The Poop Scoop
Posted 03/17/2024
My brace of setter drifted in and out of view. Their range was typical for their shooting dog genetics, and when I couldn’t see them my focus turned to the long skeins of Spanish moss that dripped from every cypress branch. Wind gusts pulsed the moss like a summer breeze luffs weeping willow stems. On one such I could see far ahead and Cider and Bee were on point.
Had I been sitting atop a walking horse I’d have squeezed on my heels and cantered up to the point. But for today I was in the infantry, a foot soldier, who fast-tracked his way to the charred pine next to the patch of switch cane. I weaved in and out of the hanging Spanish moss and dodged it as I do tag Alders or Birch whips back home.
A lot of folks told me that Spanish moss was useless. I figured they meant by today’s standards, for back aways it was a fan favorite. Many folks filled their walls with it as it made for a nice bit of free and natural insulation. Others packed it into mattresses, and slept much better than they would if they were on the floor. Coastal Gullahs made voodoo dolls from Spanish moss and used the dolls to drive away evil spirits and heal sick people and animals, too. Movies made voodoo out to be something different, but that’s a different story altogether.
I didn’t need a voodoo doll for Cider and Bee because they were healthy. I followed some travel advice that my friend Russ Kelley from Eukanuba gave me for the drive down. “Make sure you air them out a lot on your drive down,” he said. “They’ll get stressed and when they do it’s likely that their GI tract will get upset. Dogs with upset digestive systems focus on a place where they can relieve themselves, and that means their attention isn’t focused on hunting. There’s also the problem that their food will pass through their system so quickly that they won’t get enough nutrients to refuel at the end of the day.”
If you’ve got a string of gun dogs then the odds are high that you’re constantly surveying their stool, too. If the ‘eyes are the window to the soul’ then a dog’s stool is a view of his gastrointestinal health. Dogs can’t verbalize how they’re feeling, but buy studying their stool we can interpret their leave behinds. Studying the Faeces Scoring Chart isn’t as much fun as walking up on an honored point but it sure is important.
The Bristol Stool Scale was a seven point scale that was developed in 1997 by England’s Bristol Royal Infirmary. The range is a continuum which varies from dogs that are constipated to those that have diarrhea. Below is another version, a 9-point scale that shows a slightly more detailed version of stool health. Here’s what the pictures mean:
Picture 1 The stool is very hard. It’s shape is bullet like, has a chalk-like consistency and crumbles with little pressure. The dog is constipated, and faeces don’t pass either readily or completely.
Picture 1.5 A hard and dry school cracks when pressed. It’s crumbly, and presents in many small pieces. The dog is constipated, and faeces don’t pass either readily or completely.
Picture 2 The stool has pronounced grooves and is well formed. Because the outside is dry it does not leave a mark when picked up. The center is dry, too, but the stool does indicate an improvement in GI health.
Picture 2.5 The shape is well formed, and the surface is slightly moist. There are visible grooves and cracks, and the stool is soft enough to leave a mark when picked up. If pressed it will flatten, and indicates good GI health.
Picture 3 Additional moisture is causing the stool to lose some of its shape and form. It still represents good GI health.
Picture 3.5 The stool is moist enough to make the components stick together. It’s still healthy.
Picture 4 Softness has caused the form to be lost. The faeces appears like a cow pie and is soft and more fluid. This stool is beginning to show unhealthy signs of diarrhea.
Picture 4.5 A liquid stool with slight consistency indicates sickness of some sort.
Picture 5 Entirely liquid stool indicative of a sick pup.
But wait, there’s more Handlers can understand what’s going on with their dog by paying attention to color, shape and volume give handlers clues as to what’s going on with their dog, such as:
• Color The normal color of a dog’s feces is chocolate brown. That said, if you’re feeding kibble or wet food that has a different color then the stool can take on those characteristics. Those are healthy instances that are easily justified. But here are a few colors that can alert handlers to potential issues with the digestive system.
Green can be caused from an issue with a gall bladder. It also can be caused by dogs eating grass. While there isn’t a specific reason of why dog’s eat grass it’s often related to an upset stomach.
Gray or a slick, greasy coating can indicate issues with the pancreas. The pancreas produces enzymes that help with digestion, and if they’re not produced properly then your dog may not be getting enough nutrients.
Orange, yellow, or a combination of the two can indicate liver issues.
• Shape The normal shape of the dog’s stool is like a log. Round stools frequently indicate dehydration.
