How Often Should My Dog Poop?

It is normal for a dog to defecate anywhere between 1 and 5 times a day. However, the amount your dog may defecate on a single day depends on several factors.

These include how much they have eaten in the last 24 hours, fiber content of the diet, individual variation, age of the dog (puppies tend to defecate more frequently than adult dogs). Chances are that if your dog is maintaining a good weight, and the feces are of normal consistency (i.e. not loose or hard) and your dog isn’t having trouble with bowel movements or straining to defecate, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

If your dog is defecating very frequently, especially if these motions are loose or contain spots of fresh blood or mucus, there may be a medical problem such as colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. Ensure your dog is wormed regularly as well.

If your dog doesn’t have bowel movements daily then it could be due to constipation, although other signs would be expected such as straining to defecate or the passing of dry, solid feces. If your dog hasn’t eaten much then this could be another reason and it should be determined why your dog is off their food. Try not to be concerned if your dog doesn’t pass feces just on one occasion, as it may just be a daily variation. Watch for the passing of normal feces over the next 24 hours.

There are also medications that can change the frequency of defecation. Opioids tend to slow the bowel and your dog may defecate less frequently than normal. If you dog is on a medication then check with your vet if this is one of the known side effects.

Feeding your dog a good quality dog food will help improve the consistency and frequency of their stools. If your pet is suffering from an upset tummy, including flatulence, diarrhea and weight loss, PAW DigestiCare 60 can restore intestinal balance to aid recovery.

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