Introduction
Seeing yellow in your dog’s poop can be alarming for any pet owner. The color, consistency and even smell of your dog’s waste can provide important clues about your dog’s health. Mustard yellow stools are often an indication that something is not quite right with your dog’s digestive system. While yellow poop does not definitively mean your dog is sick, it’s an important sign to pay attention to. Knowing the potential causes and treatments for yellow stool can help you properly care for your dog and get them the help they need if necessary.
Possible Causes
There are several potential causes for a dog’s poop to appear mustard yellow:
Diet – Foods like corn contain a yellow pigment called xanthophyll which can cause a dog’s poop to appear yellow or orange. Other culprits may be too much fat in the diet or ingesting non-food items that contain dyes. Switching to a high-quality dog food formulated for your dog’s age and activity level may help restore normal poop color.
Infection – Gastrointestinal infections from bacteria, viruses, or parasites can cause inflammation in the gut lining that leads to yellow stool. Giardia is a common parasite that infects the small intestine and causes yellow diarrhea. Your vet can do a fecal test to check for parasites and recommend treatment if needed.
Liver Disease – Conditions that affect the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas hamper the normal digestion of fats, resulting in excess fat being passed in yellow stool. These include pancreatitis, cancer, cirrhosis, and more. Diagnostic testing like bloodwork, ultrasound, or biopsy can pinpoint the cause.
Diet
A dog’s diet can often be the cause of yellow stool. High fat foods or diets with a lot of corn may lead to yellowish poop due to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients.[1] High fat foods put extra strain on the digestive system while corn is more difficult for dogs to digest, so both can lead to yellow, greasy poop as fat remains undigested. Additionally, poor quality dog food lacking proper vitamins and minerals can result in nutritional deficiencies that alter stool color.
Switching your dog to a high quality dog food made with easily digestible ingredients like chicken, lamb, rice, potatoes or oats may help normalize stool color. Introducing dietary changes slowly by mixing the old and new food over 5-7 days can ease the transition. If the yellow stool persists more than a day or two after a diet change, contact your veterinarian.
Diseases
Some diseases that can cause yellow dog poop include:
Pancreatitis – Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and yellow stool. According to Pumpkin Pet Insurance, the yellow color occurs when the flow of digestive enzymes is disrupted, allowing bilirubin into the dog’s stool and turning it yellow. Treatment usually involves a bland diet, intravenous fluids, and medication.
Liver Disease – Liver disease or failure affects the liver’s ability to remove bilirubin from the blood, resulting in excess bilirubin being excreted in stool and causing yellow diarrhea. This can be caused by infections, toxins, or conditions like cancer. Treatment depends on the underlying cause but may include antibiotics, liver support supplements, or steroids.
Kidney Problems – Kidney disease or infection can prevent the organs from properly filtering waste, allowing bilirubin to build up and be excreted into the stool. This causes the yellow diarrhea symptom. Treatment involves addressing the underlying kidney issue through diet, medication or even dialysis in severe cases.
Parasites
Some common parasites that can cause yellow dog poop include roundworms, whipworms, and giardia. Roundworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites in dogs. They are spaghetti-like worms that live in a dog’s intestines and can cause diarrhea, which leads to yellow stool. According to Pumpkin Pet Insurance, whipworms attach to a dog’s intestinal wall and cause inflammation, leading to yellow, loose stool. Giardia is a single-celled parasite that can infect a dog’s small intestine, causing foul-smelling yellow diarrhea.
Diagnosis
If your dog has yellow stool, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea, it’s important to take your dog to the vet for an examination. The vet will perform a physical exam and ask about your dog’s diet and medical history.
To identify potential causes, the vet may recommend diagnostic tests like a fecal flotation or ELISA snap test to check for intestinal parasites like giardia or coccidia (1). A fecal culture can also identify bacterial infections. The vet may analyze your dog’s stool sample for fat content, which can indicate problems with food digestion or absorption.
Bloodwork such as a complete blood count and biochemical profile can check for issues like liver or gallbladder problems. Blood tests can also look for pancreatitis, which can cause yellow, greasy stool (2).
Based on the exam findings and diagnostic results, the vet can determine the underlying cause of the yellow stool and recommend appropriate treatment. Proper diagnosis is important, as yellow diarrhea can indicate potentially serious medical conditions.
(1) https://www.dutch.com/blogs/dogs/yellow-dog-poop
(2) https://wagwalking.com/symptom/why-is-my-dog-passing-yellow-stools
Treatments
There are several possible treatments for yellow dog poop, depending on the underlying cause:
Diet Change: Switching to a bland diet such as boiled chicken and rice for a few days can help firm up loose yellow stools. Gradually transition back to the normal diet once stools return to normal (https://www.pumpkin.care/blog/yellow-dog-poop/)
Deworming: If parasites are the cause, a vet may prescribe deworming medication to kill off worms and stop yellow diarrhea. Common dewormers include fenbendazole, milbemycin, or moxidectin (https://pawsafe.com/blogs/dog-healthcare/why-is-my-dogs-poop-yellow)
Medication: For conditions like pancreatitis or liver disease, a vet may prescribe medications like antacids, antiemetics, or liver supplements to treat the underlying issue and resolve yellow stools (https://www.dutch.com/blogs/dogs/yellow-dog-poop)
In severe cases, intravenous fluids may be given to prevent dehydration from persistent diarrhea. Always consult a vet to determine the appropriate treatment based on the cause.
Home Care
If your dog has yellow stool or diarrhea, there are some at-home care steps you can take to help your dog feel better while monitoring their condition:
Monitor eating and bowel movements – Keep track of everything your dog eats and drinks, and note the timing, frequency, color, and consistency of stools. This will help identify any patterns and allow you to provide your vet with helpful information.
Encourage hydration – Make sure fresh water is always available and consider adding broth or water to your dog’s food to increase fluid intake. Dehydration is a serious risk with diarrhea so monitoring hydration is important.
Feed bland diet – Temporarily feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice may help firm up stool. Avoid fatty foods and gradually transition back to regular diet once stools return to normal.
Limit exercise – Don’t overexert your dog while they have diarrhea, as this can worsen the problem.
Clean up accidents thoroughly – Use an enzymatic cleaner and sanitize any areas where your dog has had an accident to prevent reinfection.
Call your vet if symptoms persist beyond 1-2 days or if you notice signs of distress like vomiting, lethargy, or loss of appetite. Your vet can provide tailored advice for at-home care and monitoring.
Prevention
The best way to prevent yellow poop is to feed your dog a high quality diet. Look for a dog food that contains quality ingredients and avoids fillers, artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Some good ingredients to look for include fresh meats, whole grains, and vegetables. Avoid heavily processed foods.
Additionally, keep your dog on a regular deworming and parasite prevention schedule. Intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and giardia can cause yellow poop. Your vet can recommend a dewormer and a monthly preventative like Heartgard or Nexgard to kill parasites and prevent infestations.
When to See a Vet
You should take your dog to the veterinarian if the yellow poop persists for more than a day or two1. Yellow diarrhea that continues indicates an underlying issue that requires medical attention. It’s also advisable to see the vet if the yellow poop is accompanied by concerning symptoms like2:
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Straining to defecate
- Blood or mucus in stool
A persistent yellow diarrhea problem combined with other symptoms may be indicative of a serious medical condition that needs prompt veterinary diagnosis and treatment. Don’t wait too long before taking your dog to the vet.