My dog's poop is dark gray/black on the outside. What's wrong?

Question

Recently My dogs poop has been this dark gray almost black looking on the outside. It is just on the outside of the poop the rest is normal brown color. What could cause this? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 13 years and 7 months old | 40 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

A change in food or treats could alter the color of the feces. It could also look abnormal if Riley is getting into something he shouldn't, like people food. Stool that is darker on the outside could also indicate that the feces is sitting in the colon for longer than normal. This could be due to dehydration or constipation. To avoid this you can add a fiber supplement (like Metamucil) to his food and/or increase water intake and/or add wet food to the dry food. As long as Riley is acting normally, defecating normally and still eating well and is active, I would not worry too much about it. If the poop continues to look abnormal I would recommend taking in a sample to your vet to be checked. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's poop is dark gray/black on the outside. What's wrong?

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