Breeders, farmers, ranchers, vets, and moms. What do they have in common? They all have an extraordinary interest and knowledge of the business end of those they raise and of what comes out of it! You can learn a lot about what is going on with your pup's health by what is (or isn't!) coming out. And it is very important to learn what a "good" poop is for the health of your pet. Is it the right color? The right consistency? Does it have the right smell? Is there any foreign material in it? Parasites such as worms or their eggs? Breeders tend to pay special attention to the poops of their litters because it is vital to catch issues quickly- puppies can get sick or have issues and go downhill within hours if you do not catch it and no intervention is sought. The first poops are usually dark, very sticky, and soft tar like in consistency. Hopefully mom is attentive and helps the pups out by stimulating them to void their bowels and urinate. If she isn't, or if you have a litter of orphans, you will have to do this yourself with a warm wet cotton ball to mimic mom's tongue. You should be doing this with every feeding which means every 2-3 hours. For the next couple of weeks, while the pups are strictly nursing and no supplemental feeding has happened yet, the poops are more a "grey poupon" mustard like. Color can be dark mustard to brown, can look "seedy" with specks in it- not be confused with parasite eggs FYI. Consistency should be formed little logs, but not hard. It the pups seem to be straining, poops are hard, or have either a slimy coating or even a bit of blood, then the pups are dehydrated. They could be too hot due to heat lamp or ambient temperatures, or maybe momma isn't getting enough water herself to produce enough milk. The pups need to be having frequent meals- even if they do not nurse for long. They are getting all of their food AND water from her. On the flip side, if they are having liquid or non formed stools, then you have a real problem because the pups could be ill or they are getting sick from their mother's milk due to infection. Medical intervention is recommended immediately. Please do this directly with your vet and not through social media advice. Free advice is often worth what you pay for it! And in the case of sick puppies, you literally have hours, not days to treat. Once your pups are weaning age- the stress of being away from their mother coupled with the introduction of solid food will change their poops as well. Honestly it can be all over the place (literally!) as far as color and consistency goes. BUT! The poop should never smell "metallic" or have the scent of sickness. Parvo has a VERY distinctive smell to it and once you smell it you recognize it forever. The important part is that the pups have plenty of clean water at all times, as well as a clean place to sleep, eat, and play. The best way to do this is to implement some sort of segregated potty area. Whether you utilize puppy pee pads or indoor potty grass, or a litter box area with wood shavings, horse stall pellets, or sand/gravel. Note that during this time mom is not spending much time in the pen. If you are raising the litter in a raised whelping box/pen combo outdoors with grated flooring, this part doesn't apply. But you should still be aware of what is coming out of your litter even if you are just hosing down the area. Vaccinations and worming can cause changes as well. But should only last a day or two max. Another stress filled time is when the pups go to their new homes. Giving them a probiotic prior to leaving and sending some home with their new owners, as well as a large enough sample of their food to last several days, and instructions on feeding amounts and times is helpful. Something often overlooked is their water. Different areas, states, municipalities can have a huge difference in what is in their water, from minerals, salts, chlorine, etc..to microbes and bacteria. We have our own private well and our water is very different from that of our neighbors on city supplied water. And we live in Nebraska which has one of the largest natural aquifers in the U.S. coupled with living by a river with sandy soil which is a natural filter. We have a lot of iron in our water, other places have a lot of natural fluoride, some have mineral salts, calcium, or phosphates. So when taking a new puppy home, buy a few jugs of bottled water and like a food change, slowly acclimate the puppy to their new water source. For adolescent and adult dogs should have fewer changes. Barring the foreign material from eating grass, or the occasional kids toy or crayons, color, shape, and smell should be pretty consistent. So if you see a straining dog that isn't producing stools, there could be a serious issue such as a dog that eats socks, rocks, or some other object that has caused an obstruction. Should you feed a raw diet or give the occasional bone, you may notice that their poop is either chalky in color or as the poop dries that it turns almost white. This is from the added calcium. If your dog's poop is really dark and tar like it could mean that there is blood in their stool so you should definitely be calling your vet. In short. Keep you eyes peeled for your dog's daily deposits. :) You can learn a lot!
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