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Dog & Cat Poo
Health Checker

Yes, you're about to read a whole page about poo. No, it's not weird - your pet's poo can give you useful early clues about what's going on inside them. Colour, consistency and contents can sometimes change before other symptoms become obvious. So before you Google a wall of conflicting advice: tell us what you're looking at, and we'll tell you what it usually means.

1

What colour is it?

2

How firm is it?

Purina 7-point chart · 1 = hard pellets · 2 = ideal · 7 = liquid
3

Anything else?

Select all that apply

Tell me what you're looking at

Pick a colour to get a plain-English read on whether it's normal - and what to do if it isn't.

Everything below also exists as plain text - because Google can't read the widget, and neither can you at 3am with one eye open.

The baseline

What does healthy dog and cat poo look like?

Healthy poo is boring poo, and that's exactly what you want. The textbook version: chocolate brown (medium to dark brown), firm but not hard, holds its shape, gives slightly when picked up, and doesn't leave much behind - score 2 on the widely used Purina seven-point faecal chart, where 1 is hard, dry pellets and 7 is liquid. Not every chart uses the same numbers - Waltham's runs 1–5 - so check which scale you're reading before you compare.

Many dogs poo once or twice a day, while many cats go about once a day, but normal frequency varies between individuals. Healthy cat poo is usually well formed and brown, although the exact colour and firmness can vary with diet. A bit of day-to-day variation is fine - it's a pattern of change that matters, not a single odd one.

Reference

Poo colour chart - what each colour means

Brown
Normal and healthy Fine
Green
Grass, diet or rapid transit Watch
Yellow / orange
Diet change or rapid transit; may contain bile or be associated with digestive or hepatobiliary disease. Persistent changes should be checked. Watch
Black / tarry
Possible digested blood from higher in the gut Vet now
Red streaks
Fresh blood from lower down - contact your vet if it is more than a trace, repeats, or comes with other signs Vet soon
White / chalky
Can occur with a high-bone or calcium-rich diet. Watch
Very pale / grey
Persistent pale stools warrant veterinary assessment. Vet soon
Greasy
May indicate poor digestion or absorption of fat. Vet soon
White rice-like pieces
Often tapeworm segments - the stool itself stays a normal colour. Vet soon
Colour by colour

The colours owners ask about most

A chalky, white, crumbly stool most often comes from a very high-bone or high-calcium diet (typical on some raw diets - see the WSAVA global nutrition guidelines). Small, flat, rice- or sesame-seed-like pieces around the anus, in the stool or on bedding can be tapeworm segments - worms do not turn the stool itself white. Persistent very pale, grey or greasy stool should be checked by your vet, as it can point to poor digestion or absorption of fat. Full guide to white dog poo
Black, tarry, sticky stool ("melaena") can mean blood that's been digested from higher up the gut - don't wait this one out, call your vet. The honest exception: some foods, iron supplements and bismuth medicines darken stool harmlessly. If your dog is genuinely bright, eating, and you've changed nothing, mention it. If the stool is genuinely black and tarry, particularly if it is accompanied by vomiting, weakness, pale gums, reduced appetite or lethargy, contact your vet promptly.
Yellow or orange poo can occur after a sudden diet change, particularly if the diet is different in fat content, and can also occur when food moves through the gut more quickly than usual - which is why "yellow poop after chicken and rice" is such a common search. Persistent yellow/orange stool, especially with vomiting, diarrhoea, poor appetite, weight loss or jaundice, deserves a veterinary check.
Green poo is often caused by eating grass or by food moving through the intestine quickly. An occasional green stool in an otherwise healthy pet is usually not concerning. If it persists or is accompanied by diarrhoea, vomiting, poor appetite or other signs of illness, contact your vet.
The scary one

Blood in dog or cat poo

The one that scares people most, so let's be clear. Bright red, fresh blood usually comes from the lower gut. A tiny amount of bright red blood in an otherwise well pet can sometimes be caused by mild irritation or straining and may resolve on its own. If it is more than a small amount, happens repeatedly, or is accompanied by diarrhoea, vomiting, pain, lethargy or poor appetite, contact your vet.

Black, tarry stool can be digested blood from higher up - don't wait, call your vet. "Dog poop like jelly with blood" is a common sight and usually points to colon inflammation (colitis) - often manageable, but worth a vet conversation, especially if it lasts beyond a day. The same applies to cats: blood in cat poo, fresh or dark, warrants a check.

Deeper guide: blood & mucus in dog poo
Jelly coating

Mucus or jelly in the poo

A little clear or whitish mucus is the gut lubricating itself and is usually nothing. A lot of jelly-like coating, repeatedly - especially with blood or loose stool - points to an irritated colon. One episode: watch. A pattern, or any blood: vet.

Identification

Worms in poo - what they look like

Tapeworm

Small, flat, rice-like grains around the bottom, in the poo, or in bedding. May move when fresh.

