If you’re a dog parent who is excited about cleaning your fur baby’s body waste, then you deserve a trophy. Dog parenting is one of the coolest experiences in the world but picking up poop is a less appealing part of that experience. Poop is a necessary evil, and in parenting dogs, you get to experience the good, bad, and ugly.
Despite its stinkiness, your dog’s poop can give you vital insight into its overall health. From the color, consistency, and general appearance of the waste product, you can discover an underlying health issue and solve it before it becomes a serious nuisance. So, while scooping up that scat, take a few seconds to make sure that it looks normal.
So, your dog is pooping clear liquid, and you’re scouring the internet, searching for the answers to your questions…. I’ve got you. If this clear liquid is in small amounts, it really isn’t something to worry about. The clear liquid is actually mucus produced by the lower intestinal glands to help food pass through the colon with little or no bother. The real issue arises when this mucus is excessive, when pooping clear fluid becomes a regular thing for your pooch or when clear poop is accompanied by vomiting or pain.
Why Is My Dog Pooping Clear Liquid?
The underlying cause of your dog’s mucoid poop may be any of the following.
Colitis
Colitis is a chronic disease that causes the inflammation of the colon and its lining. It is usually characterized by mucoid stools that are hard to pass. Colon inflammation can occur as an offshoot of food poisoning and colon obstruction. There are other possible causes of colitis, including immune diseases, damage to the colon, pancreatitis, infection, parasites, etc.
Food intolerance
Food intolerance is an unpleasant reaction of the digestive system to certain foods. These foods irritate the digestive tract, or your dog’s gut simply finds it hard to digest these foods. This leads to stomach cramps, throwing up, excess flatulence, and sometimes mucoid stools. The most common food intolerance for dogs is carbohydrates.
Intestinal parasites
Tapeworms, Giardia, hookworms, Cryptosporidium, and other intestinal parasites are common causes of clear liquid stools. A fecal examination is needed to detect the presence of these parasites, and a dewormer is used for treatment. If this clear stool is caused by parasites, there is a high possibility that the stool contains eggs that can infect other animals and you.
Bacterial infection
Microorganisms can infect the intestinal tract, deal a lot of damage to organs and cause digestive issues. With these bacterial infections come odd-colored stools with severe vomiting, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, and other symptoms. Salmonella, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, and many other microbes may infect the digestive tract and lead to the symptoms listed above.
Food poisoning
Many dogs think that anything that smells different should be tasted and eventually swallowed. You can blame this on their curious nature. This usually leads to them ingesting injurious substances like drugs, soaps, and dangerous foods. Such foods include chocolate, coffee, onions, alcohol, and others.
Stress
It might be hard to believe, but stressful conditions can cause your dog to stool clear liquid. Just like humans, sometimes our dog’s emotional and mental states affect their digestive system. Stress increases the rate of movement of gut content, so food is not fully processed or digested. This leads to diarrhea in many different forms, including the production of clear liquid poop and even bloody stool.
Eating foreign objects
Some dogs love to “taste” everything they come across. If you have an avid taster for a pet, chances are that its digestive problems might be a result of its curious appetite. If you’ve been searching for a sock, part of a toy, or any other item, and you notice mucoid poop or your dog straining to defecate, your dog might have swallowed something he shouldn’t have.
Sudden changes in diet
If your dog starts pooping clear liquid after a change in diet, it might be that the digestive tract is taking a while to adjust to the new food. If this happens, revert to the former food and begin to introduce the new food by adding increasing quantities to the old one over a while. This is why you should avoid an abrupt change of diet.
Parvovirus
Lethargy, severe vomiting, and loose or bloody stools are the cardinal signs of this deadly virus. Puppies and unvaccinated dogs are most susceptible to this highly contagious disease. So, if you believe that your doggo has been in contact with an infected animal, and he begins to poop clear liquid, parvoviral infection is a possibility.
Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth
This is commonly referred to as SIBO. When the “good” bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract begin to grow and overpopulate, their products damage the intestinal mucosa or impair nutrient absorption, thereby leading to diarrhea. SIBO is usually found in dogs with chronic small intestinal disease.
