Last Updated: 01/09/2025
Pet Poo Chart
Learn about the 4C's of poo.
Author: Dr Katelyn Bailey BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 8 minutes - short read
Last Updated: 01/09/2025
Learn about the 4C's of poo.
Author: Dr Katelyn Bailey BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 8 minutes - short read
As the old saying goes, what goes in must come out- but did you know that what comes out can tell you a lot about your pet's digestion and overall health?
While it can be easy to tell when your pet's droppings are less than perfect, it can be trickier to figure out why they've suddenly changed.
Now you can start to unravel the mystery of your pet's poop with our comprehensive guide. While it doesn't replace a check up with your veterinarian, knowing some of the possible causes of poop variations- and when to see a vet- is a handy addition to any pet parent's knowledge base.
The 4 C's- Colour, Consistency, Coating and Contents- are great to have in mind when assessing your pet's poop. We'll run through what each of these are and their common variations, so that next time you pick up a poop you'll know exactly what to check for.
Get the Scoop on your Pet's Poop and stay informed about their health!
Download the Pet Circle Poo Chart today to track the 4 C's of healthy poo - Consistency, Colour, Contents, and Coating - all in one handy guide!
The 'perfect poo' is the one that will give you a sigh of relief when you approach the litter box, freshly gifted 'pile' or that corner of the yard. Not too smelly, well formed and maybe most importantly, easy to pick up! But what exactly makes the perfect poo?
The perfect poo is generally mid-brown in colour, but can range from light to dark brown. Factors such as diet, hydration, and individual differences between dogs can contribute to this colour variation. It passes easily and leaves no residue.
A healthy poo is formed, segmented, roughly sausage-shaped and holds together well when picked up. It has an 'even' appearance throughout with no abnormal contents. While the smell isn't overly pleasant, it should be only mild; stinky, malodorous stool isn't considered normal.
The first of the 4 C's is Colour . Stool colour is often obvious at first glance, though the change can sometimes be subtle. While a change in colour does not always indicate an emergency, it does tell us that something is not quite right and warrants further investigation.
Green poo can have several causes. If your pet has eaten grass, you will often see this pass out the other end, but grass eating can also cause a green discolouration of the stool itself. Other possibilities include a gallbladder issue or certain parasite infestations, such as giardiasis.
What to do:
Yellow or orange poo could indicate a liver, pancreatic or gallbladder issue. One or two yellowish stools may occur from dietary indiscretion or ingesting something a little 'off', but if the issue persists for longer than two days, it may indicate a more severe underlying problem. For further information, see our article on Yellow Poop.
What to do:
Red or red-tinged poo suggests that fresh blood is present in the stool. This can occur due to repeated straining, inflammation or damage to the lower gastrointestinal tract (eg. IBD, colitis, infection), anal gland issues, an anal fissure or wound, or even a blood clotting issue.
What to do:
White poo most often occurs due to too much bone or calcium in the diet, but in some cases can be caused by underlying organ disease. Often, if due to a calcium excess, the stool will also be quite firm which can lead to constipation.
What to do:
Pink or purple poo may indicate the potentially life-threatening condition of Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE). Often, but not always, HGE stool will also have a jam-like consistency.
What to do:
Black or dark red poo, also known as melena, gets its colour from partially digested blood that usually originates higher up in the digestive tract i.e. the stomach or small intestines. This can occur due to ulceration, inflammation, a viral or bacterial infection, foreign body or cancer. A blood clotting issue is another possible cause.
What to do:
Grey poo will often also be loose and/or greasy. The most common causes are maldigestion or a malabsorptive disease (for example, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), a particularly fatty meal, or a liver issue.
What to do:
The Consistency of your pet's poo is another valuable indicator of their overall health. Stool that is too firm or too loose can indicate underlying digestive issues that need to be addressed.
Firm or hard stool increases your pet's risk of developing constipation. Constipation refers to the infrequent or difficult passage of faeces. It is common for pets suffering from constipation to strain and pass small hard and dry pellet-like faeces, which can be painful. There can be many underlying causes for this including:
What to do:
For further information, see our articles on Constipation in Dogs and Constipation in Cats
Soft, sloppy, watery or loose poo, also known as diarrhoea, is one of the most common complaints pet owners have about their furry friends' droppings. As luck would have it, this seems to also be the type that gets freshly deposited onto new carpet! Often, increased frequency of toileting will also accompany this consistency change.
Like constipation, there can be many possible causes of diarrhoea, including:
What to do:
For further information, see our articles on Causes of Diarrhoea in Dogs and Causes of Diarrhoea in Cats
The third 'C' is Coating. This refers to what is covering, or coating, the outer surface of the poo. While this can sometimes occur as the only change, it's often accompanied by other stool variations, such as a change in colour or consistency.
While a small amount of clear mucous coating can be normal, a thick, opaque, discoloured or excessive mucous coat is not. You may find that when picked up, these stools will leave behind slimy residue. A mucous coating may be due to anything causing large bowel inflammation, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, colitis, a dietary sensitivity or a parasitic or bacterial infection.
What to do:
Blood coating your pet's poo could be a result of something causing inflammation or trauma to the lower digestive tract, a clotting issue, bleeding from the anal glands or a rectal wound.
What to do:
A greasy coating will often make stool difficult to pick up as well as leave behind residue. A fatty meal, malabsorptive or digestive condition, or a problem with the pancreas or gallbladder can all cause this type of coating.
What to do:
The final 'C' refers to the Contents of the poo. Basically, 'contents' refers to anything that is unable to be broken down on its way through your pet's digestive tract. Abnormal contents are often quite easy to spot and tend to be dispersed unevenly throughout the stool.
Always an unpleasant finding in your pet's poo, worms can appear as long and thin strands or small rice-like pieces. Often, but not always, they will be accompanied by diarrhoea.
What to do:
The occasional bit of fur in your pet's poo isn't concerning, however if you are noticing clumps or an overall increase in fur, this could indicate a problem. Overgrooming due to stress, allergies or itchy parasites may be the culprit. Alternatively, if your pet has ingested a rodent or other furred animal, you will likely see evidence of this passing through.
What to do:
While many pet parents will see the occasional piece of grass in their pet's poop, some pets develop a habit of ingesting potentially harmful materials such as plastic, cloth or rocks. If only a small piece is eaten, your pet may get lucky and have only a mild tummy upset, however larger pieces of indigestible materials pose a risk of gastrointestinal obstruction, also known as foreign body obstruction.
Indiscriminate eating, also known as Pica, can occur for a number of reasons including boredom, anxiety, compulsive disorders, nutritional deficiencies or anaemia.
What to do:
The kaleidoscope of poo variations can be confusing, but keeping the 4 C's in mind and monitoring for any changes can go a long way in ensuring any potential problems are picked up quickly- pun intended!
If you have more questions about your pet's poop, our Pet Circle Vets are available to connect with 7 days a week.
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
Your Cat's Digestive System Explained
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Veterinarian
Dr Katelyn Bailey graduated as a veterinarian from The University of Queensland in 2018 and has since worked in small animal general practice clinics in south-east Queensland. Her special interests include feline medicine and behaviour, preventative health care, internal medicine, research and senior pet care. Katelyn is a strong proponent of the human-animal bond and loves to hear about the quirks that make each pet so special.
