Why Is Your Puppy’s Poop Soft?

Puppies are known for their soft fur, velvety paw pads, and squishy faces. But what about soft poop? Is that normal? Not exactly. Is it a big deal? Not always. Find out why your puppy may have almost-diarrhea.

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Is it normal for puppies to have soft poop?

A quick note about dog poop. A dog’s poop can reveal a lot about their overall health. No vet will shy away from talking about your puppy’s poop, so neither should you if you have any concerns. Normal dog poop should be brown, log-shaped, and firm enough to be picked up without leaving a mess. Any changes to the color, consistency, or content of a dog’s poop is a clue to pay attention and look for signs of potential problems. 

When a dog shoots out liquid diarrhea, that’s obviously abnormal. But there’s a lot of middle ground between normal poop and liquid diarrhea. So, what about when a dog has soft stool that’s not quite diarrhea, or what we commonly refer to as “soft-serve” poop? Many of the same things that cause diarrhea in dogs can cause a dog to have softer stool. The consistency of puppy stool can vary with changes in diet, environment, or health.

Younger puppies tend to have more moisture in their stool, and with all of the changes that puppies experience, the occasional mushy poop is not surprising. A lot of the time, a puppy’s poop will firm up on its own, but puppy parents should always keep a close eye to make sure that semi-formed stool doesn’t progress to full blown diarrhea. 

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Why is my puppy’s poop soft? Seven reasons why your dog’s stool is soft

Soft puppy poop can be a common concern for puppy parents, but it’s not always a sign of a major problem. Something as simple as a diet change, which puppies will experience a few of, can lead to softer-than-normal poop. Here are some reasons why your puppy’s stool may get a little mushy:

Stress

Changes and new experiences are a big part of puppyhood. Unfamiliar surroundings, new people, different food, car rides, potty training, and learning new routines can be a lot for a puppy. On top of that, time spent away from mom and littermates for socialization can add to the stress. While these experiences are exciting and part of growing up, they can also be very stressful, leading to stress-related soft stool. 

Diet changes

It’s common for puppies to develop soft stool as they transition from milk to solid food. As you explore puppy food options, exposing your puppy to different food types, such as wet food and dry kibble, along with a variety of textures, can help ward off picky eating in the future. However, keep in mind that each new food (or treat) can temporarily loosen your pup’s poop. To help reduce the likelihood of soft stool, gradually transition to new food slowly over a period of seven to ten days to give their gut time to adjust. 

Overeating/overfeeding

With a growing puppy, it can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly how much food they need, and overfeeding is a common mistake. To eliminate some of the guesswork, use a combination of the feeding guide on the dog food label, your puppy’s weight and activity level, and your veterinarian’s guidance to determine the correct amount to feed.

Puppies require a lot of high-quality nutrients to grow and thrive, but they definitely don’t know their limits. Given the opportunity, a puppy will dive into a bag of food like a kid into a ball pit. A puppy that overindulges is likely to have soft stool as their gut struggles to digest the extra food. If your puppy overeats to the point of pain, contact your vet. 

Intestinal parasites

Puppy poop that’s soft and smelly can be a sign of intestinal parasites. Puppies can get worms through several routes, including contact with infected stool, ingesting contaminated substances, and maternal transfer. The first sign of worms may be a little bit of loose stool, but as the worm burden increases, the stool can become looser and worms may appear in the stool. 

Infection or disease

Soft stool in dogs can be an early sign of an underlying health issue. Organ disease and bacterial or viral infections can impact a dog’s digestion, even if the problem doesn’t stem from the gut. 

Dietary indiscretion

Puppy parents know how hard it is to keep curious pups from eating things they shouldn’t. Despite best efforts, some puppies still find a way, swallowing bits of plant material, garbage, other pet’s food, and toys — resulting in loose stool. But puppies aren’t the only culprits in their dietary indiscretions. Pet parents who share tastes of human food can contribute to soft stool in a puppy, especially if the food is rich, fatty, or something the puppy’s gut isn’t used to. 

Food allergies or intolerances

Puppies can develop food allergies as early as six months of age. Food allergies in dogs typically cause skin issues like itching, but they can occasionally be a cause for a dog’s soft stool. Food intolerances, on the other hand, commonly cause gastrointestinal signs. Sensitivity to certain foods (like milk) can cause a little rumbling in the guts and mushier poop. 

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How a vet can identify the cause of soft stool

Although soft puppy poop often resolves on its own, it can be a sign of an issue. When consulting with a dog parent asking, “Why is my puppy’s poop soft?”, there are a few steps I typically take to find the cause. 

Physical exam

Getting a medical history is step number one. This allows us to gather vaccine history, learn what type of food a puppy is eating (and how much), as well as discover any possible dietary indiscretion or infection exposure. 

After getting a medical history, I perform a physical exam. Checking a pup over from nose to tail can help me find signs of possible medical issues. For example, puppies with intestinal parasites often have poor coat quality and a pot-bellied appearance. If the dog’s belly does appear full, deep palpation can help me suss out if the GI tract feels full of gas or material. I use the history and exam findings to determine which diagnostic tests are most appropriate. 

Fecal exam

Puppies get wormy; that’s why deworming is a standard part of puppy care. But the standard dewormers aren’t effective for every worm, and sometimes more targeted medication is needed. A fecal exam can help reveal specific intestinal parasites and lets me know if I need to prescribe specific medication. 

Viral testing

Bloody soft stool in dogs is one of the hallmark symptoms of parvovirus, but plain soft stool can be one of the first signs. Because there is no specific cure for parvo virus infections and early intervention often leads to better outcomes, testing for parvo virus is important for puppies that have never received veterinary care, are behind on vaccines, or that have known exposure to other dogs with the virus. 

Imaging

If a puppy’s soft stool is accompanied by a history of eating things they shouldn’t have, radiographs may be in order to take a closer look at a dog’s abdomen. Imaging can reveal signs of foreign body ingestion, food bloat, or anatomical abnormalities. 

Bottom line

Puppies go through a lot of changes that can prompt a bout of soft stool. If your dog has soft stool but is acting fine, it’s OK to keep a close eye to see if the stool firms up on its own. Have your pup seen by a vet if the soft stool persists for more than three days, it progresses to full-blown diarrhea, or if your puppy develops additional symptoms like vomiting or poor appetite. 

References

• “Cutaneous Food Allergy in Animals - Integumentary System.” MSD Veterinary Manual, www.msdvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/food-allergy/cutaneous-food-allergy-in-animals.

• Grellet, Aurélien, et al. “Validation of a Fecal Scoring Scale in Puppies during the Weaning Period.” Preventive Veterinary Medicine, vol. 106, no. 3-4, Oct. 2012, pp. 315–323, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.03.012.