What does a healthy poo look like for dogs — and when should you be worried?

• Healthy dog stools are firm, moist, and chocolate-brown — they hold their shape, pick up cleanly, and leave minimal residue
• Colour changes (yellow, orange, green, grey, black, or red) can indicate digestive issues, dietary changes, or health conditions that warrant attention
• Occasional soft stools are normal; loose stools persisting for more than 48 hours, or accompanied by blood, mucus, or lethargy, warrant a vet visit
• Diet is the biggest influence on stool quality, and many owners find that fresh food with natural prebiotics produces less and better stools than dry kibble
• Stool frequency varies by dog and diet: most adult dogs defecate one to three times per day, with fresh-fed dogs typically producing smaller, firmer stools than kibble-fed dogs

What does a healthy dog poo look like?

Vets and canine nutritionists typically assess dog stools across four characteristics: colour, consistency, content, and coating. A healthy stool scores well on all four.

Colour should be chocolate brown. The exact shade varies depending on the protein in the diet: chicken-based diets tend to produce slightly lighter stools than beef-based diets, for example, but the brown range is the healthy baseline. Consistency should be firm but not hard: the stool should hold its shape when picked up, feel slightly moist to the touch through a bag, and not crumble or smear. Content should be uniform, with no visible undigested food, worms, or foreign material. Coating refers to whether the stool is covered in mucus: a small amount is normal, but a thick mucus coating consistently warrants attention.

Some vets use a faecal scoring system on a scale of one to seven, where one is rock hard and dry and seven is liquid with no solid content. The target for a healthy dog is a stool that is firm, well-formed, and easy to pick up without leaving residue — a good sign that the digestive system is working as it should.

What do different stool colours mean?

Colour is often the first thing owners notice when something changes, and it is a useful diagnostic signal.

Yellow or orange stools often indicate that food is moving through the digestive tract too quickly for bile to fully break down, or that there is excess bile production. In the short term this can reflect a dietary change or mild digestive upset; persistent yellow stools can indicate liver or pancreatic issues and warrant a vet check.

Green stools usually mean the dog has eaten a significant quantity of grass, or that food is again moving too quickly through the gut. Occasional green stools following grass eating are not a concern; persistent green stools without an obvious dietary cause should be investigated.

Grey or greasy-looking stools can indicate excess fat in the diet or poor fat absorption, sometimes associated with pancreatic insufficiency. If the stool appears greasy or has a particularly pungent smell alongside a grey colour, a vet visit is worth arranging.

Black or very dark stools can indicate digested blood from the upper digestive tract and should always be assessed by a vet promptly. Red streaks or fresh blood in or on the stool indicate bleeding from the lower digestive tract or around the anus and also warrant prompt veterinary attention, though minor streaks from straining are often less serious than they appear.

White or chalky stools are common in raw-fed dogs consuming high quantities of bone and are not inherently dangerous, but indicate the bone content of the diet may be higher than ideal.

What causes loose stools in dogs?

Loose stools are one of the most common concerns owners raise, and the causes range from entirely benign to clinically significant. The most common causes are dietary change (the gut microbiome needs time to adjust when the diet shifts), food intolerance or sensitivity, eating something they should not have (grass, table scraps, foreign material), stress or anxiety, intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral infection, and inflammatory bowel conditions.

Occasional loose stools following a dietary change or a particularly stressful event are normal and usually resolve within 24–48 hours without intervention. Loose stools that persist beyond 48 hours, that are accompanied by vomiting, blood, mucus, or significant lethargy, or that occur in a puppy or senior dog should be assessed by a vet. If you need more guidance on managing acute episodes, understanding what to give dogs for diarrhoea and what to avoid can help you respond calmly and appropriately.

Diet quality has a significant influence on stool consistency. Dogs fed fresh food with natural prebiotics, like the chicory root in every Marleybones Pantry Fresh® recipe, consistently produce firm and consistent stools. The higher digestibility of fresh food compared to dry food means less undigested material passes through the gut. In the Marleybones customer survey of 1,056 subscribers, 71% reported better digestion and stool quality after switching from their previous diet.

"Stool quality is one of the most practical daily readouts of how well a dog is digesting and tolerating its diet. Changes in consistency, volume, odour or mucus can reflect shifts in digestibility, fermentation and gut health."

