About the Causes of Large Amounts of Yellow Mucus in Stool

Yellow mucus in the stool is a sign that your dog may have an infection.

The earlier you get your dog to the vet, the better the chances will be of your dog recovering from any illness. But in this day of rising costs and sinking wages, you can't afford to take your dog to the vet for every little problem. However, lots of yellow mucus in your dog or puppy's stool is a definite sign that you need to call the vet. Your dog has an intestinal or parasite infection which could be lethal.

Function

The function of mucus in the intestines is to act as a lubricant to help move the stool along and out of the body. Usually, this mucus should be transparent or a pearly-gray in color. Seeing this kind of mucus in your dog's stool is normal. But yellow mucus indicates that there is an infection or irritation in the digestive system. The more irritated it is, the more mucus it will produce.

Considerations

Yellow mucus is an alarm sign for puppies. A pup can be killed by an infection very quickly, so you need to call your vet right away, especially if your puppy is also vomiting. Your vet will need a stool sample.

Yellow mucus in the stool is also an alarm for very old dogs, as they are also like puppies in the way that they have trouble fighting off an illness or parasitic infection. You should call the vet when a lot of yellow mucus is seen in the stool and take a stool sample.

In adult, mostly healthy dogs, a lot of yellow mucus in their stool is not as serious an alarm. But, they do need to see the vet as soon as you can arrange it. Whatever is causing the irritation or infection can worsen over time.

Types

There are several reasons why your dog's digestive system is producing a lot of yellow mucus. It can be a sign of internal parasites, it can be irritable bowel syndrome or it could be a food allergy. It also could be the sign that some foreign matter is blocking the intestines somewhere. We still do not know all of the reasons why a dog would produce a lot of mucus in the stool. But for any of the reasons, you still need to see your vet.

Prevention/Solution

It can be very hard to prevent some kinds of intestinal problems in dogs. But keeping them wormed can help get rid of problems due to parasites. Also, by supervising them and not letting them eat anything really small that could block their intestines, you can also prevent irritation due to blockages. Letting your dog have free access to water anytime it wants it can help keep the stools moving more comfortably.

Treatment varies according to the reason why the dog is having the mucus-covered stools. If the dog seems depressed and has an upset stomach, 1 tsp. of Pepto-Bismol per 10 lbs. of body weight can help ease nausea. Keep the dog or puppy on a bland diet of chicken and rice (human chicken and rice without seasoning or butter).

Time Frame

Each dog or puppy responds differently to treatment for mucus-covered stool. With some dogs, it could clear up in a couple of days and for others it may take months.