Dog Poop Color Chart | What Each Color Means

Your dog’s poop can tell you quite a bit about their digestive health.

While scoping out your dog’s stool may seem gross at the moment, it’s an important tool in being an observant pet owner.

So what can different colors of poop mean in our canine friends?

In this article we will discuss the many poop colors you may see in your pup, and explain what each color can mean for their overall health.

Does Poop Color Matter In Dogs?

We tend to think of our dog’s poop as a smelly waste that should not warrant much attention, but that is not true at all.

The appearance of your dog’s poop is a peak into their digestive health, and can offer you extra insight you may not have known otherwise.

Don’t want to read this entire article? Watch our video which we will talk about the main points about dog poop color and what to watch out for.

Brown Dog Poop

Brown is the color you want to see when you look down at your dog’s poop.

Firm brown dog poop is an indicator of ideal gut health, as well as optimal digestion in our canine friends.

If your dog’s poop is chocolate in color and firm enough to pick up easily, they are probably in good standing.

Green Dog Poop

Green dog poop in our furry friends can point to a few different factors.

If your dog’s poop is brown with chunks of green material in it, they likely have been eating large amounts of grass.

This is not necessarily a serious issue, but you should attempt to limit the behavior if it is becoming a regular snack.

However, if your dog’s poop is any shade of green, this can point to GI upset due to many potential factors.

Dogs may have green poop when they have a bacterial infection, have intestinal parasites, or are battling any other forms of GI upset.

If your dog is suddenly having green poop, it’s time to contact your veterinarian for advice.

Brown With White Specks

Brown dog poop is completely normal, but white specks in their stool are not.

White specks in a dog’s poop can be remnants of debris and material, but it can also be a sign of intestinal parasites.

Some worms will shed in a dog’s poop once they enter adult form, leaving behind tiny white specks or noodle-like worms.

If you see any movement in these mysterious white flecks, you are likely dealing with intestinal parasites.

Black Dog Poop

Black dog poop can be a sign of a serious disturbance in a dog’s upper GI tract.

If a dog is bleeding high up in the digestive tract, the blood will then go through the same digestive process as the other material passing through.

The digestive process will cause the blood to turn black, leading to dark black poop in most cases.

Black dog poop can be caused by GI ulcerations, intestinal parasites, and any other compilation that damages the tissue of the stomach or intestines.

If your dog is suddenly passing black stool, it is best to contact your veterinarian immediately. 

Red Dog Poop or Red Streaks In Their Poop

Red dog poop, or red streaks in a dog’s poop, can be a sign of bleeding in the lower intestinal tract.

This is often a sign that blood has not had the chance to be digested, meaning it has likely occurred in the large intestine.

Dogs can have bloody poop when experiencing any type of GI upset, and can even progress to bloody diarrhea if it is not addressed properly.

Bloody diarrhea is a medical emergency for our canine companions, as this dehydrates them at a rapid rate. If you ever think blood is present in your dog’s stool, then contact your veterinarian immediately.

Keep in mind that red dog poop can also occur if your dog is eating bright red kibble.

However, this should never suddenly occur, and will begin the moment they start consuming this diet.

While this is a possibility, we always suggest contacting your vet just to be safe.

Yellow Dog Poop

Yellow dog poop can point to multiple factors in our canine friends.

A sudden occurrence of yellow stool may be the early signs of brewing GI upset, and may be followed soon by diarrhea.

Yellow and orange tinge poop has also been linked to liver disease in dogs, meaning this could be a sign of something serious.

A sudden occurrence of yellow dog poop should always be taken seriously, and warrants a trip to your veterinarian.

This is especially true if your dog is experiencing diarrhea, as this can point to a potential illness in your pup.

Purple Dog Poop

If your dog’s poop is purple, this could be due to blood with a darker pigmentation.

Bloody diarrhea can occasionally look like dark red jam, appearing almost purple in some dogs.

Just as we mentioned above, any possibility of blood in your dog’s poop should always be taken seriously. If your dog is suddenly passing purple stool, it’s best to contact your veterinarian.

Grey Dog Poop

Grey dog poop can have a few different causes in our beloved pups.

First, dog poop can harden when it is exposed to the elements for long periods. If you only notice your dog’s grey poop when walking through the yard days later, this is likely just the stool’s normal aging process.

However, if your dog’s stool is grey from the moment they pass it, this can be an indicator of underlying medical conditions.

Grey poop in dogs can point to digestion complications in some dogs, often as a result of improper function of the pancreas.

Grey dog poop is not a normal occurrence, so it’s best to contact your vet at the first sign of grey stool in your pup.

Mucus Dog Poop

A small amount of mucus in your dog’s poop is nothing to be concerned with.

Mucus is present in the intestines to help pass stool, meaning a small amount may linger on their poop from time to time.

However, a large amount of mucus in your dog’s poop should warrant your attention.

If there is a large amount of mucus in your dog’s poop, this can point to irritation in their digestive tract.

Excessive mucus is produced when the intestinal tract is inflamed, causing trails of mucus to pass in their stool.

A dog’s intestines can become inflamed due to dietary indiscretion, infectious illness, intestinal parasites, and any other intestinal disturbances.

If your pup is suddenly passing large amounts of mucus, it’s best to contact your vet for further advice.

What Colors Of Dog Poop Is A Cause For Concern?

So when should you be concerned about your dog’s poop color?

The safest option is to contact your vet at the first sign of changes in their stool. If your dog sticks to a standard dietary routine, their poop color and consistency should remain the same each day.

Any abrupt changes in color can point to potential medical concerns, offering you a small peak into their overall health.

While you should always seek advice from your vet, there are a few poop colors that can be more serious than others.

If your dog is having red, black, purple, or yellow poop, we suggest contacting your vet immediately.

This is especially true if your dog is having diarrhea as well.

How About Poop Consistency?

Poop consistency is just as important as poop color when monitoring a dog’s digestive health.

The consistency of your dog’s stool can point to multiple complications, ranging from dehydration to GI irritation.

For example, if your dog’s poop is hard as a rock, they are likely needing a bit more fiber in their life.

On the other hand, if your dog is having runny stool that is impossible to pick up, they may be struggling with some form of GI upset.

Changes in stool consistency can be one of the first signs of illness, making it one more factor to keep on a dog’s wellness checklist.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, our dogs can experience a poop rainbow due to multiple reasons.

The important points above are knowing what poop colors are a cause for concern.

Keep those in the back of your mind so if you ever see them, you will know what to do. If you are ever unsure your local vet can help diagnose what may be going on with your pup.

They can also take a stool sample, run some tests and give you an idea of what may be going on with your pup.

Amber LaRock

My name is Amber. I am a dedicated animal lover that turned my passion into my career. I am a Licensed Vet Tech with 12 years of experience in veterinary medicine, but I recently took my career online to help spread accurate information on animal care. With how vast the online world is, I have a strong desire to ensure that the reader always walks away with helpful pet advice. With the experience I’ve gained from my time in this field, I have been able to travel the world, offering my services to as many animal rescues as I can find. If I am not at my laptop, or back home visiting family, you can find me somewhere in the world, cuddling every furry friend that I can find! More About Us