As a dog owner, you are all too familiar with your dog’s poop. If you just got a puppy, you are even more curious prone to notice your puppy popping habits and wonder how your puppy is faring. You probably noticed that your puppy is pooping roughly every 2 hours after eating and might be wondering “Is everything okay with my puppy. Is this normal?”
In this article, we will discuss why puppies pooping 2 hours after eating is completely normal, why puppies poop 2 hours after eating, and what to expect from them in the future.
Why Does My Puppy Poop 2 Hours After Eating?
A puppy poops 2 hours after eating because of the way its stomach is structured. A dog’s stomach is joined to its colon (large intestine) by some nerves that start firing once a dog’s stomach is full. This motility in the digestive tract of a puppy, coupled with the fact that puppies get full quickly because of their small stomach, makes them poop more rapidly than older dogs.
As soon as a puppy eats its fill, the nerves in its digestive tract are activated, and things start moving, giving the dog an urge to poop. This happens within 30 minutes when a dog is done eating, so it’s easy to see why puppies would want to poop about 2 hours after a meal. There may be differences in this timing for puppies as each dog is unique, and other factors can make your puppy poop at a later time.
So there is no equation to predict precisely when your puppy will poop after eating. We have just explained why puppies tend to poop faster than bigger dogs. So we have seen why a puppy would want to poop about 1-2 hours after eating a meal, but what if your puppy is defecating earlier than this time or almost immediately after eating.
Is It Normal for A Puppy to Poop Right After Eating?
Yes, it is normal for a puppy to poop right after eating. Once a dog’s stomach is full, other contents in its digestive tract start moving, this might be food that your dog consumed earlier, and in a matter of minutes, your puppy might be ready to use the bathroom. So it is normal for a puppy to poop immediately after it is done eating.
If you have noticed the way dogs eat, they seem to swallow their food rather than chew. That is because dogs do not chew as we humans do, so their digestive system is actively grinding these chunks they eat from time to time. Puppies’ digestive system is often working at maximum capacity because they are often eating and easily get filled, and this drives up the rate they poop too.
Going by what we have discussed, you should be more concerned if your puppy is not pooping after a meal. If it’s several times a day, and it’s not because they have diarrhea, Then that is completely normal.
How Long Should It Take for A Puppy to Poop After Eating
A puppy will normally poop about 30 minutes if they ate earlier in the day and up to 2 hours after eating their first meal. However, this time frame is not a rule of the thumb, by the way, as this varies between puppies. A gastro-colic reflex is triggered when your puppy’s stomach bag is full, which gets the digestive tract working and gives your puppy the urge to poop.
Puppies are always eating, and because of this, their digestive system is always working at full capacity, and this is often shown in what comes out of the other end.
This typically takes about 2 hours in a puppy and around 4 hours in an adult dog. So it is the food they had earlier that has been digested fully that is being passed out as new food enters the stomach.
Dogs normally poop early in the morning when they wake up or in the evening before bed. You will need to observe your dog for some time to know its routine. This can slightly vary between breeds. Now let’s answer another common question —Should you be concerned if your puppy poops two hours after eating?
If your puppy is having trouble pooping we recommend this doggy poop digestive chew to help.
Should You Be Concerned If Your Puppy Is Pooping Two Hours After Eating
No, there is no reason to be concerned if your dog poops two hours after eating. While it is true that your puppy would often poop about 30 minutes or even less than that at times, it is still normal if they do so 2 hours after eating because other factors can affect just when your dog poops after eating.
Some puppies can go for hours without defecating, even skip a whole day at times. The amount of water your dog drinks can also affect how often they poop. Large breeds can hold up longer than toy breeds. But when your puppy goes for roughly two days without pooping, your dog might be constipated. In this case, you’ll need to speak to the vet about what you can do to help your dog.
As your puppy grows older, it should be able to tolerate the urge to poop better and will be able to go longer without having the need to poop after meals. The frequency with which they poop should reduce, and your dog can go for hours between meals without pooping, or he might just do it once or twice a day. Your dog will likely have a schedule that you’ll be used to.
Do Puppies Poop After Every Meal?
This is not a yes or no question; it varies between puppies. While some puppies might poop minutes after eating, some will go for hours after eating before they poop. It all depends on the puppy, but as we have seen earlier, puppies poop more frequently in a day than adult dogs. The kind of food your puppy takes can also affect how quickly they will poop.
Foods that have high fiber content stimulate the digestive system of a dog and make them poop quickly. Foods that are low in nutritional value will also be passed quickly, so if your dog is eating foods that are of poor quality or high in fiber, it will likely poop not too long after a meal.
Some medications can also make your dog poop more than usual or immediately after a meal. If your dog is stressed, they disrupt their schedule, and they poop more than usual.
Adult dogs poop about once or twice a day. Puppies generally poop about five times a day. Anything that is more than this in your puppy may indicate something is wrong. If your puppy’s poop appears different in color and consistency, you should speak to your vet.
If your puppy is pooping too frequently, your dog might have diarrhea. Hence, you should reduce the quantity of food your dog is consuming or check the contents. If it’s canned food, make sure it’s not reacting to something they are allergic to in the food. Consult your vet if you’re not sure of what to do.
Conclusion
It is normal for your puppy to poop 2 hours or even minutes after eating; it all depends on a puppy since each is unique. Typically puppies will need to poop around 5 times a day with adult dogs closer to 2 times a day. However, if you suspect your pup is defecating too much or too little, you can speak to your vet for an expert opinion.
