8 Causes of Soft Dog Poop (and Ways to Firm it Up)

While discussing and examining your dog’s poop may seem like a “crappy” job, it can be a significant indicator of your furry friend’s overall health. Unfortunately, most dogs, at some point, will experience soft stools or diarrhea. While an occasional bout is nothing to be concerned about, more frequent episodes of soft stools may indicate an underlying health concern.  

Therefore, pet parents should be aware of the more common causes of soft dog poop, simple methods to firm up your dog’s stool, and things that you can do to prevent additional episodes of soft dog poop.  

Most importantly, if the incidents become more frequent despite your best efforts, you should know when to consult your veterinarian for additional diagnostics and treatment to keep your furry friend happy and healthy.

Soft Dog Poop: Colors & Consistencies

Before we begin discussing the differences in colors and consistencies of abnormal, or soft, dog poop, it is important to know what normal dog poop should look like.

Normal Dog Poop

Normal dog poop should be light to chocolate brown, log-shaped and fully formed, and firm enough to maintain its shape and leave minimal residue when picked up.  In general, normal dog poop should not give off a strong, foul odor but should remain consistent.  Finally, adult dogs typically poop 1-3 times per day; puppies will poop more frequently.

Soft Dog Poop

In contrast, soft dog poop can range from log-shaped stools that lose their form when picked up to very moist stools that are in a pile rather than log-shaped.  Regardless, soft dog poop generally leaves significantly more residue and is much more difficult to pick up than normal stools.

Diarrhea

On the other hand, diarrhea is defined as the passage of unformed or liquid stools in a significantly larger amount and usually much more frequently.

The following are a few of the more common color and consistency variations that you might notice if your dog has soft stools and what it could indicate:

• Clear (liquid): Diarrhea. This may be due to infections, stress, abrupt dietary changes, underlying inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
• Green: Green poop could be from eating a large amount of grass, toxin ingestion, infection, or food dye.
• Yellow: This may be due to underlying liver or intestinal issues, food intolerance, or dye in the food.
• Orange: This could indicate infection or liver or gallbladder disease.
• Black (“tarry”): Typically indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as a stomach ulcer.
• Red: Bright red usually indicates bleeding in the large intestine (colon). This could be due to “stress” colitis (inflammation of the large intestine), masses present in the colon, etc.
• White specks (in brown stool): This can signify intestinal parasites, often tapeworms, or undigested food particles.

For more information on the characteristics of normal and abnormal dog poop, please go here: Unhealthy Dog Poop Chart: 5 Signs to Watch For 

8 Common Causes of Soft Dog Poop

Now that you are aware of the main differences in the color and consistency of soft dog poop and what that might indicate, let’s take a look at some of the more common reasons why your dog may have soft poop:

1. Dietary Changes

Suddenly changing the brand or type of your dog’s food may result in temporary soft poop with or without excess mucus. This can also occur when introducing a new treat or feeding your dog table scraps. 

When making changes to your dog’s diet, it is generally recommended to transition slowly to the new diet over 7-10 days.  Start by mixing in only a small amount of the new food and gradually increase the amount of new food every couple of days until your dog’s diet is completely switched over.  

Dogs with underlying food intolerance may take longer (up to 2 weeks) to transition completely over to the new food.  If in doubt, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian.

2. Food Intolerances or Allergies

Sensitivities to some common ingredients in dog food, such as beef, dairy, chicken, and wheat, may result in digestive upset, increased bowel movements, and soft dog poop. However, soft stools might not be the only sign of an underlying food allergy in your four-legged companion.  

Other signs to watch for include persistent itching, licking, or chewing on different areas of their body; secondary skin or ear infections; and other gastrointestinal signs like vomiting or excessive gas.

3. Overfeeding

Overfeeding is one of the most common causes of soft dog poop because so many pet parents do this without even realizing it. Feeding too much dog food, even if high quality, tends to overload the digestive system, making it very difficult to digest the food and absorb the nutrients.  Therefore, the majority of the excess food is expelled in the form of soft dog poop.

4. Infections or Parasites

Bacterial (such as E. coli), viral (such as canine parvovirus), and parasitic (such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms) intestinal infections cause damage to the lining of the intestinal tract, resulting in inflammation, decreased ability to absorb nutrients, and—you guessed it, soft dog poop.

