The Straight Poop on Poop ~

Along with researching what goes IN to my companions, I have found that an excellent method of ascertaining the health of my Kidz is to study what goes OUT. You know the old saying about biological creatures, what goes in, must come out! *Grin* Studying the products of elimination might sound gross, but, let me assure you, knowing what you are looking at may give you the necessary time-buffer to counteract serious illness.

Some Fecal Indicators & Information

Feces are colored by bile acids produced by the liver and stores/released by the gall bladder.  Those are pigments in the green, ocre, & brown category with some yellowish stuff.

When feces become white and urine becomes brown, that means the liver is in "end stage" failure and the bile pigments are being lost in the urine instead of the feces, which indicates a terminal condition.  White feces in the absence of dark urine may mean other things.  [however, white means white, not just light or pale].

Dark tarry stools indicate some form of internal bleeding. The dark tarry stool is due to partially digested blood. If you feed them “buckets of blood”, or very bloody meats, you may get tarry stools. Only worry about internal bleeding if you see tarry stool in the absence of feeding bloody meats.

If the feces are dry that may mean any one of variety of things.  It can be a
result of dehydration in the animal.  In some stress situations the bowel
reabsorbs more water than normal from the lumen and results in constipation and dry stool.

Dr. Norla M. Antinoro, Ph.D.

Some of the things I look for are : diarrhea or "pudding poops", a mucusy film encapsulating the stool, any sign of blood in the stool, anything moving in there, or anything out of the norm, that has not been covered above. If I see anything out of the ordinary, I compare that to what I've been feeding ; ie: if I've been feeding bones, I will generally get a filmy mucus, & hard, pale stools. If I've been feeding raw bloody meats, I'll see tarry stools. If I feed something particularly rich or oily, I'll see some loose stools. If what I've been feeding doesn't jibe with what I'm seeing, I get me to a Vet toot-sweet.

Some Problems that Poop Patrol Can Alleviate

Giardia

Giardia are actually protozoans (single celled organisms) and are commonly found in the intestines of many animals, including dogs. This microscopic parasite clings to the surface of the intestine, or floats free in the mucous lining the intestine. A few percent of dogs and cats will carry Giardia organisms and not show any signs of disease. Actual diarrhea, bloody or mucousy stool often accompanied by gas production is seen most often in affected puppies and kittens. Giardia can have a significant impact on the health status of malnourished and stressed pups and kittens. Dogs that are stressed nutritionally or by exposure or by strong physical activity may have a previously low grade giardia infestation flare up into a significant disease.
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/gia.html

Parasites

Another reason one would want to check their animal's stools, is parasites. Two kinds of very prolific parasites are visable by the naked eye, roundworms, & tapeworms. Frequent checking of stools can nip these "bugs" in the bud! See this page for more information
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/worms.html

Coprophagia

Coprophagia is the fancy term for eating poop. Merck's Veterinary Manual (7 ed.) notes that the habit is usually first observed in pups 4-9 months old. The habit tends to decrease in intensity after the dog is 1 year old. Clinical causes include: pancreatic deficiency, malabsorption, heavy parasite loads and starvation. Undigested food in the feces may be acceptable to the animal for simple ingestive needs. Anxiety or boredom may be factors. Keeping an eye out on the type of fecal matter your companion is passing will at least help narrow the field.
Here's a study that might help you understand the behavior better.
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/pets/study.htm
Coprophagia is a normal behavior in canines, however,
we humans find it disgustipating to be kissed afterward. :-)
Also, if your companion has any problems such as diarrhea, worms, or something like that, coprophagia can assist in recreating & repeating the cycle. 

  As I check my Yards daily, I have found that checking out my kidz’ stools has given me a very good idea of whether or not they are absorbing the nutrition effectively. One of my kidz had a real problem with diarrhea, and I had to modify his diet slowly in order to fix that problem. Watching his stools was the best way I found to do that. Watching your kidz’ end-results can give you that extra edge in counteracting any problem they might have. I figure any fore-warning is worth it.


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