15 Causes of Mucus in a Dog's Stool
It's not uncommon to find mucus in your dog's poop, and some of the causes are benign. Learn more about why this occurs and when you should be concerned.
Why Is There Mucus in Your Dog's Poop?
When inspecting your dog's poop, were you surprised to see mucus or something that looked like jelly? The presence of mucus is actually very normal. It's common to see a little bit of a slimy, jelly-like substance in your dog's stool.
Glands in the intestinal tract naturally produce mucus to help keep the colon lubricated and moist to help the stools pass along. However, excessive mucus accompanied by blood in the stool, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or other symptoms is a cause for concern.
It's always a good idea to inspect a dog's stool to see if there is anything unusual or alarming in it. Your dog's poop can tell you many things, such as what he ate, if he has parasites, if he's stressed out, or if he's suffering from some form of digestive disorder. There's even a Bristol Chart for dogs!
If you find mucus in your dog's poop, you may wonder where it's coming from and what causes it. In the next few paragraphs, we will learn more about this.
In This Article
- When Does Mucus in Dog Poop Become a Concern?
- What Should Mucus Normally Look Like?
- Why Is There Blood in My Dog's Poop?
- 15 Causes of Mucus in Dog Poop
- What Does It Mean if There Is Mucus in Dog Poop?
- Treatment for Mucus in Dog Poop
- Why You Should Regularly Examine Your Dog's Stool
Related: 13 Causes of Black Diarrhea in Dogs
Here are some causes of mucus in dog stool and what you can do about it.
When Does Mucus in Dog Poop Become a Concern?
- When there is an excessive amount
- When blood is present
- When there is vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and/or loss of appetite
What Should Mucus Normally Look Like?
Normal mucus often looks like a clear jelly-like substance mixed within the stool. Sometimes, it may envelop the stool like a sausage casing. In some cases, the mucus may also appear white. If you routinely inspect your dog's poop, you'll quickly note when something looks off.
Why Is There Blood in My Dog's Poop?
If your dog is pooping blood but acting normal, then it is likely caused by a sudden change in your dog's diet, stress, food intolerance, or dietary indiscretion.
Other serious causes of blood in dog stool include parvovirus, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and intestinal parasites, which must be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
Call a vet immediately if you see blood along with symptoms of vomiting, chronic diarrhea, dehydration, and/or lethargy.
What the Color Indicates
- If the blood is fresh and bright red, it is derived from the colon or rectum.
- If you see tarry or black stool, then the cause likely originates in the upper small intestine.
Related: How Do I Know if My Dog Is Constipated?
15 Causes of Mucus in Dog Poop
- Stress
- Dietary Indiscretion
- Food Intolerances
- Intoxication
- Diet Changes
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Crohn's Disease
- Colitis
- Intestinal Parasites/Protozoans
- Fungal Infection
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Clostridial Enterotoxicosis
- Parvovirus
- Ingesting Foreign Objects
- Polyps and Tumors of the Intestinal Lining
Many factors can influence your dog's well-being.
What Does It Mean if There Is Mucus in Dog Poop?
An increase in mucus is often a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is an irritation and possible inflammation of the colon or large intestine. When irritated, the intestinal tract decides to create an extra layer of protective mucus lining.
Dogs with irritable bowel syndrome will have the urge to defecate frequently and will pass semi-formed feces or runny stool with small amounts of bright red blood at the end and/or excessive mucus. Following are some potential causes of irritable bowel syndrome.
1. Stress
Believe it or not, a dog's mental and emotional state can have a great impact on his bowel movements. Like humans, dogs under stress or anxiety will have diarrhea, which may include large amounts of mucus and some blood. Other symptoms include having the urge to go frequently or straining when defecating.
If your dog strains and nothing comes out, then it may simply be stress, which gives him the urge to go despite having an empty colon. This is not to be confused with constipation. Most likely, the straining happens after your dog has already defecated several times.
Diarrhea due to stress should resolve itself within 24 to 48 hours, so call a vet if it does not. You can prevent bloody diarrhea due to stress by first resolving the source of stress.
2. Dietary Indiscretion
If your dog is a dumpster diver or a counter surfer, then she probably ate something bad that gave her an upset stomach. This can be easily remedied with a bland diet or slippery elm bark.
3. Food Intolerances
Allergies or intolerances to food will cause an upset stomach that may result in vomiting, flatulence, or diarrhea. Common food culprits include dairy, undercooked eggs, raw meat or bones, or fried or greasy foods. Chronic diarrhea may also be a result of eating foods that are toxic to dogs.
