Google, Help! How Often Should a Dog Poop?

Oct 11, 2021

Is your dog a pooper trooper? You tell him to go do his duty, and he literally does his doody? Or, is he a little fecally challenged and you find yourself calling him “Farfrompoopin” because of all the time you have to spend trying to get him to poop? If you spend way more time than you should Googling, “How Often Should Dog Poop?” you’re in the right place. We’ve got the answer, and why it’s important to pay attention to how many times a dog poops a day!

We say it all the time. Good health starts in the gut. The gut is also where the process of poop preparation is focused, and you’re exactly right when you think that a poo schedule has a lot to do with the health of one’s gut! Humans and dogs included.

regular bowel movement is essential for a healthy dog poop. It’s the way your dog’s body gets rid of waste and keeps his digestive system functioning in healthy ways. If you find yourself heading to the Interwebs to Google, “How often should my dog poop?” or “Is my dog constipated?” or “Does my dog poop too much?” you are already on the right track to getting your dog’s digestive health health in check!

Regular pooping is important, but what is regular for Fifi may not be regular for Fido. Like in humans, poop schedules vary on everything from what a dog eats, how often he eats, and his gut health.

Generally speaking, the most important thing to know is that your dog pooping tells you a ton about his overall health, and if there’s not proper pooping happening, it’s a sign for pet parents to make some changes.

How often should a dog poop? Is my dog pooping enough?

Like we said, there’s many factors that affect your dog’s pooping schedule.

Typically, adult dogs will poop between one and five times a day. More often than not, you might find that your dog has to poop not too much longer after a meal, and that’s nice for you if that’s the case. You can know when to expect your dog’s booty party to happen, and if you’re concerned because it doesn’t as you may expect it, you can investigate further.

What’s really happening, if you are feeding regularly scheduled meals, is that your dog’s digesting his food between 8-10 hours after each meal, and you might find yourself on a nice little morning and evening poop frequency. But what if you don’t? What if a dog only poops once a day? Or poops more than five times a day? Is this normal or does that mean your pet has certain health issues?

There are several things to consider:

  • Puppies have itty tummies and so they may need to poop more often. In fact, it may seem like every time your pup eats, he poops. They’re not much different than human babies, whose digestive systems are working themselves out and beginning to learn the ropes. In general, puppies will have up to five stools throughout a normal day, but it’s not uncommon if they poop more. If you worry it’s too much, talk to your vet about your pup’s poop.
  • As a general rule, medications can make your dog poop less than you’d expect. Particularly if they’re on pain medicine that will stall their intestines, talk with your vet if you feel like your dog is not pooping enough, or as he usually does when not on the medicine.
  • If your dog is not pooping with consistency, he is likely not getting enough fiber.
  • Interestingly, if he has diarrhea too much, he may not be getting enough fiber either. So his digestive issues could be due to an improper diet.

Is there such a thing as my dog poops too much?

Honestly? As long as it’s not diarrhea, not really. Consider what your dog’s eating. Just like in humans, if he eats more than he really needs, he’ll need to get rid of dog food too. Or, if he’s gotten into the treats or is eating something not great for him, his digestive system will work to expel excess too.

Initially, this may look like diarrhea or throw-up, but sometimes it’s just that he’s a pooping machine for a few days.

If you can’t get over how much poop your dog produces, it may be something to talk about with your vet.

Sometimes parasites like hookworms and roundworms will cause your dog to poop too much. The same can be said if your dog is suffering from an illness or an infection.

If you feel like your dog is just pooping too much, or his schedule has changed, it’s worth having a conversation with your vet to rule out things like infection, parvo, food poisoning or even cancer.

My dog won’t poop! What now?

While it’s important to watch and make sure there’s nothing major happening when your dog is pooping too much, you also tend to worry when your dog is not pooping enough and suffering from constipation.

If your dog goes a couple of days without pooping, that’s a sign of concern.In a quick nutshell, once your dog starts chewing and eating his food, his digestion starts. It involves digestive enzymes helping to break his food down and it’s important the food is broken down as best it can be to help fuel him as it goes through the dog’s digestive system.

Chewed food continues through his esophagus, which moves that food and water into his stomach. Acids and digestive enzymes in his stomach will continue to break his food down more, while his small intestines join in the process.

His intestines (aka ‘the gut’) is where food is broken down to become absorbable nutrients that fuel his body. If his gut health is in good shape, his intestines and stomach can do all of this with relative ease.

If not, though…food isn’t broken down as efficiently as it needs to be and nutrients are not as absorbed as they should be. If that’s the case, it may take longer to get to his colon, where it becomes waste and just hangs around until he’s ready to let it rip. Any interruption in the process will mean that your dog may become constipated.

Most dogs will become constipated when they’re not getting enough exercise. Sedentary lifestyles sometimes correlate to slower-moving intestines and this may mean fewer or slower bowel movements.

Older dogs sometimes have harder times as well, and this typically is because they are more sedentary and take in less fiber and water. Typically though, not pooping enough will happen if your furry friend is not getting enough water and/or fiber to help food move through effectively and efficiently.

When you’re wondering how often should a dog poop, it’s important to remember that not pooping means they’re not expelling waste. Being constipated too long can cause them to suffer from discomfort and even sepsis if severe enough constipation.

The good news is that you don’t have to let your dog’s constipation get that far.

Bernie’s Perfect Poop: Ensuring just the right amount of poop for every dog

The best thing about Bernie’s Perfect Poop is that it was created to ensure the healthiest dog guts out there.

The premium mixture of Miscanthus grass, pumpkin and flax seed gives dogs the perfect fiber to keep their food moving through their digestive system as it should. It can help runny stools that come too much by firming them up and when your dog is constipated, the fiber can draw water into the stool to help keep it moving and grooving.

Additionally, the pre- and probiotics in Bernie’s Perfect Poop ensure a thriving gut microbiome. This healthy gut full of beneficial bacteria can help ensure maximum nutrient absorption, as can the digestive enzymes that start breaking your dog’s food down from the first bite.

When you give your dog Bernie’s Perfect Poop, you’re easily solving the problem of how much your dog should poop because you’re helping to ensure he gets all the nutrition he should and poops out the rest. Regularly. Just like poop is supposed to be!

Best of all, the perfect poop means your dog is getting the nutrition he needs to help him have a healthy immune system for better overall health, and more energy to do all the fun stuff you love doing together.

Your dog’s poop is an excellent indicator of his health, and if you’re wondering how often should a dog poop, you’re really wondering how his gut health is.

When you give Bernie’s Perfect Poop with each meal, you won’t have to wonder. The proof will be in the perfect poop!

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