My dog's poop is dark gray/black on the outside. What's wrong?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Personally the color doesn't bother me but the consistency does. That is diarrhea. It is too soft and not formed. I would go back to the Royal Canin food as it sounds like he digests that one better. Be sure though that he has had his stool tested for intestinal parasites and is up to date on his DHPP vaccines. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to not drinking enough water. I would encourage you to ensure that she is drinking enough water as that would be something that is easy to fix. You can also feed her canned diet which will have a higher water content for example. If no improvement is noted after ensuring enough water intake, I recommend you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Best of luck!

More than likely it is from the change in food but black, tarry stool can be a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding. You could take a sample to your vet, when you notice that it is black, and have it tested for blood. That way you will know if it is anything to worry about or just normal color change.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Feces should be a dark brown color, this is completely normal. It should be firm but not too dry. I would continue to monitor Luna's stools for any changes. If you see a pattern that is abnormal (red blood, dark black stool can be a sign of bleeding high in the intestinal tract, gelatinous stools mean the colon may be inflammed or whipworms are present, very light color stools, very loose stools, very dry stools) then you should contact your veterinarian and discuss what is going on. Good luck with Luna.

Blueberries can definitely cause the stool to change color if enough were eaten, or if they caused some GI upset. If Leo's stool has returned to normal, I would continue to just monitor him, and make sure to only give approved treats and his food. If the dark stool returns, or he starts showing other signs of illness such as a tender stomach, not wanting to eat or drink, vomiting, etc, I would have him checked by your vet ASAP.

Your dog has most likely gotten into something that has caused her stool to be abnormal. I would keep an eye on her for now. If thenstool continues to be abnormal or if she starts vomiting and/or having liquidy stools I would take her to the vet to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, it looks like Snowy is having some diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by a number of things, ranging from dietary indiscretion (he ate something he shouldn't have), diet change, gastrointestinal parasites (worms), or other organ system diseases like liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis, etc. I recommend feeding Snowy a bland diet such as boiled (unseasoned) chicken or hamburger and rice, in a ratio of 2 parts rice to 1 part meat, for the next 3-4 days, to help firm up his stools. You can also try adding in a small amount of Metamucil (original, unflavored) powder to this food. Metamucil is an over-the-counter fiber supplement for people that we often use to help dogs with diarrhea. He would likely benefit from about 1/4 teaspoon of Metamucil in his food twice a day. If you are not noticing an improvement in his diarrhea after 2-3 days, I recommend bringing him (and a sample of his stool) to your veterinarian. At that time, a fecal analysis can be performed, and any other diagnostics as needed. I hope this is helpful! Best of luck with Snowy!