As the owner you should have a habit of examining the 4Cs of excreta of your dog .It says a lot about your dogs’ health. Vigilant owners often examine the excreta of their dog and the habit has its advantages. The main advantage is you can solve the problem without going to the vet if you notice any symptoms early. As a result the health condition will not get worse and early treatment is possible. Secondly it won’t hurt your pocket.
How to examine dog excreta?
It is better to examine your dog’s stools thoroughly. You may sometimes need to break the stools by a rod to examine the interior.
When to examine?
Make a habit of observing daily. If possible, examine in the morning and in the evening. So that you are able to catch the condition much earlier. It is advisable to examine stools as soon as it is passed because the environment conditions may change the colour and consistency of the stools.
What to examine?
There are two main things that you have to examine. They are how the dog passes stools and the 4C’s of stools.
The way a dog passes stools
You can examine whether the dog passes stools normally or if there is any abnormality while it passes stools. Sometimes it passes in several places in small quantities. There may be pain while passing stools. Some dogs have rectal prolapse when it passes stools. Wiping the anus on the grass after passing stools in sitting position is another behavior that some dogs exhibit. Each of these has reasons which you should notice and inform the Vet. These are very important points for clear decision making.
The 4 C’s of dog excreta
You should examine for following 4C’s daily which are Consistency, Coating, Contents, and Color.
Consistency:
Your dog’s poop should not be so hard that it comes out as pellets, and it should not be so soft that you can’t pick it up easily. While an occasional loose stools is nothing to worry about, if your dog constantly has diarrhea, take it to the vet immediately.
Coating:
Like human stools, dog stool should not have any sort of coating. If there’s mucus or a significant amount of blood coating your dog’s stools that indicates the sign that you should consult the Vet.
Contents:
When considering the contents of your dog’s stools, you should just look out for anything extremely out of the ordinary. If you notice anything unusual please inform your Vet.
Color:
Since your dog’s stools can be a variety of colors, with each meaning something different, we’ll delve into each one with more details next week.
Dogs are your family members. Healthy dog is no burden! As a responsible owner it is your job to check whether your dog is in good health daily. One of the good indications of internal systems of your dog’s body is its stools. So better start examining its stools from today itself!
