Mucus In Stool

[antisense]

JJ's poops have been getting worse and worse. Initially I attributed it to a drastic change in feeding and walking schedule. He was loose for a few days, but then started firming up again into formed, pickup-able poops. Now they're getting mushy again. He tends to have one piece of soft, formed poop, then everything that comes out following that is unformed mush.

 

Today he pooped out a glob of mucus covered poop that's got me worried. (It picked up really easy though because I guess the mucus held it together)

 

Going to take in a sample to the vet for a fecal tomorrow morning. We have an appointment tentatively booked for this Saturday.

 

He used to only get 2 walks a day and he would produce a lovely firm poop in the morning, then a softer poop in the evening that I could usually pick up with no problems. Now he's been getting 3 walks a day due to our schedule change, so wants to poop 3 times a day (and usually gets his way). Could it be the increased activity and increased pooping frequency that's causing things to be softer because his stool is not sitting in his gut for as much time getting the moisture reabsorbed?

 

Do you think he might have some kind of infection/infestation? He's had roundworms/hookworms in the past, and although his most recent fecal this past winter came up with no ova/parasites seen, he could still potentially have something.

[XTRAWLD]

Mucous is a sign that his insides are not happy and instead are irritated. A drastic change in feeding, more in particular the type of food change, not necessarily timing, could create this, as could a parasite. Walks, frequency/duration shouldn't contribute to mucousy stool. It could create loose stool or D, (in the case of my Kasey, when he's excited, his stool is loose), but mucous is a different indicator.

Edited July 22, 2013 by XTRAWLD

[KF_in_Georgia]

Mucus like that usually is the sign of an irritated intestinal tract, and that's often the intestinal response to worms.

 

If you need to collect poop for the vet, try slipping a paper plate under your boy's butt, then bag the plate and its contents.

[Scooby172]

Could also be colitis

[tbhounds]

Mucus=colitis-an large bowel inflammation. Causes could range from stress, food change, intestinal parasites...... I would drop off a stool sample and perhaps de-worm him using a broad spectrum de-wormer like panacur. You may be dispensed flagyl (metrondidazole) +/- a higher fiber food.

[Guest RMarie]

Does your boy have a sensitive tummy? Have you changed foods recently? Added new treats? I agree with the others, it sounds like colitis, which I doubt would be caused by an increase in exercise. Our boy has a sensitive tummy. After getting too many treats from a friend, his bowels were not happy. He had mucousy poops for days. I researched this forum and concluded it was colitis. We went out and got some Pepto pills. After a day on Pepto, the mucous was gone.

[antisense]

Fecal float came back no parasites seen so that's good news I hope. I did switch his kibble to a grain free variety yesterday and immediately he firmed up to almost crumbly hard poop. I hope this lasts and it isn't just his body's initial reaction to a new food.