Fungal infections
In some cases, dogs may poop clear fluid because of a fungal infection. Although fungal infections aren’t as prevalent as bacterial infections, they can still cause a lot of harm. Fungal infections like histoplasmosis and GI pythiosis can cause clear liquid stools.
Crohn’s disease
Similar to colitis, Crohn’s disease is a chronic form of inflammatory bowel disease. It is also known as granulomatous colitis or regional enteritis. This disease cannot be cured, but it can be treated with antibiotics, probiotics, subcutaneous injections of vitamin B12, and the right diet. Inflammation of the gut wall leads to straining to poop and excess production of colon mucus.
Colonic obstruction
If the colon is blocked by foreign materials, it can become irritated and cause injury to the gut wall. This will lead to colitis which is one of the major causes of mucoid stools.
Tumors and polyps
Tumors and polyps growing in your dog’s intestinal tract can cause issues with digestion and lead to the production of unusual stools. These growths can also lead to rectal bleeding.
Clostridial enterotoxicosis
Similar to SIBO, clostridial enterotoxicosis is a disease caused by an overgrowth of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens and is characterized by stomach cramps, shiny liquid diarrhea with mucus on the surface, and straining to poop. Clostridium perfringens is usually found in raw or undercooked meat, rotting food, and some vegetables.
Allergies
Allergies occur when the immune system reacts adversely to foods. Similar to food intolerance, an immune response is triggered in response to particular foods. The culprits for allergies in dogs are mostly proteins like chicken, eggs, and beef. However, any food can cause allergies, so look out for allergic reactions in your dog.
Should I Be Concerned if My Dog Is Pooping Clear Liquid?
Yes and no. As mentioned before, a small amount of mucus in your canine’s stool is acceptable. However, you should be concerned if your dog is constantly pooping clear liquids or has its poo cased in a mucoid membrane. This is a clear sign that something isn’t quite right in its digestive tract.
You should be concerned if certain signs like vomiting, pain, lethargy, and bleeding come along with clear stool. It is best to find out whatever the root cause of this abnormal poo is to prevent the condition from worsening. The length and quality of your pet’s life depend on your ability to be proactive in conditions like this. You must be observant and not overlook signs of abnormality.
If you have more than one dog, it is possible that whatever condition your pet is dealing with is contagious. You do not want this to spread to his housemate. As soon as something doesn’t seem right, take action.
What Should I Do If My Dog Is Pooping Clear Liquid?
If you have noticed your dog’s stool is mucoid, you should work with your vet on the right game plan to diagnose the cause. If it’s a one-off occurrence, you shouldn’t be too worried. If your dog keeps on pooping this clear liquid for more than 2-3 days, then that’s a red flag.
Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your vet will usually recommend a dietary change first, as food intolerance is the major cause of mucoid stools in dogs. With the approval of a vet, feed your dog a high fiber or bland diet to help strengthen his stomach. If the possibility of dietary indiscretion and intolerance has been ruled out, your vet will probably run a full health check-up to reach a diagnosis.
Even with the variety of causes of clear poop, you can never go wrong with giving pet supplements. The right digestion support supplement will aid proper digestion, reduce allergic reactions and support the immune system. In addition to supporting your dog’s digestive system, they offer a jaw-dropping ability to reduce stool odor and bad breath. If you’d love a supplement with these benefits, we recommend this dog poop supplement.
What About if They Are Pooping Clear Liquid and Vomiting?
If your dog is pooping clear liquid and vomiting, something is definitely wrong. There are so many possible reasons for this, including gastroenteritis, blockage in the gut, food poisoning, and the deadly parvovirus. However, the biggest danger associated with your pet pooping and puking at the same time is dehydration.
Dehydration is a deadly condition where animals lose more water and electrolytes than they are taking in. Since your pet relies on water and electrolytes for many body processes, dehydration may spell doom for the body. Severe cases of dehydration can lead to organ failure and death.
If your pet is showing these symptoms but still seems active, it might be a simple case of food intolerance. Food intolerance should clear up in 2 to 3 days. If the symptoms extend for a longer time or your once happy canine friend seems lethargic or in pain, get to a vet!
What Should I Do If My Dog/puppy Is Pooping Clear Liquid and Vomiting?
