Dog Poop Turns White When It Dries? Here’s When To Be Concerned..
Written by Tim de Jong
Dog poop that comes out brown and turns white as it dries is usually normal: sunlight bleaches the pigments, mold grows on it, or a diet high in calcium (such as raw food with lots of bone) leaves chalky residue behind. Poop that is already white, gray or pale when it comes out is a different story and is worth a call to your vet. Here’s what you need to know.
6 Reasons Why Your Dog’s Poop Turns White
1Photodegradation by the sun
Dog poop tends to turn whitish with time as its color pigments break down leaving a white matter behind. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause chemicals in dog poop to react and turn white. Ordinarily, dog poop is supposed to have a brownish dye to it. UV radiation can cause the dye to fade by breaking down its chemical bonds. This process is known as photodegradation.
Also worth noting is that the sun’s bleaching power is higher in summer than in winter. Therefore, you are more likely to see dry poop turning white during this season.
Luckily, poop turning to a different color when it dries shouldn’t be a cause for concern as long as it came out brown in the first place and remained like that for some time until it started drying.
Read more about How To Get Rid Of Dog Poop In Yard
2Mold is the Culprit
Old dog poop may turn white due to mold growing on it. On average, dog poop takes about 9 weeks to decompose although this can vary depending on climate, size of stool, or the dog’s diet. During this time, mold might colonize the poop causing it to change color.
Remember, mold is an important part of the poop decomposition process. Many types of mold appear white or grayish, and there is no need to figure out which type is growing on your pooch’s poop. Some molds can produce toxins or trigger allergies, though, and old poop can also carry parasites and bacteria, so avoid touching it with bare hands and keep your dog from eating it.
The best thing is to pick up after your dog as soon as you can and dispose of the poop responsibly. If your dog tends to eat poop, see our guide to the best poop eating deterrents for dogs.
3Excess Calcium in their Food
Calcium is a necessary part of any diet, and this applies to your pooch as well. However, too much of it can cause problems.
For instance, when your dog eats a lot of bones, such as on a raw diet with a high bone content, the extra calcium passes through and makes their poop pale, chalky and crumbly, especially once it dries.
Very hard, white, crumbly stools can also mean your dog is getting constipated. If this happens often, ask your vet whether the bone or calcium content of your dog’s diet needs adjusting.
4Effects of Medication
White, chalky feces can be a side effect of certain medications, most notably barium.
Barium is a contrast agent that vets give dogs by mouth when they need X-rays of the digestive tract. Because barium isn’t absorbed, it passes straight through and can make your dog’s stool white or pale for a day or two afterward.
This is expected and harmless. Just let your vet know if your dog seems constipated or hasn’t passed stool within a day or two after the procedure.
5Your Dog Ate a White Object
Swallowed foreign objects are fairly common in dogs, especially with puppies and older dogs. When a dog eats something it shouldn’t, like a white piece of cloth, the digestive tract may not be able to break it down properly.
Therefore, it passes through your pet’s system without being digested. This often means that the material ends up in the stool only to become more visible as it dries out. Call your vet if you know your dog swallowed something and they start vomiting, stop eating, seem to have a painful belly or strain without passing stool, as these can be signs of an intestinal blockage.
6Tapeworms
Tapeworms are a type of worm that can infect dogs and cats, most often after a dog swallows an infected flea. They live in the intestines, and small segments of the worm break off and are passed out in the feces.
Fresh tapeworm segments look like small, white, flat grains of rice and may even move. As they dry out, they shrink and look more like white or yellowish sesame seeds, on the poop or stuck to the fur around your dog’s bottom.
If you spot these, talk to your vet. Tapeworms are easy to treat with the right dewormer, and good flea control helps prevent them from coming back.
When should you be concerned about white dog poop?
It is normal for dog poop to turn white when it dries. However, if your dog passes stool that is already white, gray or pale when it comes out, this might point to an underlying health issue, such as a problem with the liver, gallbladder or bile ducts (bile is what gives poop its brown color) or with the pancreas. In that case, the best thing to do is get in touch with your vet. See a vet urgently if pale poop comes with vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, or yellowing of the gums, eyes or skin.