— Dr. Davide Stefanutti, DVM, PhD, Veterinarian Nutritionist

What causes very hard or dry stools?

Hard, dry, or pellet-like stools usually indicate dehydration or insufficient moisture in the diet. Dogs on dry kibble diets are more prone to this because kibble contains only around 10% moisture, placing a significant burden on the dog to drink enough water to compensate. Fresh dog food contains 65–75% moisture, which supports hydration directly through the diet and tends to produce softer stools.

Straining to defecate, passing very small quantities of hard stool, or not defecating for more than two days warrants a vet visit to rule out constipation or obstruction.

How often should a dog poo?

Most adult dogs defecate one to three times per day, typically after meals. Frequency depends on diet, age, size, and individual variation. Dogs fed highly processed dry food with significant filler content tend to produce more frequent, larger stools because more material passes through undigested. Dogs fed fresh food tend to produce less frequent, smaller, and firmer stools because the balance of fibre and digestibility in the diet determines how much waste remains after absorption.

A sudden change in frequency, more or less than usual for a specific dog, is worth noting and monitoring over 24–48 hours. Persistent changes in frequency alongside other symptoms warrant veterinary assessment.

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FAQs

Should I be worried if my dog's poo has mucus in it?

A small amount of mucus is normal and serves as a lubricant for the passage of stool through the large intestine. A thick coating of mucus, or stools that are predominantly mucus with little solid content, indicates irritation or inflammation in the large intestine and should be assessed by a vet, particularly if it persists for more than a day or two.

Why does my dog's poo smell so bad?

Particularly pungent stools usually reflect the fermentation of undigested material in the large intestine, which is more common with highly processed or low-digestibility diets. A sudden change in smell, particularly if accompanied by colour or consistency changes, can indicate a digestive issue worth investigating.

Is it normal for dogs to eat grass and then have loose stools?

Yes. Dogs eat grass for various reasons, including as a response to digestive discomfort, and the grass itself often causes loose stools or vomiting because dogs cannot digest it efficiently. Occasional grass eating followed by loose stools is not a concern. Frequent grass eating can be a sign of persistent digestive discomfort and is worth discussing with a vet if it becomes a regular pattern.

Can diet improve my dog's stool quality?

Yes, significantly. Switching from a highly processed dry food to a fresh food diet with natural prebiotics is associated with improvement in stool consistency and reduced odour for many dogs. The higher digestibility of fresh food means less undigested material passes through the gut, and the prebiotic ingredients, like chicory root in Marleybones Pantry Fresh® recipes, actively support the gut bacteria balance that drives healthy stool formation. If you are unsure which recipe suits your dog's needs, answering a few short questions about your dog is the quickest way to get a personalised recommendation. Our Gut Health Supplement is also designed to work alongside diet to support digestive balance day to day.

When should loose stools prompt a vet visit?

Loose stools lasting more than 48 hours, or accompanied by blood, mucus, vomiting, significant lethargy, or loss of appetite, warrant a vet visit. Puppies and senior dogs have less physiological reserve than healthy adults and should be seen sooner: any loose stools lasting more than 24 hours in a puppy, or accompanied by any other symptom at any age, should prompt a call to the vet.

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References

1. Cavett, C. L., Tonero, M., Marks, S. L., Winston, J. A., Gilor, C., & Rudinsky, A. J. (2021). Consistency of faecal scoring using two canine faecal scoring systems. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 62(3), 167-173.
2. Do, S., Phungviwatnikul, T., de Godoy, M. R., & Swanson, K. S. (2021). Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites in dogs fed human-grade foods. Journal of Animal Science, 99(2), skab028.
3. Propst, E. L., Flickinger, E. A., Bauer, L. L., Merchen, N. R., & Fahey Jr, G. C. (2003). A dose-response experiment evaluating the effects of oligofructose and inulin on nutrient digestibility, stool quality, and fecal protein catabolites in healthy adult dogs. Journal of Animal Science, 81(12), 3057-3066.
4. Sires, R., Yamka, R., & Wakshlag, J. (2025). Feeding fresh food and providing water ad libitum is clinically proven to exceed calculated daily water requirements and impact urine relative supersaturation in dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1675990.