4. Intoxication
If you suspect that your dog has ingested poison or toxic foods, such as chocolate, gum, or grapes/raisins, then symptoms of vomiting and chronic diarrhea will occur, along with more serious signs of poisoning, such as wobbly gait, fatigue, fainting, and seizures.
Related: Menthol Toxicity: Is Menthol Toxic to Dogs?
New foods should be introduced gradually.
5. Recent Diet Changes
Did you recently switch to another brand of dog food? Sometimes, mucus or liquid feces is simply a sign that your dog's digestive system is trying to adjust to a new diet.
If this is the case, introduce the new food slowly by mixing in increasing amounts with some of his old food. If your dog is not experiencing severe diarrhea or constipation and there is no sign of blood, then you can continue feeding the new food.
Your dog should be able to adjust within a week's time, and his stool should return to normal. If not, speak with your veterinarian. You may have to switch to a hypoallergenic food brand.
6. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Inflammatory bowel disease is a condition in which the intestine is chronically attacked by inflammatory cells. The most common type of IBD is characterized by an infiltration of lymphocyte and plasmacyte cells. This is common in German Shepherds and Shar Peis. The second most common form involves the eosinophils cell.
7. Crohn's Disease
Also known as granulomatous colitis or regional enteritis, Crohn's disease is a chronic form of IBD. The first symptoms of Crohn's disease will be loose stool and a frequent urge to defecate. The stool may also contain bloody mucus. If the disease progresses, you will notice your dog becoming a picky eater, losing his appetite, and losing weight.
8. Colitis
Large bowel diarrhea is often associated with colitis. You may also see straining (not to be confused with constipation), small amounts of blood, and excessive amounts of mucus. Stress is usually the leading cause, but colitis can also be brought on by an infection or parasites.
Histiocytic ulcerative colitis is a rare disease in which ulcers line the colon and cause inflammation with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive histiocytes. If your dog has ulcerative colitis, you will see a lot of blood in his stool.
Related: Veterinarian's Healthy Diet Advice for a Dog With Colitis
Dogs can contract whipworm by ingesting feces, so make sure to keep your yard clean.
9. Intestinal Parasites/Protozoans
Whipworms or tapeworms are parasites that live in the intestine and colon and cause severe irritation. They are some of the most pathogenic worms found in dogs and can be ingested via food, soil, or water. If this is the cause of your dog's diarrhea, you may be able to find whipworm eggs in the stool.
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite giardia. This parasite is usually ingested from another animal's feces, including human feces. Dogs with giardiasis will exhibit foul-smelling diarrhea that is watery, frothy, and contains a lot of mucus.
10. Fungal Infection
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that is contracted by eating or inhaling contaminated soil or bird droppings. Symptoms include loss of appetite and diarrhea with straining.
11. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
SIBO occurs when the dog's body, for whatever reason, is unable to absorb raw food, so the bacteria already present in the dog's intestine eats the undigested food and uses it as fuel to grow and overpopulate. This causes an imbalance of good colon bacteria.
SIBO is commonly seen in dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). German Shepherds are overrepresented among those who suffer from this disease. Symptoms include yellow mucus, loose/soft stool, mucus coating on the stool, flatulence, chronic diarrhea, crankiness, and lethargy.
If the mucus in your dog's stools is caused by an imbalance of bacteria, Fortiflora is a probiotic that can help restore that balance.
12. Clostridial Enterotoxicosis
This disease is also characterized by an overgrowth of bacteria. The bacteria is usually acquired through raw meats and vegetables or decaying foods. Dogs with clostridial enteroxtoxicosis may experience diarrhea with a shiny mucus coating, frequent and watery stools, stomach discomfort, and straining.
13. Parvovirus
This is a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the intestinal tract. The symptoms of parvo are lethargy, severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite, and life-threatening dehydration. Puppies, adolescent dogs, and unvaccinated dogs are the most susceptible.
Breeds at risk include Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds. If your puppy is infected, learn what you can do to save your puppy from parvo.
Check whether your dog might've eaten something he shouldn't have.
14. Ingesting Foreign Objects
If your dog has an appetite for non-food items, it could explain why he has digestive problems. This medical condition is known as pica and could be a symptom of a greater problem, such as malnutrition. But, most of the time, it is just a bad habit that must be stopped through training.
If you're not sure whether your dog has swallowed something he shouldn't have, check for these