Your vet will perform a physical exam on the dog, assess their feces and even run blood work to identify the cause of the problem. Treatment options may vary depending on the underlying problem and in some cases, this may require multiple visits to the vet’s office.
In some cases, your vet may refer you to a vet who specializes in internal medicine. During your visit to the vet’s office, it’s advisable to carry a sample of the poop with you.
What Should Your Dog’s Poop Look Like?
If you’ve ever wondered what a healthy poop should look like, here is what you should look out for.
A Brownish Color
A healthy dog’s feces should be brownish. This color comes from stercobilin, a pigment formed from bilirubin, which reaches the digestive system in bile from the liver and gallbladder. We look at the gallbladder itself in our article on gallbladder attacks in dogs.
Dogs that don’t drink enough water often pass darker, harder stools.
If your dog’s feces are black or tarry, it could indicate bleeding in the stomach or upper intestine, and you should contact your vet right away.
Consistent and firm Texture
The texture should be firm and consistent, without any mucus or blood. If there is mucus or blood, it could indicate an infection or inflammation in the colon.
Soft stool may be due to low fiber in your dog’s diet or because they have diarrhea.
A greasy, pale and bulky stool can indicate that the pancreas isn’t producing enough digestive enzymes (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) or another problem with digesting fat.
If you notice this, it is important to have your vet examine your dog and suggest treatment.
Why Should the Color of Your Dog’s Poop Matter?
The color of your dog’s poop can tell you a lot about their health. Here are some of the reasons why you need to care about it.
It can indicate a problem with their digestive system – Green stool often just means your dog has been eating grass, and an occasional odd-colored, loose stool after eating something that didn’t agree with them isn’t much to worry about. However, if it keeps happening, or if the stool is black and tarry, consult with your vet as soon as possible.
It can indicate that they have worms or other parasites in their digestive tract – Worms are common in dogs and usually easy to treat with a dewormer prescribed by your vet, who can also advise how often your dog should be dewormed.
If you keep seeing worms despite treatment, ask your vet about testing and preventing reinfection (for example with flea control).
Your dog has a medical condition – The color change may be due to a medical condition like internal bleeding, which can cause blood to appear in the stool.
It’s important to see your veterinarian if you notice this type of color change in your dog’s stool as soon as possible so that they can get tested for any potential health problems that could be causing this sign.
Your dog is constipated – Another reason why you might see a different color in your dog’s poop is if they have become constipated and their stool has remained inside them for too long without being eliminated from the body.
This happens when they don’t get enough fiber in their diet or don’t drink enough water every day, or when they eat a lot of bone. The stool then tends to be dark, hard and dry, or pale and chalky with a bone-heavy diet. Contact your vet if your dog strains without passing anything for more than a day or two.
Frequently Asked Questions About White Dog Poop
Before we finish up the article, here are 3 common questions related to white dog poop.
What is the white coating on my dog's poop?
If the coating appears after the poop has been sitting outside for a while, it is usually mold or sun bleaching. A slimy white or clear coating on fresh poop is usually mucus, a substance produced by the intestines to keep stool moving. A small amount now and then is normal, but lots of mucus, or mucus with blood or diarrhea, is a reason to call your vet.
Is white poop dangerous?
White poop is usually nothing to worry about if it’s something that happens over time. However, fresh white poop may be a cause for concern as it could be a sign of digestive health issues.
What causes white specks in dog poop?
The most common culprits are worms, especially tapeworm segments (which dogs get from swallowing fleas) and roundworms. Undigested food, such as rice or bits of bone, can also show up as white specks. If you suspect worms, ask your vet about a fecal test and the right dewormer.
Conclusion – White poop
When dog poop dries, it turns white. This is a natural process and not a cause for concern because as the fecal matter dries, it loses moisture and becomes more compact. You should only be concerned if your dog poop is white from the onset, in which case they should see a vet.
