Weird but true: Dogs lower intestinal tract glands produce a clear, jelly-like slime to lubricate the colon and help stool pass more easily. And sometimes, that slime can coat your dog's poop or accumulate at the end. “An occasional coating is normal, or it can indicate a self-resolving issue,” Huggins says.
Too much mucus in a dog's poop can be a sign of colitis
Colitis has many possible causes, including bacterial infections, parasites, stress, allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease. If a veterinarian believes that your dog has colitis, they may prescribe changes to their diet, temporary fasting, and/or medication.
Probiotics. A small amount of mucus in the stool—in an otherwise healthy dog—does not require treatment with medications, but a probiotic supplement may help. Look for probiotic products designed specifically for dogs or ask your veterinarian for recommendations.
Larger amounts of mucus in stool, associated with diarrhea, may be caused by certain intestinal infections. Bloody mucus in stool, or mucus accompanied by abdominal pain, can represent more serious conditions — Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and even cancer.
Having a small amount of mucus in the stool is normal. Excess mucus can occur due to IBS, Crohn's, UC, or proctitis. It may also be an indication of colon cancer. If a person is concerned about the amount of mucus in their stool or experiences other symptoms, they should talk with a doctor.
Dehydration and constipation can cause mucus from the colon to leave the body. This gives the stool the appearance of increased mucus. Increased mucus can also be a sign of illness, especially if inflammation occurs and the mucous membrane breaks down. This leaves the body more open to infection.
Mucus produced by glands in the rectum also helps expel stool. So it's not unusual for your stool to contain mucus. But if you notice an unusual amount, it might be a sign of something else: infection, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, anal or rectal issues, or even cancer.
Bacteria (and rarely viruses) that cause food poisoning and invade the colon lining can lead to mucus in the stool. Often accompanied by blood and/or fever.
This buildup of mucus, which is sometimes referred to as mucoid plaque, actually closely resembles what others believe is the “rope worm.”
Infection in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract might also cause mucus in the stool. Infections can occur as a result of a bacteria, virus, or parasite invading the body system. Some parasitic infections can cause bloody diarrhea with mucus.
Anxiety and stress may cause mucus in the stool when it coexists with IBS-D. 4 That's also true of depression, which has long been associated with IBS symptoms and diagnosis. IBS cause mucus in stool. Males tend to have IBS-related mucus in the stool more often than females with IBS.
Problems that can cause mucus include: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The main symptoms may be constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), or alternating diarrhea and constipation (IBS-M). It's typical to see mucus in your poop if you have this condition.
Your stool can be yellow because of your diet. Some causes of this are eating foods high in food coloring, carrots, or sweet potatoes. It may also be from certain gluten products or a diet high in fats.
If the body is dehydrated, the large intestine (colon) will soak up whatever water it can from the food you consumed, making it too hard to pass, causing pain and constipation.
Dehydration Affects Your Colon
Dehydration can also affect your colon, which is the last segment of your digestive tract. Your colon absorbs more than a liter of fluid each day and this fluid helps stool move through your colon. Without this fluid, stool hardens to cause constipation.
Hard, Dry and Lumpy – It is likely that you're lacking fiber and are dehydrated. Try drinking more water and adding more fruits and veggies into your diet. Soft, Fluffy Blobs – Having a mushy stool is on the edge of normal, but it could also mean you're on the verge of transitioning to diarrhea.
If you don't have enough water in your body already, the large intestine soaks up water from your food waste. This makes you have hard stools that are difficult to pass.
The color of stools varies, but typically falls within the spectrum of brown color, depending on the foods you eat. You should be concerned if your stools are deep red, maroon, black, or "tarry," especially if they have a noticeable odor. This may mean that there is blood in the stool.
Steatorrhea means there's too much fat in your stool (poop). It's a symptom of fat malabsorption. That means your digestive system is having trouble breaking down and absorbing fats.
Bad-smelling stool can be caused by diet, a medication, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, or an infection. Monitor what you eat and treat the underlying conditions.
As you can see, drinking too little water isn't going to make much immediate difference in the stool's shape, weight, moisture content, and consistency, while drinking too much will eventually make the stool dry and hard because of potassium depletion.