Is Dog Poop Good for Anything?
Picking up dog poop is a pain. If you’re like most dog owners, you probably regularly ask yourself if dog poop is good for anything or if it’s simply a health hazard. While dog poop isn’t necessarily good for your yard, dog poop is good for some things—and very important things too!
If you want to get the most out of your dog’s poop habits, here is a list of the things dog poop is good for…and the things it’s not so good for.
1. Dog Poop Is Good For Tracking Your Dog’s Health
2. Dog Poop Is Not Good for Your Grass
3. Dog Poop Is Good for Compost
4. Dog Poop Is Not Good for Keeping Away Pests
5. Dog Poop Is Not Good for Entertainment
Dog Poop Is Good For Tracking Your Dog’s Health
Perhaps the main benefit of regularly scooping and seeing your dog’s poop is the chance this gives you to check into your dog’s health. Dog poop should be chocolate-brown, log shaped, smooth, and not too hard or runny. If that’s not what it looks like, your dog could be ill.
Now, there are many problems that could be causing your dog’s poop to look different. As a quick guide, here are just a few options:
- Green poop usually indicates that your dog has eaten something strange, such as grass, household items, or even some type of poison for rats, insects, etc. It may be a sign of rapid intestinal transit, especially if it’s also very loose (like diarrhea).
- Red poop usually indicates blood. This could be from a cut in the dog’s anus (often caused by straining to poop) or from worms, tumors, or other blockages, usually in the dog’s large intestine.
- Orange or yellow poop often means that your dog is suffering from illness or imbalance in their liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.
- Flecked white poop is almost always caused by tapeworms. If your dog has eaten fleas or something else infected, they may develop worms. Longer, larger roundworms may also appear in your dog’s poop.
- Gray or white poop is caused by digestion malfunction and is often indicative of an issue with the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder.
- Black poop usually means your dog is bleeding internally, often in the upper gastrointestinal tract or the stomach. This could result from a variety of poisons, medications, parasites, or diseases.
- Loose poop, or diarrhea, is a symptom of many illnesses. If accompanied by vomiting, weakness, lethargy, behavioral abnormalities, or other symptoms, diarrhea could signal a serious illness.
- Hard poop, or constipation, is a symptom of some illnesses, like tumors. It may also be a sign of dehydration, lack of exercise, lack of fiber, and various other issues.
- Excess fat or mucus in your dog’s poop often indicate that your dog is struggling to digest and may need support for their colon, pancreas, or gallbladder.
As you can see, there are many issues that dog’s poop can reveal. If you notice that your dog’s poop looks out of the ordinary, get in touch with your vet to find out how you can support your dog’s health and digestion and get their stools back to normal.
Dog Poop Is Not Good for Your Grass
Some people think that dog poop, like certain types of manure, is good for your grass or garden. However, this is not the case. Dog poop is more acidic than manure because dogs’ diets don’t usually consist of grass, grains, and other plant matter.
Dog poop can be a great addition to a compost bin, but you must ensure that you use the correct ingredients in your compost to balance out the dog poop’s acidity. Simply leaving your dog’s poop out will likely turn your grass yellow and could even bring parasites and diseases into your garden.
Dog Poop Is Good for Compost
As long as your dog receives regular veterinarian care and is not suffering from serious parasites or another illness, dog poop is something you should definitely add to your compost bin.
The best way to eliminate the smell and any bacteria or other harmful parts of dog poop is to add lots of sawdust or wood chips to the compost pile and stir it regularly to heat it up and start decomposing the dog poop.
Overall, this is a great option because it allows you to make use of something that would normally end up taking years to decompose in a landfill.
Dog Poop Is Not Good for Keeping Away Pests
Another popular idea is that dog poop will keep away snakes, deer, and other garden pests. This is not strictly true—most animals are used to poop and won’t bother steering clear of a yard no matter how much feces is piled up in it.
Of course, dogs themselves can be inhibiting to pests, especially dogs with a loud bark and a strong protective instinct. Dogs that like to hunt may be good for killing snakes, rodents, or other small creatures.
Dog Poop Is Not Good for Entertainment
Whether you want to entertain guests in your yard or simply want to spend time out there with your pet, dog poop is no one’s friend. You have probably noticed the smell and sight of dog poop just isn’t pleasant for you or anyone around you.
Leaving your dog’s poop in the yard will make your own dog less likely to enjoy their time in the yard and could provide a home for parasites that might make your dog sick. Some dogs also eat their own poop because of an illness, boredom, or some other issue.
Keeping a clean yard is really the best thing you can do for your dog to give them a healthy, happy life outside. However, along the same vein, you probably don’t enjoy picking up your dog’s poop either. Who does?
If you’d like to keep your yard clean of dog poop but don’t want to put in that extra effort, our team would be glad to help. We can scoop your dog poop regularly to help you keep a clean yard and spend more time enjoying your pet instead of cleaning up after them.
Check out our services to learn more about how we can help you clean your yard and keep an eye on your dog’s health. We want to help you and your dog live a happier, healthier life.