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One of the benefits of raw feeding is smaller, less smelly dog poop.  Scout and Zoey's poop is the size of a cat.  Sydney's poop is bigger than Cosmo's poop, but it's still half the size of her poop when she was eating kibble.  Rodrigo still has big poops, but this is attributed to his digestive issues.  On his really good days, his poop is nearly the size of Sydney's poop; on his off days, it's bigger.  But, again, his poop is still smaller than when he was fed a diet of dry dog food.

But, let's be real, dog poop isn't our favorite smell, and although I pick it up with lavender scented dog poop bags, the lavender isn't strong enough to hide the smell of dog poop.  So what can we do to make dog poop smell like a dozen roses?  Ummm, nothing.  But we can make our dogs' poop smell better through diet.

Healthy Gut, Less Smelly Poop?

For the past five years, I've been learning everything I can about raw feeding and dog nutrition.  Three of our dogs are healthy pups, and I'm on top of their diet.  Rodrigo has always been a wonderful challenge, and he's taught me how to feed a dog with gut issues.  I pay attention to the size, color, consistency, and smell of Rodrigo's poop.  My goal is to see smaller, brown, solid, low odor poop – anything out of the ordinary tells me that he's having tummy troubles and I take steps to keep them from getting worse.

The main thing that I've learned is to feed Rodrigo's foods that support gut health, because when his gut is healthy, then so are his poops.  A healthy gut, for my dog, means that I'll be picking up less smell poop.

Foods that Decrease Poop Odor for Dogs

Here is a list of fresh foods that I add to my dog's diet to make his poop less smelly because they all support improved gut health.

1. Raw Goat's Milk and Kefir
2. Fermented Vegetables
3. Fermented Seeds
4. Spirugreen
5. Kelp
6. Milk Thistle*
7. Olewo Carrots

You might be surprised to see milk thistle on the list because it's known for detoxifying the liver and should be added to a dog's diet to reduce the impact of environmental and chemical (vaccinations) toxins on their system.  But, according to Dr. Axe, a holistic doctor that I follow, milk thistle also supports a healthy digestive system by “promoting enzyme formation, increasing bile production, decreasing inflammation and soothing the mucous membranes throughout the body.”

*If you're interested in trying milk thistle with your dog (my dogs get it daily), order a container from Herbsmith, Inc. and use KTTW10 to save 10% at check out.

Dog Food that Improves Gut Health

I don't often try new foods with Rodrigo because of his gut issues; however, when I received a bag of Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance base mix to try in exchange for my honest thoughts, I was curious to see how Rodrigo's gut would react to the healthy ingredients.  This base mix by Dr. Harvey's is free of potatoes, sweet potatoes, grains, and legumes, which is exciting because those aggravate Rodrigo's tummy.  Rodrigo and our other dogs have been eating Raw Vibrance as part of their meal rotation for a month, and they're all doing amazing, including Rodrigo.  I expected large stools, but their poop is the same.  I expected gas, but Raw Vibrance doesn't give Rodrigo (or any of our other dogs) gas.

The ingredients in Raw Vibrance are impressive:

• 9 ultra-nutritious vegetables — such as broccoli, green beans, squash, beets, celery, spinach and more — that are abundant in vitamins and minerals, and contain healthy gut microflora.
• Bone meal, crushed eggshells, and eggshell membranes, which provide the required amount of calcium and support joint health.
• Raw Goat’s Milk is an amazing probiotic and amazing for your dog’s digestive system.
• Multiple superfoods like spirulina, kelp and milk thistle, which combine to support tissue repair, enhance liver and digestive functions, and fight a wide range of inflammatory disease.
• Apples and blueberries that are high in dietary fiber, and contain powerful antioxidants and disease-fighting properties.
• Pumpkin and ginger that support healthy digestion and virtually odorless stool (you’re welcome!).
• Chia seeds and sesame seeds that boost energy, and are packed with Omega 3, fiber, antioxidants, calcium and magnesium.
• Green-lipped mussels, which are an excellent source of Omega 3 and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Shiitake mushrooms, which contain potent immune-boosting properties.

Source: Dr. Harvey's

I recommend Dr. Harvey's to pet parents who aren't ready for DIY raw and pet parents feeding a hybrid diet (raw for one meal, kibble for the second meal).  It truly makes raw feeding easier and takes away the worry of your dog not getting all of the nutrients necessary for good health.

Is Overly Smelly Dog Poop Concerning?

I'm not a veterinarian so I can't diagnose your dog.  What I can share is that when Rodrigo's dog poop smells very strong, then I pay attention.  With my experience with him, I'm not racing off to the vet.  When his poop smells strong, I know to double his digestive supplement for a few days and add Olewo Carrots to his meals for a couple of days and this usually squares him away.  My dog has gut issues due to repeated rounds of antibiotics, so, with him, I focus on keeping a good population of good bacteria in his gut through diet and supplements.

• Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance
• FullBucket Daily Canine Powder
• Olewo Carrots