The intestinal health and general health of a dog can be assessed, among other things, by its bowel movements. It is not only important to note the color and consistency of the feces, but also how often the four-legged friend defecates. If a dog is defecating more often than usual, this may indicate that he is not tolerating his food. On the other hand, an absence of bowel movements may indicate constipation or even intestinal obstruction, which can be serious health problems that absolutely must be detected and treated.

To be able to react early if there are problems, it is important to know how often a dog normally defecates and to watch out for any deviations. In this article, we'll show you what to look for to assess if your dog has developed a problem or if everything is fine.

Frequency of defecation

Every dog has an individual metabolism, regardless of breed and age. Nevertheless, there are guideline values that can be used to infer the frequency of bowel movements. If your dog's defecation deviates too much from these guideline values over a longer period of time, this can have various causes. Constipation, digestive problems or an intolerance can be causes for unusual bowel movements.

An important guideline is the size of the dog. Small dogs have longer intestines in relation to their body size than larger breeds. As a result, digested food stays in the intestinal tract longer, and small dogs have firmer and less frequent bowel movements than large breeds because less water is added to the food in the intestines. In addition, small dogs require a smaller amount of food, which also causes them to have fewer bowel movements.

The age of the dog is another important guideline. Puppies need to defecate the most and often have several bowel movements per day. As dogs get older, they have better control of their bladder and bowels, and bowel function down-regulates as they get older, so adult dogs typically need to defecate once or twice a day. Old dogs have slower metabolisms and often eat less food, making it not uncommon for them to defecate only once a day or even once every two days.

The breed of dog also plays a role. Dog breeds with higher energy needs require more food and have more frequent bowel movements. For example, athletic breeds such as service dogs, sled dogs, or herding dogs require very high quality, high energy food, which can make three bowel movements a day normal.

Finally, dog food also plays a role. Depending on the quality and composition of the food, it may be digested more or less well by the dog. For example, if the food contains a lot of fillers such as cereals, these are not or hardly digested by the dog and cause larger and more frequent bowel movements. Therefore, when choosing the right food, the compatibility for the dog should always be in the foreground.

With these guidelines you can determine how often your dog should have a bowel movement. Of course, there can be differences depending on the metabolism and health of your dog. However, if your dog hasn't had a bowel movement in two days or more, or is exhibiting altered feces, be sure to consult a veterinarian. The reasons for unusual bowel movements are explained below.

Increased bowel movements in dogs

Dogs have increased bowel movements due to their diet. The more digestible the dog food is, the less feces the dog will have to defecate. Indigestible fiber, such as fruits and vegetables with high levels of roughage, grains and legumes, are excreted in the feces. Therefore, these ingredients should be avoided to reduce the amount and frequency of feces.

In addition to the ingredients and quality of the food, the amount of food can also be responsible for increased defecation. When a dog is fed more food than it needs, it does not absorb all the nutrients and excretes them. A sure sign of too much food is not only frequent bowel movements, but also obesity. If the dog is only getting more food occasionally, such as during training, the number of defecations may increase, but it should return to normal when the dog returns to his normal ration.

However, there may be medical reasons for increased defecation in dogs. Problems in the stomach, intestines or colon can cause unusually large amounts of feces. Changes in the stool, such as strong odor, mucus or too hard/soft consistency, may be signs of such problems. In this case, a veterinarian should be seen and a fecal sample brought in. The veterinarian can diagnose the problem and initiate appropriate treatment. Common causes are pancreatitis or bacterial infections, which can be well treated.

Reasons for low bowel movements in dogs

The frequency of your dog's bowel movements depends on many factors. Especially as your dog ages, he may defecate less frequently as his appetite decreases. However, if your dog has consistently infrequent bowel movements or has been constipated for at least two days, these are serious warning signs. Constipation can indicate an intestinal obstruction, which can be life-threatening for your dog if left untreated. But let's start with the more harmless reasons, because if you find that the constipation has occurred due to these more innocuous reasons, you should still consult a veterinarian, but there is no need to panic.

Among the more harmless reasons are:

• Change of dog food
• Decreased food intake (this can happen occasionally and is only a concern if there are other symptoms)
• Low fluid intake by the dog
• Mild digestive problems (for example, due to stress or intolerances).

If your dog shows additional symptoms such as pain or floppiness, or if the feces are altered, as in diarrhea, excessively hard feces, discolored feces (especially if you suspect there may be blood in the feces), and if the feces smell strange, be sure to see a veterinarian. This may indicate an underlying problem. In the next section, we will explain what a healthy bowel movement should look like in dogs.

Healthy bowel movements in dogs

Healthy bowel movements in dogs indicate that they are doing well, as discomfort and especially stomach or intestinal problems will quickly show up in the dog's feces. Therefore, it is important that you as a dog owner regularly check the droppings of your four-legged friend. Look for consistency, color, odor and other unusual characteristics in the feces. White spots, for example, can indicate a worm infestation. Feces should not be slimy or coated in mucus, as this indicates digestive problems or an infection in the gastrointestinal tract.

A healthy stool in dogs should be firm in shape, dark brown in color and have no unusual odor. It should be easy to collect and should not smear the dog's bottom. Your dog should defecate on average once or twice a day. Depending on your dog's breed, age, and disposition, this can vary, and even three defecations per day is normal, or as little as every two days as long as there are no other abnormalities.

Dog defecation problems

If your dog is having problems with bowel movements, the first action you can take is to cook your four-legged friend some gentle food. Since most defecation problems are due to food or gastrointestinal tract, the Schonkost helps to settle the stomach and regenerate itself. Cooked rice, carrots and chicken meat are suitable as a gentle diet. If you suspect that the problems may be caused by the dog food, you should try to switch to a high quality and easily digestible food with little roughage. However, in case of more serious problems or additional symptoms, a visit to the vet is essential. When in doubt, it is better to visit the vet once too often than to underestimate a serious situation.