What Causes Yellow Feces in Dogs?

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 27 December, 2022

When you take your dog out for it to do its business, you need to make sure it doesn’t make a mess in people’s gardens, in parks, or anywhere else. It’s important to pick up after them, making sure not to leave any dirt behind. But you also need to pay close attention to your dog’s droppings. For example, do you know what causes yellow feces?

The color of feces

Believe it or not, checking your dog’s feces is a good way to keep an eye on its health. The color is an indication of how well their digestive system is working, the quality of their food, and how well your dog is digesting and tolerating that food.

Normally, dog droppings are light or dark brown in color, with a damp, but firm consistency. If they look like this, it’s a pretty good sign that your dog is in good health.

Sometimes, the color of your dog’s feces can change, and it’s normal to feel worried if it turns a more alarming shade, such as yellow. This yellow color is actually caused by a natural lubricant, produced in your dog’s digestive tract. It is a sort of mucus, which is designed to protect the digestive tract.

This mucus, or lubricant, sticks to the droppings, and when they come out yellow, it tells us that there is a problem in the dog’s digestive tract. Seeing this substance on your dog’s feces is an indication that its digestive tract has been irritated by something that it’s trying to defend itself against.

If you see increasing amounts of mucus on their droppings, there might be some serious underlying problem. Seek veterinary treatment as soon as possible.

Causes of yellow feces in dogs

There are many different reasons why your dog might produce yellow feces. One reason might be its diet. Even the biggest and best-known dog food brands aren’t necessarily ideal for your four-legged friend.

When it comes to choosing your dog’s food, you need to pay close attention to the ingredients. If you start to see yellow droppings, the first thing you should consider doing is changing their food.

There is also a certain parasite, called Giardiasis, that can cause yellow feces. These protozoan parasites live in intestines, irritating the digestive tract. This causes them to produce more protective yellow lubricant than usual, which sticks to fecal material as it passes through. This makes your dog’s droppings greasy, yellow. It also makes them smell more than usual.

Older dogs and yellow feces

As your dog gets older, its immune system gets weaker. Its digestive tract can also become irritated more easily. It’s always best to seek veterinary advice as soon as possible, so that they can investigate the issue and start treatment.

Treatment for yellow feces

Once they’ve identified the root cause, your vet will be able to recommend a course of treatment. Obviously, it depends on your dog’s individual case. Whatever the treatment, it’s important to follow the instructions to the letter to help your animal get better.

The different treatments for yellow feces include:

• Making small adjustments to its diet.
• Reducing the amount of fiber in its diet.
• Intravenous fluids.
• Specific medication for digestive pain and irritations.
• A short stay at the vet for observation and recovery.
• Antiparasitics.
• Vaccines.
• Making sure it drinks fresh, good quality water, rather than water from the street.
• Being careful not to let it eat food off the street.
• Being careful about what your dog does when you go for a walk. Don’t let it go too near flowers, or roll around in certain plants, which can be toxic or even fatal for your pet.
• Making regular visits to the vet for a health check.

White feces

A dog that has very white feces probably eats a homemade or natural diet. This diet causes their stool to become discolored more quickly than usual, but it doesn’t indicate any kind of health issues.

In some cases, white feces can indicate that your dog’s diet is too rich in calcium. It might be eating an imbalanced diet, or it might be eating too many bones (or other calcium-rich foods, such as eggshell).

Green feces

If your dog’s stools are green, it might be because there is too much fruit and veg in its diet. This can cause its feces to turn green and it may also contain vegetable fibers.