Being a pet parent it is your moral duty to look after your canine companion and make sure they are safe and secure. Dogs poop are an indication of their health. You can figure out that something is fishy with your dog, by looking at their poop colour.
Pet parents are always concerned about their pets and look after everything from what they are eating and how they are pooping. When they see slight changes in their habits, activity and poop they become concerned not knowing what to do and what not to do.
In this blog, we will provide you will all sufficient information, so next time when your dog does yellow poop, you can deal with the situation in a better way.
Healthy Dog Poop
Usually, a healthy dog poop is of brown colour[1]. However, the colour of dog poop largely depends upon their food consumption and digestive system. Bile is a yellowish-green colour fluid that is produced by the liver, it helps in the digestion process by breaking down the food.
During the digestion process, most of the bile is reabsorbed while some of it is left. During the food break down the leftover bile changes colour and turns brown, due to which your dog’s poop looks brown in colour.
However, if your dog poop’s colour is not brown you may not need to worry as it is because a dog’s poop varies according to the food they consumed, and their size. Different dogs have different food habits and different digestive processes.
Causes of Yellow Poop in Dog
Yellow poop in dogs can be caused due to several reasons be it medical issues or a change in diet. Here are a few causes of yellow poop in dogs which may help you to identify the actual reason:
Food intolerance
If your dog is suddenly pooping yellow then it may be because of food intolerance. When you try to introduce a new food or any food item changing your dog’s regular diet, may require some time to adjust with your dog’s digestive system. If your dog continues to poop yellow for a longer duration try changing his diet back to the previous one.
Digestion issue
Digestion issues can too cause yellow poop. If your dog is suffering from diarrhoea or his stomach is upset chances are that he can do yellow poop. Digestion issues can be due to a lot of factors, it can be due to food intolerance or your dog may have consumed something while being taken on a walk or at home.
If your dogs consume anything which is not suitable for their digestive process their poop colour might differ.
Infection
Another reason behind your dog pooping yellow is infection. If you have not made any changes in your dog’s regular diet and yet he is pooping yellow, then it may be a sign of infection. This infection can be either bacterial or parasitic. If this infections are not treated on time, they may lead to serious health conditions.
This infection can affect your dog’s health adversely. In case of infection, you are advised to consult a vet immediately and seek some medical guidance.
Pancreatitis
Pancreas secrete an enzyme, which breaks the food further allowing your dog’s body to absorb all the nutrients and stay healthy. But when these enzymes are released early they start digesting the pancreas instead of food, this condition is known as pancreatitis.
For dogs suffering from pancreatitis, there are higher chances to poop yellow. To identify whether your dog is suffering from pancreatitis or not, along with yellow poop look for other symptoms too. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite are other symptoms which indicate pancreatitis in dogs.
Gall bladder issue
Gall bladder issues can often lead to yellow poop in your dog. The gall bladder releases bile stored in the bile duct in the small intestine. This bile helps in the digestion of food and the absorption of fat. If your dog is suffering from the gall bladder disease he is likely to poop yellow.
The gall bladder disease can often lead to jaundice and in the worst-case scenario even cancer. You are advised to seek medical help if you notice any abnormal changes in your dog’s body.
Liver issue
A liver performs several functions from producing protein to removing toxins. If the liver fails then it may have adverse effects on other organs of the body too. Change in your dog’s poop colour may be an early sign of liver issues, in this case closely monitors your dog and looks for other symptoms too.
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD in medical terms is a common condition in dogs. Inflammatory bowel disease is caused by an inflammatory reaction due to chronic irritation of the intestinal tract.
When the intestinal wall becomes inflamed and the immune system does not respond to pathogens breaking through leads to inflammatory bowel diseases. The common sign of inflammatory bowel disease is diarrhoea, vomiting and loss of weight.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome can be caused due to genes, stress, infection and food allergies. This may be the reason for yellow poop in dogs as it directly affects their bowel system.
Intestinal worm
Your dog may get intestinal worms by consuming infected fleas. Intestinal worms are common in dogs and easy to identify. You may find out if your dog is suffering from intestinal worms by looking at their poops, usually, intestinal worms are easily seen in a dog’s poop.
Intestinal worms can also be caused if you are not deworming them on a regular basis or wrongly. Thus intestinal worms can too cause yellow poop in dogs.
Does Yellow Poop Indicate a Medical Emergency?
Yellow poop may not always need medical emergency unless it is not due to causes other than food intolerance. Normally pet parents get terrified due to abnormal changes in their dog’s body and the same happens when your dog poops yellow[2].
But how to know if yellow poop is an indicator of a medical emergency or not, for that you need to look out for other symptoms like:
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach
- Yellow colour to the skin or eyes
As quoted by Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, DVM in petmd, “Your dog’s poop can give your vet a tremendous amount of information about your dog’s digestive and overall health, which is why your vet’s office will routinely ask you to bring a fecal sample along to office visits.”
How To Prevent Yellow Poop in Dog
To prevent yellow poop in dogs follow the following steps:
- Keep your dog, hydrated, it is necessary to provide your dog with plenty of water to prevent bowel disease.
- Provide your dog with probiotics.
- Don’t make frequent changes in your dog’s diet.
- Provide your dog with food which is rich in fibre.
What Does Dog’s Poop Colour Mean?
Dog’s poop colour may vary considering their different diet, breed, size and different food requirement. But what actually does dog’s poop colour mean:
- Brown poop: This colour poop is usually considered normal. It can be either light brown or dark in colour. This indicates that your dog’s digestive system is working well enough.
- Black poop: This colour poop may be an indication that your dog may be suffering from bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
- Red poop: This colour may be an early indication of bleeding in the lower intestine and require medical help.
- Grey or yellow poop: This colour poop may be a sign of issues in the gall bladder, pancreas and liver
- White spots in poop: This may be a sign that your dog is suffering from intestinal worms.
- White poop: This colour indicates the higher calcium content in your dog’s diet.
FAQs
How do you treat yellow poops in dog?
To treat yellow poop in dogs you must first know the reason behind it. If the yellow poop is due to food then give your dog plenty of water to drink or try changing the diet. If your dog continues to poop yellow for several days then you should consult the vet as it may be related to serious health concerns.
Is yellow poop infection?
Introducing new food to your dog’s diet may be the reason for yellow poop, but if your dog continues to do yellow poop then it can be a sign of parasitic or bacterial infection. In this situation, you should consult a vet and start the medication.
Will yellow poop go away?
Usually yellow poop due to food intolerance goes away on its own, by changing the food. But if it continues then it can be a sign of serious infection or disease.
Can stress cause yellow poop?
If your dog’s poop is runny, foamy and you spot blood in it, then it is a sign of unhealthy poop. In this situation, your dog will require medical help as it may be an indication of serious health issues.
Can turmeric cause yellow poop?
Yes, turmeric can cause yellow poop in dogs. If your dog has consumed food with excessive turmeric in it, then it can lead to yellow poop, but it’s not just turmeric for a matter of fact if your dog consumes any food with yellow colouring then it too can cause the poop to be yellow.
Conclusion
As a pet parent, you may never want to see your fur baby suffering and thus provide them with all the necessary care and the best of the things. When you see a slight change in your dog’s daily activity especially poop you may surely get scared. But you may not need to worry with proper guidance and medical help you can easily deal with it.
Remember that making frequent changes in your dog’s diet can cause them discomfort, so it is important to stick to proper diet and closely monitor your dog’s activities.
Reference:
- Malone, E., DVM PhD. (n.d.). GI colors as diagnostic tools. Pressbooks.
- Diarrhea. (2023, May 5). Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
