What Should Puppy Stool Look Like?

Your puppy’s stool can be an indicator of his overall health. Consistently feed him a high quality, nutritionally-balanced diet, keep up with his veterinary checkups and deworming schedule and his "No. 2s" should be the picture of a healthy pup.

Consider five main qualities when evaluating your puppy’s stool: color, consistency, size, content and frequency. Healthy stool should be medium to dark brown in color. As for consistency, if should be firm but not overly hard. Recent food changes may produce slightly softer stools that resolve within a few days. Your puppy’s stool has a distinct form -- log-shaped is good, thin like a pancake is not. It should also remain consistent in size; large stools are often an indicator of malabsorption. Finally, it should be free of any foreign objects, and he should produce it on a fairly regular schedule, usually twice daily an hour or so after eating.

Loose stool and diarrhea, especially in puppies, is cause for concern. Coccidia and giardia are two common parasitic causes of diarrhea in puppies. Both cause your puppy to produce watery, mucus-covered feces. Consult your veterinarian if you notice changes in your puppy’s stool such as mucus, blood, putrid smell or watery consistency.