Why does poop smell?

[mcnutty757]

I know this probably sounds like a stupid question, but can someone tell me why dog poop smells? I know all poop smells (including human's), but I've noticed that the intensity of my pug's poop varies greatly from day to day,and even poop to poop.
I get the feeling that certain treats contribute to the smell, but I have still failed to recognize a pattern.
One that I am certain of, however, is that the softer his poop is, the more it sticks.
OK poop experts, here's your opportunity to shine

 

[Saeleofu]

I've noticed what you feed has a lot to do with it. There are some foods where I can smell the poop and know what they ate.

Carnivore poops stinks compared to herbivore poop, too (not dog-specific, but animals as a whole). I love the smell of horse or cow poop, but not dog or cat poop. Elephant and rhino poop is pretty bad, too, but not as bad as carnivore poop (I accidentally typed that as "cornivore"...I think I have a new name for corn-fed dogs :rofl1.

Well...I think I need to go to bed... :lol-sign:

 

[thehoundgirl]

Well it does have to do with their diet, yes but it's not supposed to smell pretty either. Ours stinks too.

 

[Kat09Tails]

There are other things that can make crap smell worse like giardia. It also can make mush turds.

Great pre bed conversations

 

[ihartgonzo]

My dogs, when they are eating raw meat and bones ONLY, have odor-less poops! Seriously. I work at a pet hotel, and it is clear what a dog is eating by their poops. Dogs who eat Dog Chow/Pedigree/Beneful have AWFUL, loose, nasty poops. Dogs who eat grain-free kibble with high meat content have firm, decent poops. But nothing compares to Raw poops. If your dog has nasty poops, I definitely recommend feeding a pre-made raw diet (Stella & Chewy's is really good) or prey model raw if you have the time to research and prep it.

Humans' shouldn't smell either! The only reason it does is if you eat processed foods with preservaties and chemicals, garlic/onions, dairy and meat. Our digestive system is not designed for meat consumtion... one reason that I'm a vegetarian.

 

[mcnutty757]

Our puppy eats Blue puppy chow, which I hear is pretty good. Is vegetarianism common in dogs?

 

[kady05]

It's interesting, because ever since I started Piper on raw, her poop doesn't stink! Wilson & Sako eat grain free kibble (Orijen & NV Instinct), and theirs isn't terrible, but I'm amazed at how Piper's smell like.. nothing LOL.

 

[HayleyMarie]

Teagan is on prey Model raw and I never, ever smell her poops. They are small and nice and firm and disappear in a matter of days.

Mcnutty there are people out there who feed their dog a veggie diet, but that diet is not proper for dogs. I should add I know alot of people who feed their dogs raw. But themselves are vegetarians.

 

[Saeleofu]

Dogs who eat Dog Chow/Pedigree/Beneful have AWFUL, loose, nasty poops.

They also have colored poop. You would not believe how many times people come in because their dog has "bloody poop" and it turns out their dog eats Beneful or Kibbles and Bits or something with red food coloring lol

Is vegetarianism common in dogs?

It exists, but it's not common, and not something I would do unless I had a dog allergic to all the meat...which is probably pretty rare. I do occasionally get samples of vegetarian dog food, and when I feed it I mix some 100% chicken or some other 100% canned meat with it just to change things up a bit.

I should add I know alot of people who feed their dogs raw. But themselves are vegetarians.

I've actually never run into anyone that does that, except ihartgonzo (didn't know before lol). It seems more commonly that vegetarians insist on feeding dogs kibble or if they do raw, BARF. I know one mn who is a vegan and feeds his cat a vegan diet. It drives me NUTS. CATS CANNOT BE HEALTHY VEGANS!

The only reason it does is if you eat processed foods with preservaties and chemicals, garlic/onions, dairy and meat.

1. I told you carnivore poop stinks lol
2. You should smell poop after a night at HuHot...mmmmm garlic :rofl1: :rofl1:



All food-related stink aside, nothing is worse than parvo poop. Ewwwwwwwwww.

 

[mcnutty757]

Thanks again for all of the useful advice. I find it so interesting when I seen dog poop that takes a really long time to decompose, and I can't imagine what their owners are feeding them. I've also noticed that Bunk's poop has better texture when we feed him carrots, but it also makes it smell.

