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My dog's poop has mucus. Should I be worried about his health?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 9 months and 4 days old | 115 lbs

I noticed my dogs poop had a ton of mucus on it ? What does that mean? This is the first it’s been like this

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 2nd, 2018

This means that something in the colon or rectum maybe irritating the lining and the mucus-producing cells start producing more mucus (to lubricate the gut) than necessary. Parasites such as whipworms, tapeworms, and other intestinal parasites can also cause mucus in the stool. It may be a good idea to take a fresh stool sample to your vet for a fecal test.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 15th, 2017

    Mucous in the stool usually indicates the pet has colitis (inflamed colon) which can have many underlying causes. Due to your pets age I would be a bit more concerned if this continues. You can try offering him a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese for a few days, along with 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin daily in his food to add fiber to his diet. However if the stools continue then its best to get Olly checked by your vet. At the very least a fecal exam, physical exam, and possible bloodwork can be done to look for underlying causes. Best wishes and take care.

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    Answered By Oneal Bogan, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 22nd, 2019

    Hi there. I'm sorry to hear that Sophie is having stool abnormalities. Mucous in the stool indicates issues within the large intestine. This can be due to GI upset, parasites or a bad reaction to food. Sophie may have gotten into something that upset her GI tract, but parasites may also be the issue. If she's feeling fine and eating well, you can try feeding her a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice for 24 hours which can help resolve GI issues. If that does not help, or if she's having other issues (not eating, vomiting, blood in stool) I would recommend having her checked by a vet. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 12th, 2018

    She could have some colitis from eating something abnormal, and infection, parasite, etc. If she is otherwise acting normal, you could withhold food for the day and then feed her a small amount of a bland diet (chicken breast and white rice or a commercial diet like Science diet sensitive stomach) and see if the problem resolves. If the diarrhea resolves, continue feeding the bland diet for a few days and then gradually transition back to her normal food. You could also add a probiotic to her diet (Fortiflora, Proviable, etc.). If the diarrhea continues or she becomes lethargic or has a decreased appetite then she needs to be examined by your vet. Your vet can check a stool sample for parasites and prescribe medications to help treat the diarrhea.

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