Why does my puppy poop a lot?

Poop. The word and the object is inevitable when you have a four-legged furry friend living in your home. Yes, we're talking about dogs.

But most importantly, puppies.

Yes, if you have or had one, you may have noticed puppies poop here and everywhere.

Sometimes as a dog owner, too, you've probably thought to yourself, why is my puppy pooping so much?

If you have, then you're not the only one; there comes a time when finding too much poop, and it makes us want to know why do puppies poop a lot?

Well, to help answer the common question, we're going to talk about poop.

How many times do puppies poop a day?

The younger your puppy tends to be, the more frequently it will need to poop. This is because they won't hold their bowel movements as often until they become older and learn a routine.

Moreover, puppies have a higher metabolism than adult dogs, which causes them to excrete more poop quickly and regularly.

On average, you should expect your puppy to poop around 3-5 times a day. Anything less or too little, i.e., 1 poop per day, your puppy could be extremely constipated. You will often find that your puppy poops based on the amount of fiber they have in their diet.

Why is my puppy pooping more than average?

If you find your puppy to be pooping more than 5 times a day, it could be down to several factors. First of all, if their food contains a lot of corn and wheat, that could be making them go more frequently to the bathroom.

Sometimes, puppies can poop more frequently because they have an underlying medical condition. One condition, in particular, is dog colitis. This is where your dog's large intestine becomes inflamed, i.e., the colon.

As a result, it can cause irregular bowel movements and often diarrhea. Most of the time, this can occur due to a change in their diet. Similarly, it could be a sign of potential parasites. If you do find your puppy pooping more than normal, we suggest seeking help from a veterinarian.

What color should my puppies poop be?

For your puppies poop to be healthy, you should expect the color to look a medium to dark brown. If the color is anything outside of that range, for example, your puppies poop is green, yellow, red, or white, you should immediately speak to a vet.

On the contrary, if you find it to have brown poop with green bits in it, that's often a sign of grass. Do note if you find white bits in your puppies poop, this could be a sign of a parasite such as a tapeworm. Similarly, if they have red specks in their poop, this could indicate internal bleeding.

If you notice this, then you should consult with a veterinarian about your puppy's poop. Plus, your puppies poop should be firm and consistent, not runny or liquid.

When should my puppy go?

A puppy will need to go to the bathroom quite frequently. Most of the time, they will need to go 30 minutes after they've eaten. You should take your puppy outside to the bathroom first in the morning and the last thing before they go to sleep.

Similarly, you should take your puppy outside to poop straight after they've played and also when they've woken up.

We suggest taking them out regularly as puppies poop a lot. The sooner you take them out and the more frequently you do so, the sooner they will become familiar with outside and trained more quickly.

Several indicators may suggest your puppy needs to poop. You may find them whining, walking around in circles, sniffing a lot, pacing, and squatting. If you see them do this in your home, we suggest taking them outside immediately.

Final thoughts

You should expect your puppy to poop up to 5 times per day. If you find your puppy pooping more than that, it could be due to excess fiber in their diet or an underlying medical condition. Similarly, if you find your puppies poo outside the mid-dark brown color, i.e., yellow or red, we suggest speaking to a veterinarian.

Overall, observe your puppy pooping and look out for the warning signs. But most importantly, take it out frequently after they've woken up, eaten and played, to allow them to become familiar with potty training.