5. Stress or Anxiety

Some dogs are more susceptible to stress-related stool changes secondary to sudden changes in their routine or environment. These changes can negatively affect your dog’s intestinal motility, cause increased release of stress hormones like cortisol, and can even disrupt the normal gut flora, all of which can lead to softer-than-normal stools.

6. Medication Side Effects

Some medications can cause soft stools in dogs as a side effect.  One example of this would be antibiotics that are used to treat bacterial infections.  Unfortunately, the “good” bacteria in your furry friend’s intestinal tract can also be killed by the antibiotic, which results in an imbalance of the normal gut flora and often soft dog poop.  

7. Pancreatic or Liver Problems

Because both of these organs are directly involved in the digestion of food in your dog’s intestinal tract, dysfunction or diseases of either of these ultimately decrease the absorption of nutrients that result in soft dog stools. Conditions affecting the liver and pancreas can be very serious, even life-threatening.  

You should consult your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of the following in your dog:

• Sudden, severe lethargy or depression
• Sudden refusal to eat or drink
• Persistent vomiting
• Bright red blood present in your dog’s feces
• Black or “tarry” stools
• Bloated appearance of the abdomen
• Unable to get comfortable

8. Low-Quality Dog Food

Soft stool in dogs often indicates that their diet lacks certain key nutrients, usually protein and fiber.  Taking in too much liquid and not enough fiber results in soft dog poop.  When looking for high-quality dog food options, be sure to look for the following items on the dog food label:

• A nutritional adequacy statement using AAFCO guidelines
• The guaranteed analysis with protein levels of at least 22.5% for puppies and 18% for adult dogs
• The ingredient list with the first few ingredients being healthy sources of protein and carbohydrates like meat and fish, meat and fish meals, grains, and potatoes.

How to Firm Up Your Dog’s Stool

Now that you are aware of some of the more common causes of soft dog poop, let’s examine some simple methods that you can use at home to firm up your dog’s stool:

Introduce a Bland Diet

If your dog is experiencing soft stools, you can help their digestive system recover by introducing an easily digestible, low-fat diet, such as boiled, white-meat chicken with a small amount of cooked white rice. Feed small amounts over the next 2-3 days. Regular dog food can be slowly reintroduced to your dog’s diet (by adding increasing amounts of regular food with the chicken and rice mixture) after this period if the stools are starting to firm up.

Pumpkin or Sweet Potato

Pumpkins and sweet potatoes are great sources of fiber that can help with both soft dog stools and constipation. The additional fiber adds bulk to the soft stool and reduces the speed with which food moves through your dog’s digestive tract, allowing more time for adequate digestion. Adding fiber to your dog’s diet can also aid in absorbing excess water from the intestinal tract which ultimately helps to firm up the soft dog poop. 

The recommended amount to feed your dog is generally as follows:  

• Half to a full teaspoon for a small dog (20 lbs and under)
• A tablespoon for a medium dog (between 21 and 35 lbs)
• 2-4 tablespoons for a large dog over 35 lbs

Start with the smaller amount and gradually increase until the stools have normalized.  Be sure to only use fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin, NOT the pumpkin pie filling product.

Consult a Veterinarian

Generally speaking, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian if your dog’s soft poop has persisted for more than 48 hours. Other indications that warrant immediate veterinary care for soft dog poop include:  if your dog acts sick (i.e. is lethargic, vomiting, or has a sudden decrease in appetite), if there is bright, red blood visible in your dog’s stool, or if your dog has a fever in addition to having soft stools.

The most commonly recommended diagnostic or screening tests for a dog with persistent soft dog poop are a fecal analysis, a complete blood count (CBC), a comprehensive chemistry panel, and a urinalysis. Treatment recommendations will be based on the results and identification of the underlying cause of the soft stools.

Tips for Picking Up Soft Dog Poop

Adequately cleaning up soft dog poop from your yard, the grass, or sidewalks can be challenging.  The following are a few tips and tricks that you can use when picking up and properly disposing of your pup’s soft stool:

1. Always keep a waste bag container on your dog’s leash.  That way, you will never forget to take a bag with you, and these bags can double as a “glove” to help you pick up soft dog poop when on a walk.
2. If your dog’s poop is too soft to pick up, you can try sprinkling cat litter, baking soda, or sand over the mess to solidify it.  
3. Carry a small bottle of water with you and/or some biodegradable pet wipes for extra cleanup of any residual soft dog poop.
4. You may even want to consider opting for a compressed air spray that delivers a fast, freezing-cold burst of air to instantly firm up your pup’s soft stool, making it much easier to pick up!

