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When you have a dog as a pet, while it is important to train them properly, it is also important to get to know their toilet habits.
Although it is not a particularly pleasant topic to discuss, knowing how long it will take your dog to poop after eating is important, especially when you are toilet training a puppy.
It is important to remember that every dog is different and there are factors that you will need to take into consideration when working out your dog’s toilet habits.
These factors include the age of the dog, how healthy your dog’s digestive system is, and the food you are feeding it.
In this article, we will be taking a closer look at these factors, to help you gain more of an idea of when your dog will poop after eating.
Contents
A Healthy Adult Dog
To begin with, let’s take a look at the digestion of a healthy adult dog. If your dog is fully grown and does not suffer from any illnesses linked to its digestion or otherwise, it can take anywhere between 6 to 8 hours to poop.
Adults dogs ideally should only be fed twice a day. Given this, you should expect your dog to pass a stool and two separate times a day.
However, this is just a rough estimate and it can be more or less than this on any given day, especially if the dog has been placed on a new food or has eaten treats throughout the day.
A Puppy
You may already be aware that puppies go to the toilet more frequently in comparison to adult dogs. They also have 3 to 4 feeds a day, which is more than an adult dog.
Puppies typically go to the toilet between 5 to 30 minutes after they have eaten.
Given this, it is important to keep a close eye on your puppy after eating and place them outside or on to the puppy pad shortly afterward.
This will help a puppy to learn the natural cues of going outside to the toilet after eating.
As the puppy grows, their digestive systems do begin to slow down. In addition to this, when the puppy is older, and the amount of feeds is decreased, this will extend the time between eating and pooping.
Hydration
You should always ensure that your dog is sufficiently hydrated, especially in the warmer months. If they are not, this can lead to dehydration.
When a dog is dehydrated, its large intestine works harder in extracting water from the food waste passing through it.
The more water that is taken out of the food waste, the more likely it is for your dog to become constipated.
If your dog is generally healthy and has no digestive issues, but is struggling to poop, a cause could be dehydration.
Not only will constipation limit the amount your dog is going to the toilet, but it can be painful for it too.
Given this, you should ensure that your dog always has enough water to help keep its digestive system ticking over.
Digestive Issues
If your dog has a virus or suffers from sickness and diarrhea, this can cause the time between eating and pooping to vary. If your dog is being sick, there is less food in its system to digest.
In contrast to this, if your dog eats something they are sensitive to, this can cause their digestive system to speed up and become aggravated.
This often leads to diarrhea, which is frequent and uncomfortable for the dog.
Digestibility Of The Food
Another big factor in how long it takes a dog to poop after eating is the digestibility of the food. The digestibility is a measure of how nutritious the food is for your dog.
The more nutritious it is, the better it will be for digestion. The less digestible it is, the longer it will take to break down.
When you are looking for good dog food, it should have a good amount of nutrients in it.
When a food is high in nutrients, the dog will need to eat less of it in comparison to less nutritious food. This is the difference between the grocery dog foods, and the more nutritious, expensive foods.
In addition to a highly digestible food being better for your dog’s overall health. It will also make their stools healthier.
There will be less waste as your dog’s body is absorbing the nutrients. It should be less odorous, and easier to pick up too.
Can A Dog Hold Its Poop?
While you should always ensure that you are putting your dog out to the toilet regularly, they can hold their poop for short periods. This can have an impact on how long it will take your dog to poop after eating.
Typically a healthy adult dog can hold its poop for around 6 to 8 hours if they have to. However, this is not recommended as they should be able to relieve themselves when they need to.
In contrast to this, puppies have a very difficult time holding their poop. This is because their digestive systems digest food at a much quicker rate.
Given this, you will need to stick to a schedule of taking a puppy to the toilet very soon after it has eaten.
Summary
We hope that you found this article informative. While it is never the nicest subject to discuss, knowing more information about your dog’s digestive system is important.
It is vital to remember that the lengths of time we have mentioned in this article are just a rough guide, and the numbers can vary depending on your specific dog.
While puppies need to poop shortly after eating, a healthy adult dog’s digestive system is much slower than this.
If you have any concerns surrounding your dog’s toilet habits, whether they are pooping too often or not enough, we would recommend visiting a veterinarian.
