That White Dog Poop From the 70’s

If you are a fan of Sarah Silverman, you are familiar with her song “Whatever Happened To That White Dog Poop From The 70’s?”  

We got our first dog in 1969, when I was 5.  She lived about 12-13 years at which time we got another dog.  I never recall anyone picking up dog poop in our yard, nor do I ever recall stepping in it.  You see, in the 70’s, dog poop was white and quick to dry out and crumble.  White dog poop in the 70’s was very quick to disappear.  The cause was commercial dog food that was rich in beef and bone meal which had a high calcium content.  When calcium requirements were changed, the color, consistency and smell of dog waste was forever changed.

That doesn’t mean we never see white dog poop.  We certainly do. As professional dog waste removal specialists, we see dog waste in a rainbow of colors (well, sorta).  The color of your dog’s poop can tell a lot about their diet and their overall health.  It’s not uncommon for dog poop to reflect the color of something your dog ate a lot of.  However, your dog’s waste should quickly return to it’s normal form, color and consistency.  What is typically understood to be “normal” dog poop is a tubular shaped, firm stool in a lovely shade of light chocolate. Dog poop should never be in the form of hard pellets.  This is a sign of constipation–often caused by a lack of hydration. In all of the following cases, if the color of dog poop continues to be any of the following for multiple days/evacuations, it would be wise to visit your vet.

Dog Poop

White poop in this day and age can be caused by a raw diet with too much calcium and/or bone in the diet.  Dogs that are fed a well-balanced raw diet typically produce dog waste that is quick to turn lighter in color and decompose.

Orange poop is often a sign that the food passed too quickly through the intestinal tract.  When we brought our first greyhound home back in 2008, her poop was reminiscent of pumpkin custard.  If you own a greyhound, you know that they typically have loose stool caused by food intolerance, which is quite common in this beautiful, elegant creature with highly sensitive guts.  Fortunately, we found a holistic, high-quality pet food in 2009 lifesabundance.com/alldogspoop that proved to be the answer for us and quite a few of our greyhound-owned friends.

Dog Poop Orange
Dog Poop Yellow

Yellow poop also indicates a food intolerance.  Sometimes, yellow poop includes mucus.  If you change your dog’s food without transitioning from the old dog food to the new dog food, you may be creating this issue.  Always transition for at least 7 days.  Some dogs with extremely sensitive stomachs will need a longer transition period.  It can help to add a dollop of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin filling).  This fiber is helpful for loose stool and constipation.

Black, tarry stool can indicate bleeding in the upper intestinal tract.  

This should be addressed by a visit to your vet as soon as possible! 

Dog Poop Black
Dog Poop Red

Red streaks of blood in stool usually indicate some bleeding in the lower part of the intestinal tract, sometimes at the rectum. This should also be addressed with your vet as soon as possible! 

Gray or greasy-looking stool can be an indication of too much fat in the diet.  Eating foods high in fat can be dangerous as it can cause pancreatitis.

Dog Poop Gray
Dog Poop Green

Green poop can simply be caused by eating lots of grass.  However, if your dog has green poop for a consistent period of doggie bowel movements, it could be something more serious requiring a vet visit.

These are just the most common colors of dog waste that we may see.  If we do notice that a significant amount of a dog’s waste over the course of a week is one of the colors listed above, we will contact the client to make them aware! 

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