September 22, 2020 Responsible Pet Ownership

Fecal Scoring Scale for Dogs and Cats Made Sweeter

Three tootsie rolls

Fecal Scoring Scale for Dogs and Cats Made Sweeter

Veterinarians use a variety of numerical scales to assess patient problems in a more objective fashion. One of these scales is the feline grimace scale for pain, for example. But often these scales are designed for the veterinary professional and not pet owners. Previously, I have adapted the canine and feline body condition scores systems to the lay person using “famous” dogs and cats.

For today’s blog post, I’ve adapted the fecal scoring system to make it more understandable for pet owners by using some of our favorite sweet treats as examples. The original fecal scoring system appears in a previous blog on diarrhea. The fecal scoring system ranges from 1 (hardest) to 7 (softest). This should give you a good vocabulary for describing your pet’s stool to your veterinarian.

A package of jawbreaker candies
Score 1 | Jaw Breakers
Very hard and dry; often expelled as individual pellets; requires much effort to expel from body; no residue left on ground when picked up
Three tootsie rolls
Score 2 | Tootsie Rolls
Firm, but not hard; pliable; segmented in appearance; little or no residue on ground when picked up
Heart-shaped jello candies
Score 3 | Jello Jigglers
Log-shaped; little or no visible segmentation; moist surface; leaves residue on ground; but holds form when picked up
Three gummy worms
Score 4 | Gummy Worms
Very moist, soggy; log-shaped; leaves residue and loses form when picked up
A tub of unbaked cookie dough
Score 5 | Unbaked Cookie Dough
Very moist, but has a distinct shape; piles rather than distinct logs; leaves residue and loses form when picked up
A bowl of pudding
Score 6 | Pudding
Has texture, but no defined shape; present as piles or spots; leaves residue when picked up
A melting ice cream cone
Score 7 | Melted Ice Cream
Watery; no texture; flat puddles
Tags: fecal scoring,

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