The question “When is the best time to walk my dog?” is bothering lots of dog owners all over the world. It’s especially important to know for people who have tight working schedules.
Our canine partners are not very different. It usually takes 10-24 hours for an adult dog to complete the digestive process. Of course, the frequencies of dedication depend on lots of factors such as the size of your pup, breed, routine, activity level, food habits, and potty training.
However, they might poop after every meal as the absorption part of the digestive process can be carried on later and they’re basically eliminating the last day’s waste. So how long after eating does a dog need to potty?
How Long After Eating Does a Dog Need to Poop?
Puppies need to go outside after every meal as soon as possible. Adult dogs can wait a bit but it is better to go with their pee and poo 20-30 minutes after their meal. Remember that puppies and senior dogs might need some additional walks in between meals.
Pups can easily need to potty after every meal. Adult dogs might not require to poop after each meal, however. But it’s perfectly normal if they do.
It’s very important to know that not every dog is similar. The same goes for your canine’s pooping schedule as well! Did you think everything is fairly simple with our dog companions? Well, you were wrong.
Much like humans, you can stimulate the bowels of a dog by taking them for a walk. Walking is a great workaround to get the intestines moving. So, if you wish your dog to take regular potty breaks, make sure you walk them a while after meals. Pay attention to when and how much they poop because constipation is dangerous as well.
The dog’s digestive system
It is very important to learn a little bit about the digestive tract of a canine. The process is fairly straightforward.
Dogs don’t chew their food very efficiently. The process is still started in the mouth. The increased saliva makes up for the lack of chewing. After passing through the food pipe, the food reaches the stomach. Here, it’s mixed with water and stomach acid. The rest of the process involves the pushing of this mix through the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (the small intestine, taken together).
During this movement through the small intestine, acidity is reduced and nutrients are absorbed.
After water removal in the large intestine, the waste is passed along for elimination.
Digestion time depends a lot on the quality of food and ingredients. If the food consists of a lot of grains it definitely will take longer. One of the two most common protein sources in dogs’ dry or wet food is chicken and fish.
Healthy dogs usually defecate after eating their meals because their stomach “is wired to” the colon by nerves triggering the reflex to eliminate.
The quality and contents of the food also decide the canine’s pooping schedule
Now, you have to understand that poop is essentially what the body rejects. In other words, it’s a waste. What is the waste in the food? The portion that’s not nutritive for the canine companions.
Many cheap dog food products are full of “fillers”. Fillers have no nutritive value (but huge commercial value for these companies, that’s for sure). Most of this portion goes through the digestive tract and remains untouched throughout the small intestine. That is to say, no nutrients are absorbed from this content, as there is barely any present.
So, a dog living on a diet of food that’s low quality or less nutritive will poop more often. There would be less digestion downtime and most of the food will pass directly through their system converted into poop. As a result, they will need to go to the potty more often.
Some contents in your canine’s food can make them poop more frequently too and sometimes even right after meals. If you see that happen, it’s high time you changed brands or the type of food altogether.
A high-quality food diet will make sure your dog remains perfectly healthy and poops at regular, fixed intervals and produce less waste.
Take note: diarrhea is a common problem with pets
Diarrhea affects dogs very often and a responsible owner is always trying to control his dog’s stool.. Sometimes they eat food they were not supposed to or a particular batch of their food is problematic. In that case, the dog will poop very frequently, needless to mention.
So, along with a healthy diet, you need to make sure you have complete control over it as well.
A pet dog is not very likely to develop diarrhea on its own if fed food that’s regular and known, sometimes they can wander off and get foreign foods into their system, which can be bad and might lead to diarrhea.
My dog poops right after meals: is he/she rejecting the food?
This is a growing concern among dog owners and one that needs a clear answer.
Your dog is not rejecting the food if he or she is pooping right after the meals. It simply means that the waste is from the last day’s food.
The canine digestion time is more lengthy than the average human’s. As a result, when they poop right after a meal, they’re making space for the new food. It’s practically impossible to poop out all a dog has eaten within minutes. It could be as well some treats dogs receive during the day.
Underlying problems that make a canine reject the food outright usually play out in the form of vomiting and not pooping.
Still, it might be a good idea to get your dog checked up, especially if you see pooping that’s much more frequent than food intake.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long does it take for a dog to digest food and poop it out?
Gastrointestinal transit time is 4 to 8 hours for dogs, while in humans it’s between 20 and 30 hours. For small breeds, it is faster – up to 4 hours while in some giant dogs it might take even 9 hours or more.
Is it normal for dogs to poop 4 times a day?
Almost all the puppies poop 4 times per day. But if you have a grown-up dog that goes potty that often it is still no reason to worry. Yes, most of the adult pups poo 2-3 times a day but there are some exceptions. As long as their stool is fine you shouldn’t be worried.
Why is my dog pooping so much in the house?
Most probably it is stress. The same as humans dogs are sensitive to life changes. Loud fireworks, changing houses, or the absence of the owner may cause an unregulated reaction like pooping in the house. To avoid such a situation you should train your dog to ask for a walk if they want to go potty.
Why do dogs poop at night?
Dogs may wake you up to just silently poop at night for several different reasons. Your pup could be suffering from stress, getting older, dealing with gastrointestinal problems, or having an unregulated feeding schedule and poor diet.