• Volume Your dog should excrete an amount similar to the amount he eats. Dogs that purge less food may be constipated, and that can come from a blockage or from dehydration. Fiber is included in dog food to help move stool through the intestines.
• Unique Substances Sometimes you’ll see odd things in your dog’s stool. I just finished a heat cycle with one of my females and some of her stool contained hair. That came about from her constant licking and cleansing which resulted in the ingesting of some hair. If a dog has worms they may be reflected in the stool which is one reason veterinarians ask for a stool sample during each annual visit.
Dr. Shawn Wayment, the owner of Colorado’s Animal Care Center of Castle Pines is respected in the gun dog community not just because of his scientific knowledge but also because he’s a bird hunter. “To a large extent, a dog’s gastrointestinal health can be helped,” he said. “Most performance dog foods include nutrients that support the system. Look on the bag to see if your brand includes insoluble fibers, psyllium, prebiotics and beet pulp. Prebiotics stimulate the production of short-chain fatty acids which create bacteria that helps dogs with digestion.”
Dr. Wayment looks at stool to determine what’s going on with the dog. “In the first three images, the dog’s feces is overly hard. One of the most common causes of hard stool is dehydration. Water softens stool which makes it easier to pass, so make sure your dog has an abundant supply of clean, fresh water. You can add a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin or Metamucil to his food. Canned pumpkin works as a natural laxative. And if you know that your dog is going to be in a high stress environment like long distance travel then feed him a diet designed for sensitive stomachs.”
Liquid stools need to be treated. “In the last three images, the dog has diarrhea. When my dogs get sick I’ll give them 24-hours a day to self-adjust. After that time I may give them a dose of Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate to quiet their stomach. My dose is usually the same amount I would take. A common medicine to administer for loose stool is Metronidazole which is an antibiotic. Many bird doggers carry some in their bag which helps dogs recover quickly enough to hunt. Make sure they’re drinking enough water and that not only their appetite returns but that is also is being properly processed. It’s always best to consult your veterinarian about any treatment, especially one that involves self-medication. It’s the right thing to do by your dog.”
Dogs can’t verbalize what’s going on with them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. Reading their stools is one way to gauge what’s going on under the hood.
Had I been sitting atop a walking horse I’d have squeezed on my heels and cantered up to the point. But for today I was in the infantry, a foot soldier, who fast-tracked his way to the charred pine next to the patch of switch cane. I weaved in and out of the hanging Spanish moss and dodged it as I do tag Alders or Birch whips back home.
A lot of folks told me that Spanish moss was useless. I figured they meant by today’s standards, for back aways it was a fan favorite. Many folks filled their walls with it as it made for a nice bit of free and natural insulation. Others packed it into mattresses, and slept much better than they would if they were on the floor. Coastal Gullahs made voodoo dolls from Spanish moss and used the dolls to drive away evil spirits and heal sick people and animals, too. Movies made voodoo out to be something different, but that’s a different story altogether.
I didn’t need a voodoo doll for Cider and Bee because they were healthy. I followed some travel advice that my friend Russ Kelley from Eukanuba gave me for the drive down. “Make sure you air them out a lot on your drive down,” he said. “They’ll get stressed and when they do it’s likely that their GI tract will get upset. Dogs with upset digestive systems focus on a place where they can relieve themselves, and that means their attention isn’t focused on hunting. There’s also the problem that their food will pass through their system so quickly that they won’t get enough nutrients to refuel at the end of the day.”
If you’ve got a string of gun dogs then the odds are high that you’re constantly surveying their stool, too. If the ‘eyes are the window to the soul’ then a dog’s stool is a view of his gastrointestinal health. Dogs can’t verbalize how they’re feeling, but buy studying their stool we can interpret their leave behinds. Studying the Faeces Scoring Chart isn’t as much fun as walking up on an honored point but it sure is important.
The Bristol Stool Scale was a seven point scale that was developed in 1997 by England’s Bristol Royal Infirmary. The range is a continuum which varies from dogs that are constipated to those that have diarrhea. Below is another version, a 9-point scale that shows a slightly more detailed version of stool health. Here’s what the pictures mean:
Picture 1 The stool is very hard. It’s shape is bullet like, has a chalk-like consistency and crumbles with little pressure. The dog is constipated, and faeces don’t pass either readily or completely.
Picture 1.5 A hard and dry school cracks when pressed. It’s crumbly, and presents in many small pieces. The dog is constipated, and faeces don’t pass either readily or completely.