If your dog is not only pooping clear liquid but throwing up, this presents a serious issue. You should take your pet to the veterinary clinic immediately, as this could be a sign of a viral infection, severe food poisoning, or intestinal blockage. Take pictures of the stool and vomit, take steps to prevent dehydration, and call up your veterinarian.
In a case where you can’t get to the veterinarian immediately, your first cause of action should be to rehydrate your fur kid. Offer cool water, keep your dog out of hot environments, and do not feed your sick pooch. Place a few ice cubes to prevent your dog from drinking water too fast, as this causes stomach stretching. Common signs of dehydration include lethargy, weakness, dry gums, sunken eyes, and loss of elasticity.
Take pictures of the stool and puke. These pictures will help the doctor in assessing, diagnosing, and treating the condition. In critical cases of dehydration, your vet would recommend rehydration solutions like Pedialyte or Ringer’s lactate. In short, your dog should be seen by the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Why Is My Dog/puppy Pooping Clear Liquid and Blood?
Seeing clear liquid poop or bloody poop from your canine can put you on edge. Seeing both at once? Now that’s enough to cause a full-blown heart attack! Before letting anxiety overwhelm you, look closely at that poop to make sure it is blood and not ingested lipstick or crayon.
Bloody stools may look bright red (hematochezia) or dark and tarry (melena). The color of the stool indicates whether the bleeding originated in the upper (dark blood) or lower respiratory tract (bright red blood). Melena is usually caused by parasites, ingesting blood via a mouth injury or bloody nose, ulcers, post-surgery complications, and many other issues. On the other hand, hematochezia is caused by cancer, parvovirus, and other viral infections, bacterial infections, colitis, rectal injury, sudden diet change, etc.
Along with bloody diarrhea and vomiting, other symptoms can occur like lethargy, weight loss, electrolyte imbalance, and others. Dehydration is a strong possibility since a lot of fluid is lost. Although not all causes of bloody mucoid are life-threatening, get your dog medical attention. Better safe than sorry, right?
What Should I Do If My Dog/puppy Is Pooping Clear Liquid and Blood?
As with the other conditions, the first thing you should do is contact your veterinarian. Note the appearance of the blood in the stool (or take many pictures) because this will assist the doctor in making the right diagnosis. If you can, collect a stool sample from your pooch and send it to the veterinary lab for necessary tests. These will probably be tests for viral infections, bacterial infections, or parasites.
Also, check your dog’s deworming records. Your dog might be suffering from worm infestation and needs to be dewormed. Parvoviral infection also presents itself with the same symptoms, though, so your best bet would be to get your pooch tested. Another common cause of bloody stools is an intestinal obstruction so if you’ve been looking for any household item for a while, consider taking your little guy in for an X-ray.
While taking care of your doggo, you must maintain proper sanitary practices for the good of yourself and your pet. Wash your hands after handling and cleaning your pet and safely dispose of the waste. If you have other pets, you should always separate an ill pet to prevent disease spread.
What Should I Do to Prevent My Dog from Pooping Clear Liquid in The Future?
The key to normal poop in dogs is a healthy digestive system. You can achieve this through maintaining proper sanitary practices, routine deworming and vaccination, yearly stool examinations, and using poop supplements. The use of digestive aids and poop supplements is a gamechanger in preserving digestive health. Paying attention to your pet’s gut is necessary for raising a healthy dog.
A balanced diet is important in keeping your pet healthy. A good diet will also ensure that your dog has a strong immunity to fight off infections. This balanced diet helps growth, reproduction, and emotional and mental health and provides your dog with the needed energy for metabolic activities. Regular exercise is also needed to keep your pooch healthy.
The method of storing food is also very important. Store dry food in a dry and clean environment and avoid feeding with rotten or expired food. Remember, garbage in, garbage out!
Conclusion
There are so many reasons why a dog could be pooping clear liquid. It could be a result of something as simple as stress, an allergy, or food intolerance and as complex as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or small intestinal bacteria overgrowth. Either way, you’ve taken the right step by researching how to help and take care of your pet. Follow these tips and your veterinarian’s instructions, and hopefully, your pet’s poop will be back to a smelly brown mess soon enough.
