by Keith Schopp
When it comes to hardworking sporting dogs, happiness is a small, firm stool.
Poop matters, especially for dogs that travel, hunt, compete and work hard. And, according to Nestlé Purina experts, it pays to keep an eye on your dogs’ stool.
“Poop is often an afterthought,” said Jason Gagné, DVM, DACVIM, and director of project management at Purina. “It seems unremarkable. Pick it up and move on. Truth is, you can learn a lot from poop – it’s a good indicator of a dog’s overall health. And being aware of a change in stool quality can help a pet owner be aware of a potential health issue down the road.”
Poop can become remarkable when it suddenly changes color, shape or consistency.
“Sporting dogs experience stress for a variety of reasons and those stressors can cause shifts in the gut microbiome and can lead to loose stools,” Dr. Gagné said.
Purina has been paying close attention to poop for decades and even created the Fecal Scoring Chart, which is a practical easy-to-use tool that can help clients describe their pets’ stools and rank fecal quality from 1 (hard, dry, individual pellets or marble-like) to 7 (watery, no texture, flat puddles) with visual cues.
The ideal elimination?
“That would typically score between a 2 ½ and 3,” said Alison Beloshapka, Ph.D. and principal nutritionist for Purina. “That stool would be firm, not hard, segmented in appearance and leaves little to no residue on the ground when picked up.”
In layman’s terms, poop that scores a 1 is pebble-like and seemingly hard as a rock.
“That means the dog might be straining to go to the bathroom and a fecal score of 1 could certainly be a sign of dehydration,” Dr. Beloshapka said.
At the other end of the elimination spectrum, so to speak, is a poop that merits a 6 or 7 score and perhaps requires a squeegee for clean-up.
“Watery, loose stool means something is probably going on,” Dr. Beloshapka said. “Maybe it’s diarrhea or microbe imbalance. Maybe it’s bacteria or parasites or bad water. Or maybe the dog got into the garbage.”
Dr. Gagné noted that diarrhea isn’t just defined as increased liquid or watery stool.
“It could also be increased frequency of normal stool, increased volume of normal stool – or both,” he said. “Either way, that goes back to keeping an eye on the stool.”
Dogs are resilient and often can bounce back quickly.
“Typically, I would watch my pet for 24 hours,” said Dr. Beloshapka. “The gut can handle a certain amount of stressors and the issue may resolve on its own.”
Dr. Gagné agreed and said to factor in your dog’s normal attitude and behavior.
“We all have off days and the next day you’re fine,” he said. “If your dog is bright, alert, responsive and just happens to have loose stool for a day, probably fine. If your dog is down and out along with a stool change, it’s time to go see your veterinarian.”
If a stool sample is needed – the fresher the better – collect it within a couple hours.
Stool color is another important indicator that veterinary care may be needed.
“Red is indicative of blood,” Dr. Gagné said. “Dark, tarry or black stool is potentially a GI tract/small intestinal bleed. That’s not normal and you need to get in touch with your veterinarian. Likewise, gray or greasy stool is often a pancreas or fat issue that requires veterinary attention and care.”
Stool color shouldn’t vary significantly when your sporting dog consistently eats the same food. Changing the diet can impact poop color.
“Know that if you feed a dog sweet potatoes, you’re going to get orange poop,” said Dr. Gagné.
Both Purina experts say changes in poop may occur as sporting dogs age.
“For example, senior dogs may become more sensitive to fat,” said Dr. Beloshapka.
Dr. Gagné added, “it’s imperative that senior sporting dog owners not only keep an eye on overall health, physical activity, bloodwork, but also stool quality.”
Purina has a long history tracking what goes into pets – and what comes out – through its pet nutrition and care digestibility studies.
“For nutrient digestibility and fecal quality, you have to know exactly what’s consumed and then collect all the feces for the duration of the study,” said Dr. Beloshapka.
That means collecting everything a dog excretes for five days and analyzing it in relation to the nutrients consumed to determine digestibility and nutrient absorption. Chemical analysis on the diet and the feces determines the exact amount of protein consumed and the amount of protein and other nutrients in the feces. The samples are processed and calculations are done to provide an average fecal score.
“And, yes, as a dog owner, you like that small, firm stool,” Dr. Beloshapka said. “It’s really indicative of overall health and what nutrients are being absorbed from the diet. So that’s why we strive for high quality, highly digestible ingredients that, in turn, result in less poop.”
Purina’s focus on feces has led to some groundbreaking discoveries – like the 2006 launch of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora – a probiotic supplement that’s proven to promote normal intestinal microflora and is formulated for the dietary management of diarrhea.
Proof in the pudding?
Dr. Gagné said the ultimate goal is launching innovative products that can help make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners.
“We want to understand an owner’s expectations and meet those expectations by delivering great products we leave in the bowl,” said Dr. Gagné. “The work Purina does in the formulation of diets like Pro Plan, the procurement of high-quality ingredients and the knowledge and science from feeding trials at our Pet Care Center are what make the difference. There’s nothing more rewarding for Dr. Beloshapka and myself than to take the amazing science done here at Purina and help deliver that into a bowl of palatable, digestible food that’s going to make a pet happy and healthy.”
Keith Schopp is a freelance journalist and retired communications executive with a passion for sporting dogs and conservation. Based in Southern Illinois and North Dakota, Schopp enjoys following his Labrador retrievers and German shorthaired pointers wherever gamebirds can be found.