Roundworm

Long, cream-coloured, spaghetti-like worms - sometimes in vomit too.

Giardia

A microscopic protozoan parasite - not a worm, and not covered by routine wormers. It can cause soft, foul-smelling or mucus-containing diarrhoea, but testing is needed to diagnose it (ESCCAP guideline on intestinal protozoa).

Spotting any of these means a parasite conversation with your vet (and a nudge to check your treatment reminders are set). Don't guess the product - different parasites require different treatments, and some require specific testing rather than routine deworming, as set out in the ESCCAP guideline on worm control in dogs and cats.

Straining

Constipation - straining and no poo

Important for cats: straining can be a urinary emergency

A cat repeatedly straining in the tray with nothing coming out may not be constipated at all - it can be a urinary blockage, which is life-threatening within a short period of time, especially in male cats. If you're not sure whether your cat is trying to poo or trying to urinate, treat it as urgent and contact your vet - International Cat Care and the Cornell Feline Health Center both class this as an emergency.

For a mildly constipated pet that is otherwise completely well, the safe first steps are making sure they're well hydrated, gentle exercise, and not forcing anything. Persistent or repeated straining, obvious discomfort, vomiting, reduced appetite, lethargy, or going an unusually long time without passing stool should prompt a veterinary assessment. Don't give laxatives, enemas or other human medicines without veterinary advice.

When to help vs worry: constipated dog
Also asked

A few more honest answers

Why does my dog eat poop?

Eating poo (coprophagia) is surprisingly common - a survey of 1,552 dog owners found around 16% of dogs had been seen eating stool repeatedly - and especially in puppies it is often behavioural rather than a sign of disease. However, persistent or sudden-onset coprophagia - particularly alongside weight loss, diarrhoea, excessive hunger or other changes - is worth discussing with your vet. Eating other animals' poo, including cat poo, also increases your pet's exposure to intestinal parasites.

Full guide: why dogs eat poop

A note on smell

Poo isn't meant to be pleasant, but a dramatic, sudden change in smell - especially with a change in colour or consistency - is worth noting, as it can accompany a digestive upset or parasite. Persistent foul-smelling, greasy or unusually bulky stool can be associated with problems digesting or absorbing food and deserves a veterinary conversation.

Cat poo - what's different

Most of the above applies to cats, with a few notes: healthy cat poo is usually well formed and brown, though firmness and colour vary with diet; cats are prone to constipation and to the urinary-straining emergency above; and "what does healthy cat poop look like" has the same answer - deep brown, firm, formed, usually once a day. Blood, persistent diarrhoea, pale or very hard stool, or any straining all warrant a check.

No chart needed

When to ring the vet - skip straight to the phone if you see:

Black, tarry stool
A large amount of fresh blood
Repeated bloody diarrhoea
Persistent white, grey or very pale stool
Diarrhoea accompanied by lethargy, vomiting or significant pain
Repeated vomiting alongside abnormal stools
A dog or cat straining with nothing passing
A cat repeatedly visiting the litter tray but producing little or no urine
Your pet seems very unwell or you're worried something isn't right
FAQ

Quick answers

Chocolate brown - anywhere from medium to dark brown. Green, yellow, black, white or bloody stool all warrant a closer look - see the chart above.
A persistent odd colour, very hard or very runny, or containing blood, mucus or worms. One odd poo isn't a crisis; a pattern is the signal.
Chalky white poo can happen after eating a bone-heavy or calcium-rich diet. Small rice-like white pieces may be tapeworm segments. Persistent very pale or greasy poo should be checked by your vet.
Black, tarry stool can mean digested blood - treat it as a same-day vet call. Some foods and supplements darken stool harmlessly, but don't assume.
Tapeworm looks like small, flat, rice-like segments; roundworm like long, cream-coloured spaghetti. Giardia is a microscopic protozoan rather than a worm, isn't visible, and needs a vet test.
Make sure your dog has access to fresh water and avoid giving human laxatives or enemas unless your vet has advised you to. Persistent straining, discomfort, vomiting, lethargy or going unusually long without passing stool should be checked by a vet. Any cat that is repeatedly straining in the litter tray needs prompt veterinary assessment.
Deep brown, firm and well formed, usually once a day - though colour and firmness vary with diet.
Veterinary reviewed by Dr Jo de Klerk, BVetMed (Hons), MSc, PhD, MRCVS — reviewed 3 August 2026, updated 8 August 2026 (faecal-scale reference corrected to the Purina seven-point chart and sources added; those changes are awaiting her re-confirmation). Dr de Klerk qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2014 and is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (reg. 7088779). How we review our health content. This checker is general information, not a diagnosis. It helps you understand what you're seeing and decide when to act, and it does not replace veterinary care. If your pet seems unwell in any way, or you're unsure, contact your vet.

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