Dr. Barchas,

I frequently switch my dog’s food to give him a wide variety in his diet. I noticed recently when I started giving him a new dry food his stools literally double in volume. I’m using a high quality food (not sure if I should mention names here, but it’s Mulligan Stew). The first 2 ingredients are chicken and brown rice. Does this mean anything? Can you give us the “low down” on poop? Thanks.

Susie
Cincinnati

Anyone who has overdone it at a taqueria or an Indian buffet can verify a simple fact: what goes in your mouth affects what comes out your hind end.

Here is the low down on poop. Poop consists of undigestible remnants of food, along with bile (secreted by the liver to help digestion) and other digestive secretions. Lots of bacteria live in the intestines, and poop therefore has lots of bacteria in it (that’s why it’s “dirty”).

Let’s go back to the undigestible remnants of food. Those remnants have a name: fiber. Foods that are high in fiber have more undigestible remnants that pass through the intestines and turn into poop. More fiber equals more poop.

I am guessing that your dog’s new food has more fiber than the previous one. It makes sense–brown rice is pretty high in fiber. So, just like a person who eats a bowl of bran flakes each day, your dog is now feeling light as a feather after his morning walk.

I can’t imagine that the extra poop is causing your dog any harm. I vote that you let him enjoy it.