Soft Dog Poop Prevention Tips

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An OUNCE of prevention is worth a POUND of cure.”  By following these simple recommendations, you can significantly reduce the chances that your furry friend is going to develop soft dog poop.

Consistent Feeding Schedule

Feeding your dog too often and too close together is one of the most common reasons they develop soft stools. When you feed your furry friend a meal, it stimulates what is called the gastrocolic reflex. This essentially means that the food that is present and digesting in their stomach is going to stimulate them to poop to empty their colon for the next wave of digested food (feces). 

Feeding them too often with little time in between meals does not allow for adequate digestion of the food and results in soft dog poop. Feeding a measured amount (meal feeding) twice daily, at least 6-8 hours apart, is recommended for adult dogs.  Puppies will need to be fed more frequently, at least initially.

High-Quality Dog Food

Nutrition is essential in maintaining your dog’s firm stools.  Be sure to feed a high-quality, highly digestible, high-protein diet. A meat-based diet is generally recommended for the best results. Avoid feeding table scraps or treats that are high in fat or sugar. Dairy should also be avoided in most dogs. This may sound surprising, BUT the higher the quality of the dog food, the less you will have to feed your dog to maintain a healthy, lean body condition and avoid soft stools.

Regular Exercise

Just as in humans, regular exercise helps to stimulate movement within the gastrointestinal tract and also prevents stool from just sitting in the colon and absorbing excess water…hello soft dog poop!

Routine Veterinary Checkups

For many digestive issues, the earlier the abnormality is detected, the easier it is going to be to treat or manage. Occasional soft stools are not concerning, but if your beloved companion is having soft dog poop EVERY day, then it is time to consult with your veterinarian. Detecting subtle changes via a thorough physical exam and discussing things like your dog’s ideal body condition, a detailed history of their current diet, and possible environmental factors (e.g. stress) are valuable tools when definitively diagnosing the underlying cause of your dog’s persistent soft stools.

Ensure Proper Hydration

Adequate hydration (i.e. water intake) is extremely important for maintaining solid stools. Water is essential for binding fiber within the intestinal tract. In addition, the large intestine is responsible for reabsorbing water from waste (fecal) material as it moves through. However, if your dog has soft stools, the fecal material moves too quickly through the intestinal tract, and the large intestine cannot resorbate the water. This persistent water loss can lead to serious dehydration if not treated.

Some of the common signs of dehydration that you should be aware of are loss of skin elasticity, loss of appetite, vomiting (with or without diarrhea), lethargy, increased panting, “sunken” appearance of eyes, dry nose, “sticky” gums, and thick saliva.  Please note that you should consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible if any of these signs, in addition to their soft stools.

Gradual Food Transitions

As stated previously in this article, when making changes to your dog’s diet, it is generally recommended to transition slowly to the new diet over 7-10 days. Start by mixing in only a small amount (~25%) of the new food and gradually increase the amount of new food (by ~25%) every couple of days until your dog’s diet is completely switched over. 

Because your dog’s new diet most likely contains different amounts, and maybe even different sources, of dietary fiber and protein, it generally takes most dogs’ gastrointestinal systems 2-3 weeks to adjust wholly.  

Final Thoughts on Soft Dog Poop

As we have discussed, most dogs WILL experience soft stools at some point during their lives.  While an occasional episode of soft dog poop should not be concerning to you as a pet parent, persistent soft stools can certainly indicate an underlying cause.  

While there are many simple methods that you can implement at home to firm up your dog’s stools, understanding the potential causes of soft dog poop, such as abrupt dietary changes,  stress, or underlying medical conditions, is essential for knowing when you should discontinue at-home care and consult your veterinarian.  

Together, you can ensure that your four-legged family member remains happy and healthy for years to come.

Sources

https://www.ctvsh.com/services/blog/get-scoop-what-your-pets-poop-telling-you

Dog poo chart: From runny dog poo to hard dog poo – What each stage means

https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/health/digestion/dog-poop-types-color-guide

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/diarrhea-in-dogs

https://www.petmd.com/dog/symptoms/dog-diarrhea

https://www.thesprucepets.com/mucus-dogs-stool-5074985

https://pawsafe.com/blogs/dog-healthcare/why-is-my-dogs-poop-soft

https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/how-to-choose-the-best-dog-food