For all the dogs who've touched our hearts

Know Your Dog's Poop: it's a Key to their health

Get familiar with your dog's poop. Knowing how it looks, feels and smells, (oh yes!), is key to understanding their health.

Just a bit a bit poop obsessed

So here’s the thing, most doggie people are quite obsessed with their dog’s poop. It sounds weird and a bit gross, but it is true.

While I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, my phone offered a wonderful assortment of poop photos to share from my Gallery. More on why later…

I was walking with a friend last week and watched with interest as her dog toileted. Out came wonderful, well-formed nuggets and we both celebrated.

Preoccupied with poop

Okay maybe this is a bit unusual, and probably more information than you wanted, but there's a very good reason for our poop preoccupations. Both our dogs have gastro-intestinal problems and after months of runny, sloppy stinky-ness a nice firm poop is something to be celebrated!

As to the photos on my phone… my vet has been working with me to heal Merlin’s gut and daily pictures of his emissions help her judge his progress.

See, not so strange after all!

Oh I decided not to share my poop gallery with Facebook friends, I’m sure they see enough of their own dog’s poop!

Poop is important

Poop is important. Our dogs can’t tell us how they're feeling. The shape, size, colour and smell of their productions can give us a great deal of information.

A good poop should be firm, moist and have a mild odour. It is generally chocolate brown in colour and shaped like a sausage, but this can depend on what the dog eats.

Any poop that differs from what is normal for your dog, needs to be taken seriously.

By the way these popular little poop emoticons are not healthy poop shapes at all!

Sorry it’s true!

The scoop on poop

Every morning I collect my bucket, spade and walk around our garden with dogs in tow. I call it doing The Poop Scoop. It exercises my ancient terrier and gives all the dogs the opportunity to sniff, wee and, yes poop after being locked in the house all night.

I can recognise each of the dog’s personal poop signatures: Scallywag’s are small, light and tight as a result of her special kidney diet, Rumble’s are in segments and spread apart because he shuffles forward as he poops. Bonnie’s are well-formed and usually in the middle of the path because she was toilet-trained in a tiny area with no grass.

Merlin’s poops are elusive. His gastrointestinal issues and nervy nature mean that he sometimes needs to go for a walk to poop. If I can’t find his on The Poop Scoop, I know that a once around the block is needed and diet tweaking must be done.

As to why Rumble needs to poop right on top of long grass or spiky plants… I really have no idea. Or why Merlin poops whilst cocking his leg – just weird! But I do know that our next house will have the back door exit closer to where they sleep, so that elderly dogs don’t drop their nuggets on the way out.

I’ve come to enjoy our quiet morning time together, they sniff and read the passage of the night’s critters and I sniff and read the passage of their night’s …