Seven in ten Australian dog owners are overlooking one of the clearest signs of their pet’s health – what’s in their dog’s poo.
A national survey commissioned by Lyka found a significant gap in knowledge around dog gut health and nutrition. While 93 per cent of owners believe their dogs are healthy, more than half (55 per cent) said their pets had a poo in the past month that could signal an underlying health issue.
The survey revealed 72 per cent of dog owners are missing key warning signs, often dismissing runny or smelly poos as normal. Three in four respondents (76 per cent) said sloppy poos were fine “from time to time,” despite this being a common indicator of poor gut health.
Dr Alexander England, Veterinarian at Lyka, said many Australians are not recognising the signs of gut issues in their dogs.
“Poo is one of the clearest indicators of a dog’s overall health, yet many Australians aren’t noticing the signs.
“Bad poos aren’t normal, they’re a warning that something might be off in your dog’s gut. The colour, consistency and how often they’re going are all important things to look out for.”
He said healthy stools should be “firm but pliable, light-to-medium brown, easy to scoop, and minimally odorous.”
Variations such as white, red, black, green or yellow faeces, or soft or greasy stools, could point to dietary imbalances, digestive disease or other health issues.
Anna Podolsky, Co-Founder of Lyka, said the company’s new “Poo Horror” campaign aims to raise awareness about the link between nutrition and gut health.
“Our campaign aims to encourage dog owners to really consider their dog’s health and challenge what is considered ‘normal’, especially when it comes to a dog’s poo and the link to nutrition.
“We want to empower people to understand the signs and help end the nightmare, educating people on how the right meals can optimise gut health, leading to happier, healthier pups and easier to pick up poos.”
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