Your dog cannot describe how they feel, but their stool can. Checking it takes seconds, and over time the pattern reveals more than any single day ever could.
What healthy looks like
Normal stool is chocolate-brown, formed, and holds its shape when picked up. Small day-to-day variation is fine in a healthy dog.
Colors worth noticing
- Black or tarry — can mean bleeding higher up, in the stomach or small intestine.
- Red streaks or fresh blood — usually irritation or bleeding lower down, near the colon or anus.
- Yellow or green and often loose — food may be moving through too fast; possible infection or liver and gallbladder issues.
- Grey and greasy — the body may be struggling to digest fat.
When to call the vet
- Loose or liquid stool that lasts more than about two days.
- Black and tarry stool, or fresh blood.
- No bowel movement at all within 48 to 72 hours.
A single soft stool after a diet change or a stressful day is usually nothing. It is the trend across several days that matters — which is exactly what a log makes visible.
