A pet parent’s role can often be a thankless one — think about how much time we must spend, over the course of a dog’s lifetime, picking up poop, for example. It’s unlikely that anyone’s actually calculated the time we devote to that task but it’s probably hours and hours.

The bottom line is that we get to see a lot of our dogs’ poop. So much so that we can very quickly notice if the poop looks unusual, whether that be diarrhea or a different color. A dog’s stool can vary in color. This can be quite normal but in some instances can be a warning sign that something isn’t right.

If your dog is passing black stools or tarry stools (which may have blood in them), there could be a health problem.

But what of yellow dog poop? If a dog's poop is yellow, what does that mean? Is it something to worry about?

If you’re witnessing yellow dog poop, there could be a number of causes. A one-off incident is probably nothing to be concerned about but regular or repeated changes in the color of your dog’s stools could be an indication of anything from a mild stomach upset to a serious gastrointestinal condition.

Causes of yellow dog poop may include:

Consumption of non-food items can cause your dog to have yellow diarrhea. Dogs can have a habit of eating whatever comes their way without thinking — this can include pieces of trees, grasses, rocks, or even household items, like socks. Foreign body consumption can include virtually anything which isn’t food and isn’t supposed to be eaten. These items may not be digested by your pet’s system.

Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the intestinal system, generally this includes the stomach and intestines. The causes of gastroenteritis can include infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites or reactions to new foods or medications.

Liver problems cause jaundice (icterus) which will discolor the eyes, skin, urine and feces of your pet. Damages to the liver can occur from many diseases, toxins, drugs, cancer and inflammation of the liver caused by bacterial and fungal infections.

This is inflammation of the pancreas which occurs as a result of digestive enzymes leaking into the pancreatic tissue. Abdominal pain, depression, loss of appetite along with vomiting and diarrhea can occur in some dogs. Chronic pancreatitis can sometimes lead to diabetes in your pet.

This condition occurs when there is a stoppage of bile flowing from the gallbladder to the intestines. This can occur due to trauma to the gallbladder, or from an obstruction like a gallstone, congealed bile or tumor of the gallbladder and can turn the eyes, skin, urine and feces a yellow color.

These can include bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. If left untreated, any of these can progress to more serious conditions in your pet, so your dog will need veterinary attention. 

If you detect mucus-yellow dog poop, it could be evidence of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS can cause a yellow mucus to be present in your dog’s stool. This condition needs to be treated as early as possible to prevent progression into a more serious health condition for your pet.

If your dog’s poop is yellow, with diarrhea or a mucus substance, first things first – don’t panic. It could all be completely normal; bouts of periodic diarrhea and stool changes can cycle in and out of your dog’s life, lasting only one or two bowel movements.

However, if the yellow stools continue to be passed beyond a day or two, or if your dogs' condition is deteriorating, you should call your veterinary professional for medical evaluation. The condition that may be at the root of the yellow stool may be relatively minor or it can be a major health condition which will need to be treated urgently. Your vet is in the best position to diagnose this, and make a treatment plan.

Your veterinarian will examine your pet and perform any needed testing to determine the cause of the yellow stool.  In many cases, this diagnosis proves to be a ‘ruling out’ situation as the vet eliminates the many possibilities for the yellow stool in your pet. 

Your veterinarian will treat the underlying cause with medications, surgical procedures, dietary supplements or dietary regimen changes as needed based upon his findings and diagnosis.

Is there anything a pet parent can do to prevent yellow dog poop from affecting their pup? While that’s always going to be difficult to achieve, there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk as much as possible.

So, how can you try to prevent your dog from having yellow diarrhea? Close monitoring of your pet’s lifestyle is the best measure of prevention. For conditions like pancreatitis, liver and gallbladder problems, dietary regimens will need to be evaluated to ensure that your pet is getting a balanced diet without excess fats and carbohydrates which may not be easily digested.

A fatty diet can lead to issues such as pancreatitis. If your dog has this condition, you should consider a permanent switch to a type of dog food that’s been specially formulated to help aid digestion. You can read our recommendations for the best food for dogs with pancreatitis here.

Careful monitoring of your pet’s home environment and those areas where he or she exercises and plays is also a good idea, eliminating as many of the potential non-food items which might interest him enough to ingest them.  

Keeping up with regular checkups, vaccinations, and parasite control will help to reduce the opportunity for parasitic infection to take root in your pet’s intestinal tract.

Examinations done at home on a regular basis can also help to identify painful areas on your pet which could relate to internal problems which need attention. This can be incorporated into the normal time you spend with your pet in play and attention giving.

If your dog’s poop is yellow because of a medical condition, the resulting treatment can be expensive. Pet insurance can help to cover some of the costs that may arise. If you don’t already have a policy, start searching for cover today. Compare the best pet insurance plans in seconds using Wag! Compare.

You can also compare wellness plan packages, which can cover the costs of routine veterinary care for your dog, including vaccinations and examinations.

There are costs involved in keeping your pet safe and healthy.  Here are some of the costs involved with treatment of some of the causes of yellow stools in your pet: