Is your dog defecating way too many times in a day’s time? If so, then that’s probably a cause of worry and stress to you, just like it is for many dog owners who notice that their dogs tend to “go potty” much more frequently than other dogs they know and hear about.
Or, your dog may be defecating much less than you’d expect them to normally be, which is also a cause of serious concern, as the first thought that comes to mind is “my dog’s constipated!”.
Either way, and no matter which of the two scenarios best describes your dog’s current situation, there is an optimal amount of times that dogs should be pooping in a day’s time, one that should drive you to look into your dog’s situation and possibly get a veterinarian’s opinion on it if they’re below or above that level.
Why Does My Dog Poop So Much? How Often Do Dogs And Puppies Poop?
So, exactly how often do dogs and/or puppies poop in a day’s time?
Well, the answer to that question is almost always going to be dependent on a host of different factors that come into play, ones we will be expanding on in the following list below.
Young Puppies VS Adult Dogs: If you have a young puppy that’s still developing and growing, it’s completely normal for them to be “going potty” much more frequently than older, adult dogs.
Amount Of Consumed Food: The amount of food that your dog has consumed over the past 24-48 hours will play a huge role in how much and how often they poop throughout the day.
The more food your dog has consumed throughout the past 24-48 hours, the larger you can expect their feces to be in volume and/or the more frequently they will visit their designated potty area (that’s where we hope your dog is pooping, at least!).
Amount Of Fiber In The Diet: If you’re feeding your dog dog food that’s high in fiber, then that means that they’re going to be pooping more frequently than dogs that are fed dog food that’s low in fiber, as the digestive system processes high fiber food much faster than it does with low fiber food, resulting in more frequent potty trips.
How Many Times A Day Should A Dog Poop?
At the very least, adult dogs and young puppies alike should be defecating at least once every 24 hours.
Anything less than that of a schedule almost always means that there’s something that’s not right.
If your dog consumes a meal of theirs and defecates around 2 hours later, then this shouldn’t be a cause of worry for you as this is how the digestive system of most dogs operates and it’s only normal.
Should I Worry About My Dog’s Pooping Frequency?
How do you know whether or not you should be worrying about your dog’s pooping frequency (be that a bit too low or a bit too high in your perspective)?
Here’s a list of some of the most common occurrences that, coupled with either a significantly frequent or a infrequent pooping schedule your dog or puppy may be experiencing, most of the times should be reasons that you get your dog checked by a veterinarian or at least re-evaluate the lifestyle that your dog is living and see if you can change a few day-to-day practices in order to improve the situation.
– Rapid weight loss or rapid weight gain
– Loose stool
– Hard stool that your dog is having a difficult time eliminating from their systems (most often a sign of constipation, especially if the stool is dry as well)
– 48 hours has passed since your dog’s last defecation
– Blood in your dog’s stool is apparent
How Can I Ensure That My Dog Poops Within The Frame Of A “Normal” Schedule?
Assuming your adult dog or young and growing puppy isn’t suffering from any underlying medical conditions or health problems that may be dictating their overly-frequent or very infrequent schedule of pooping, the most useful tip you can implement in order to help your pooch have a more regular schedule than one that’s all over the place is giving them a regular and consistent feeding schedule to stick with.
One of the first things you should do in such a case is to ensure your dog has a consistent eating schedule put in place with consistent timings, consistent portions and consistent meals.
This consistency will make it much easier for your dog’s digestive system to do its work properly and smoothly, which plays a huge role in everything related to Fido’s poop as well.
Medication For Dogs That Poop A lot Or Infrequently
When it comes to giving your dog medication to help regulate their poop schedule, whether the case is that your dog is pooping way too frequently and you want to tone that down a bit or your dog is pooping very infrequently and you want to increase it up a bit, there is medication available for either case.
However, you should never attempt to give your dog such medication without first having them diagnosed by a veterinarian and having the vet supervise any course of treatment you have your dog or puppy on for a certain amount of time.
Your veterinarian will most likely only prescribe medication for you to give your dog in such a situation if there’s a medical condition causing such an irregularity.
If it’s something that has to do with your dog’s lifestyle, their diet, certain day to day habits, etc .. then a competent veterinarian will be able to determine that from the questions they ask you, and won’t prescribe medication for you to give your dog if the issue can be solved with a few simple lifestyle changes here and there.