Picture 2 The stool has pronounced grooves and is well formed. Because the outside is dry it does not leave a mark when picked up. The center is dry, too, but the stool does indicate an improvement in GI health.
Picture 2.5 The shape is well formed, and the surface is slightly moist. There are visible grooves and cracks, and the stool is soft enough to leave a mark when picked up. If pressed it will flatten, and indicates good GI health.
Picture 3 Additional moisture is causing the stool to lose some of its shape and form. It still represents good GI health.
Picture 3.5 The stool is moist enough to make the components stick together. It’s still healthy.
Picture 4 Softness has caused the form to be lost. The faeces appears like a cow pie and is soft and more fluid. This stool is beginning to show unhealthy signs of diarrhea.
Picture 4.5 A liquid stool with slight consistency indicates sickness of some sort.
Picture 5 Entirely liquid stool indicative of a sick pup.
But wait, there’s more Handlers can understand what’s going on with their dog by paying attention to color, shape and volume give handlers clues as to what’s going on with their dog, such as:
• Color The normal color of a dog’s feces is chocolate brown. That said, if you’re feeding kibble or wet food that has a different color then the stool can take on those characteristics. Those are healthy instances that are easily justified. But here are a few colors that can alert handlers to potential issues with the digestive system.
Green can be caused from an issue with a gall bladder. It also can be caused by dogs eating grass. While there isn’t a specific reason of why dog’s eat grass it’s often related to an upset stomach.
Gray or a slick, greasy coating can indicate issues with the pancreas. The pancreas produces enzymes that help with digestion, and if they’re not produced properly then your dog may not be getting enough nutrients.
Orange, yellow, or a combination of the two can indicate liver issues.
• Shape The normal shape of the dog’s stool is like a log. Round stools frequently indicate dehydration.
• Volume Your dog should excrete an amount similar to the amount he eats. Dogs that purge less food may be constipated, and that can come from a blockage or from dehydration. Fiber is included in dog food to help move stool through the intestines.
• Unique Substances Sometimes you’ll see odd things in your dog’s stool. I just finished a heat cycle with one of my females and some of her stool contained hair. That came about from her constant licking and cleansing which resulted in the ingesting of some hair. If a dog has worms they may be reflected in the stool which is one reason veterinarians ask for a stool sample during each annual visit.
Dr. Shawn Wayment, the owner of Colorado’s Animal Care Center of Castle Pines is respected in the gun dog community not just because of his scientific knowledge but also because he’s a bird hunter. “To a large extent, a dog’s gastrointestinal health can be helped,” he said. “Most performance dog foods include nutrients that support the system. Look on the bag to see if your brand includes insoluble fibers, psyllium, prebiotics and beet pulp. Prebiotics stimulate the production of short-chain fatty acids which create bacteria that helps dogs with digestion.”
Dr. Wayment looks at stool to determine what’s going on with the dog. “In the first three images, the dog’s feces is overly hard. One of the most common causes of hard stool is dehydration. Water softens stool which makes it easier to pass, so make sure your dog has an abundant supply of clean, fresh water. You can add a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin or Metamucil to his food. Canned pumpkin works as a natural laxative. And if you know that your dog is going to be in a high stress environment like long distance travel then feed him a diet designed for sensitive stomachs.”
Liquid stools need to be treated. “In the last three images, the dog has diarrhea. When my dogs get sick I’ll give them 24-hours a day to self-adjust. After that time I may give them a dose of Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate to quiet their stomach. My dose is usually the same amount I would take. A common medicine to administer for loose stool is Metronidazole which is an antibiotic. Many bird doggers carry some in their bag which helps dogs recover quickly enough to hunt. Make sure they’re drinking enough water and that not only their appetite returns but that is also is being properly processed. It’s always best to consult your veterinarian about any treatment, especially one that involves self-medication. It’s the right thing to do by your dog.”
Dogs can’t verbalize what’s going on with them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate. Reading their stools is one way to gauge what’s going on under the hood.
About the Author : Tom Keer
Visit authors website | View more articlesTom Keer owns The Keer Group, an outdoor marketing company which works perfectly with his freelance writing career. He casts his four English setters in Northeast upland coverts and Southern quail fields with fortunate regularity. Hes been lucky to be surrounded by people and dogs that are much smarter than him. Visit him at www.thekeergroup.com or at www.tomkeer.com
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