lasts a couple of days, your veterinarian may want to do some tests to check out his gallbladder, pancreas, or liver for other issues.
Is yellow poop bad?
Not always. It could just be a sign that your dog has eaten something that is upsetting his stomach. Now if it lasts a few days, then it could be something more serious like a problem with his pancreas, gallbladder, or liver. Just keep an eye on it and take him to the veterinarian if it doesn’t clear up in a day or two.
What color poop is bad for dogs?
Black or maroon poop can be signs that your dog is bleeding in his small intestines or stomach while poop that has red streams may be a sign of bleeding in his color or lower gastrointestinal tract. Yellow poop can indicate problems with a dog’s gallbladder, liver, or pancreas while white spots in a dog’s stool could mean he has worms.
What does yellow diarrhea indicate?
Yellow diarrhea can be a sign that your dog has an upset stomach, so it’s important to watch what he eats to see if something isn’t agreeing with him. If it persists for a few days, definitely take him to the veterinarian to see if there is a larger issue with either his liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.