I don't know why I'm so interested in dog poop, but it just seems to be one of those natural barometers of health, which takes little effort to examine.

 

[Southpaw]

Juno's poop was freaking disgusting when she spent ONE week on a Hills Rx diet. It was firm, which was nice (we were trying to solve the problem of her loose stools), but it was stinky and the amount of it was ridiculously large.

She's on a grain free kibble right now, and smell is not an issue.

At school the dogs were fed Science Diet. And OMG I've never been so grossed out. The smell would literally make me gag. It was like the nastiest poop ever to clean up.


Good discussion. :lol-sign:

 

[Saeleofu]

but it was stinky and the amount of it was ridiculously large.

Was it W/D by any chance? I HATE W/D poop. It's HUGE, it crumbles when you try to pick it up, it stinks...ewww.

 

[Romy]

Humans' shouldn't smell either! The only reason it does is if you eat processed foods with preservaties and chemicals, garlic/onions, dairy and meat. Our digestive system is not designed for meat consumtion... one reason that I'm a vegetarian.

Whatever dude! Tell that to my canine teeth.

Seriously though, attempting vegetarianism landed me in the hospital. That's when I found out everybody's body is different and mine will not keep weight on at all without animal protein at every meal and 30-40% of my diet animal fat of some kind.

As for poo, my dogs don't stank unless they eat cheapo kibble. Or fish. Fish poo is the worst which is why cat BMs are so nasty.

 

[Southpaw]

Was it W/D by any chance? I HATE W/D poop. It's HUGE, it crumbles when you try to pick it up, it stinks...ewww.

Hahaha nope it was D/D... but I'm willing to bet that no matter what formula is used, the end result is probably the same.

My mom couldn't even believe it came out of Juno. She thought it was from my brother's 80lb dog lol.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Our puppy eats Blue puppy chow, which I hear is pretty good. Is vegetarianism common in dogs?

Oh, definitely not! I would NEVER make a dog eat a vegetarian diet... dogs are opportunistic carnivores with super-short digestive tracts designed for consuming raw meat. Humans have long digestive tracts, more suited to fruits/veggies and roughage.

Blue Buffalo Puppy is a good food. But not all foods agree with dogs. Especially pugs, who take in lots of air when they eat and have sensitive tummies. If he's having loose/smelly poops, I highly recommend switching him to pre-made or prey model raw if you can! it will make a huuuge difference.

WORST POOPS EVER are from dogs fed Cesar! My god!!!!!!!!!! It comes out looking the same as it goes in, basically it looks like bloody diarrhea. and smells like ewwww. all those poor Westies. "see, he looks just like the Cesar dog!"

 

[ihartgonzo]

Seriously though, attempting vegetarianism landed me in the hospital. That's when I found out everybody's body is different and mine will not keep weight on at all without animal protein at every meal and 30-40% of my diet animal fat of some kind.

LMAO... well aren't you lucky! Not for going to the hospital. For being skiinnyy.

Yeah, I'm not going to deny that we're omnivores. But we have way longer digestive tracts and we have to cook our meats. It's just not the same as a true carnivore. I personally feel much better meat-free, but I have no issues keeping weight on... haha.

 

[release the hounds]

I think poop smells cause it's made out of ****

 

[MafiaPrincess]

I had a foster who came here on Eukanuba. He had explosive liquid poop from the moment I took his leash even before I got him home. It was also orange and rank.. Switched him to whatever my guys were eating that was higher quality.. went solid, non glow in the dark, and smelled less almost over night.

 

[Specsy]

I must admit, at the moment due to affordability, I am feeding terrible food, my dog's poop stinks like anything... If they poop 20meters away from me, I literally get the smell within seconds.

When I fed raw for a few months, poop was much better. It was not less poop, but just not as stinky. It still smelled like poop (duh) but not as bad.

 

[Dizzy]

Normal poops don't smell too bad. But the one's when we're on a walk, and Bodhi is excited and squeezes that soft poop out are vile.

But normally they're not too offensive.

Blurgh I HATE poo talk.