First off, I’m sorry that this is such a gross question! I’ve noticed lately that there seems to be a lot of mucus in my dog’s stool. He doesn’t seem sick otherwise. Should I be worried?
No need to apologize — owning pets often means you deal with a lot of gross things. (So says the woman with the dog who eats cat poop and barfs green grass in the living room.)
Your problem is one that I’m actually familiar with. Moose (he who eats “kitty roca”) has experienced this in the past. Mucus in the stool can be a symptom of inflammatory bowel disease in pets. This is also known as colitis, spastic bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel syndrome. The name is kind of a catch-all for different problems that might be happening in the large intestine.
Other symptoms that can come with inflammatory bowel disease include:
- Frequent need to poop.
- Straining to poop.
- Watery, soft, liquid stool — sometimes with mucus or blood.
- Weight loss — food and nutrients are moving too quickly through the system to be well absorbed.
Inflammatory bowel disease can be caused by a bunch of different things. You’ll need to see your veterinarian for a diagnosis — that way, you’ll be treating the right problem!
Common causes of mucus in stool include:
- Parasites — whipworms, Giardia, and more.
- Foreign bodies in the intestines — eating grass, straw, and non-food material can irritate the bowels.
- Bacteria — salmonella, for example.
- Bowel inflammation — can be caused by cellular infiltration of the intestines, allergic reactions in the intestines, stress, anxiety, or other neurological issues.
- Cancer
With so many possible causes, you really need to take your pup to the doctor for tests and diagnosis. Otherwise, you might end up treating the wrong thing — wasting time and money while your pet continues to suffer.
And this isn’t just a problem for dogs! Cats can suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, too.
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