Dogs are by far the most popular pets kept in the areas where the majority of our readers live so it is only natural that we will see a huge number of questions being asked from the dog-owning community about common problems and issues with their dogs.
We have noticed a large number of people reaching out and asking various questions about there being hair in their dog’s poop recently so we have decided to make this the main topic of today’s article.
Our hope is that we will be able to help our readers identify why there is hair in their dog’s poop as well as how you can prevent poop from turning up in your dog’s poop.
For the most part, small amounts of hair in your dog’s poop will not be an issue and it won’t present any serious health problems but larger amounts may result in blockages so booking a video call with a veterinarian to get some professional advice may be the best route to take in some situations.
Having some hair in the poop of some dog breeds, especially heavy shedders is considered normal too with it often being very difficult to totally avoid having problems with your dogs in this situation due to the amount of their coat that they shed each day.
We will be answering the three main questions that we see from the dog owning community about their dog having hair in its poop in our article though and our table of contents below is able to help you navigate the article quickly.
Why Is There Hair In My Dogs Poop?
It can be very common for a heavy shedding dog breed to have hair in their poop due to the dog grooming itself and ending up with hair in its mouth and then swallowing it.
Even dog breeds who shed less can still have issues with this, especially if your dog enjoys constantly grooming itself and it has not been groomed by you or a dog groomer for some time.
This is by far the most common reason that your dog may end up having hair in its poop but there is a less common reason of your dog licking various materials in your home.
This can range from your carpet to your couch or even your clothes and the fibers from those materials appearing like hair in your dog’s poop once it has been processed in your dog’s digestive system.
You also have to think of any material that your dog may have eaten too as the fibers of some materials can also look like hair when your dog poops it out and some dogs will eat clothing on a regular basis.
This may result in the hairs in your dog’s poop being strange colors and adding even more confusion to the situation but your dog may have eaten a bright blue t-shirt and that could be the cause of why your dog has bright blue hair fibers in its poop.
How Can I Prevent Hair In My Dogs Poop?
Grooming your dog on a regular basis can drastically reduce the amount of hair in its poop as there is less hair available for your dog to ingest when it grooms itself.
If the hair in your dog’s poop is due to it eating clothing or licking your carpet or couch then trying to prevent and discourage this behavior in your pet dog can often help reduce the fibre strands that look like hair in your dog’s poop.
Although many people instantly think that they require a professional dog groomer to correctly groom their dog and keep the loose hair in its coat to a minimum, this is rarely the case.
Even a cheap deshedding brush is able to let your quickly and easily remove the dead or dying hair from your dog’s coat with ease and drastically reduce how much hair your dog will be able to ingest when it grooms itself.
Due to these brushes only being around the $20-$30 mark and needing you to brush your dog down once or twice per week depending on the specific dog breed you have, they can be an excellent investment.
Not only can they help you prevent your do from ending up with hair in its poop but it also helps to prevent your dogs shed from ending up all over your home too.
It is often much quicker and easier to spend a couple of minutes brushing your dog with a cheap deshedding brush than having to go around your home and brush all of its shed up from wherever it naturally falls.
Do Worms Look Like Hair In Dog Poop?
Some worms can actually look like tiny little hairs in your dogs poop with this often being a common mistake that people make.
The majority of these worms tend to be white making it obvious that they are not hair if you have a dog that does not have white fur. These worms are often easy to treat in your dog and the majority of the time an over the counter treatment should be able to get the job done.
If you do think that the “hair” in your dog’s poop may be worms then a decent deworming product should be able to get the job done.
Different products have different ways that you have to treat your dog so always follow the instructions on the label of the product when you are looking to treat the worms in your dog.
In some situations, you may want to book a video call with a veterinarian to have them check your dog over.
This is only usually required in extreme situations though and the vast majority of our readers shouldn’t be having problems with the worms in their dog that are serious enough to require the professional help from a vet unless you need a specialist deworming treatment that you are not able to purchase without a prescription from a vet in your country.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over why there is hair in your dog’s poop to an end. We hope that we have been able to help you better understand how hair can end up in your dog’s poop as well as how you are able to prevent it. As we mentioned back at the start of the article, it is common for heavy shedding dog breeds to have a small amount of hair in their poop due to the dog grooming itself and it is usually nothing to worry about.