Grainy Poop? Let’s Find Out What It Means

Have you ever looked at what you’ve left behind after a bowel movement? We all do it, don’t lie, I’ve done it, you’ve done it, your grandma has done it.  So, do you have grainy poop? Let’s find out what it means in this article!

What we don’t tend to think about is that looking at our bowel movements when they’ve left our bodies is actually a good thing. Looking at what we leave behind actually tells us a lot about our health. 

Your fecal matter can tell you a great deal about how your body is doing, and what is going on in your digestive system. So, if you notice something is off with your poop, what should you do?

Well, look at it, take note of how it looks and understand it. If you are concerned, however, the best thing you can do is speak to your doctor.

Why Is My Poop Grainy?

Like any consistency of your bowel movements, many things can affect how your body releases waste. Your fecal matter is affected by your diet (of course), but it is also affected by your emotions. 

Stress can be a huge factor in changing the consistency of your poops. 

Stress is capable of a lot, and it can even be one of the highest causes of illness and death in many cases, so it is only logical that it will also affect your bowel movements too! 

So, when you say, why is my poop grainy, what you are really asking is what part of your life has caused your stool consistency to change. 

If your poop is grainy or has the texture of wet sand then you would call this a mushy consistency, and this can easily be caused by a poor diet and lifestyle, however, it can also be due to higher stress levels than what you are used to. 

Finally, it can also be caused by an intestinal disorder, although this is the least common reason for this. 

What Does Grainy Poop Mean?

Grainy poop can mean a load of things, from exercise changes, dietary changes, lifestyle changes, or changes in stress levels. 

This happens when your intestines have not absorbed all the nutrients and your colon has not absorbed any water efficiently, so this type of poop is actually considered as diarrhea. Generally, it can be uncontrollable, but it can even happen in controlled bowel movements. 

It is not uncommon in some diseases as well such as Crohn’s disease and so on, however, it is unlikely to be these, and self-reflection in your diet and lifestyle should be a foremost concern.

What Causes Grainy Poop?

The causes of grainy poop will vary. You might be eating the wrong things, changing your exercise routine, and now your body doesn’t know what’s up. Perhaps you have been super stressed with work or family life, or maybe you have a tummy bug. 

Whatever the case, you should always look at your lifestyle first before you consider disease or illness, because there is often a very simple and obvious cause of grainy poops. 

Why Does My Poop Look Grainy 

Not to be gross or anything, but if you have grainy poops, it is likely that you’ll feel it before you see it. It will feel like you’re evacuating half a beach from your rectum, and that is not fun. 

When you look down at the abomination that just left your body, it will also look like gross wet sand, and you’ll probably get a bit of a stomach ache with it too. 

Changes are, one of the reasons for this will be what you have eaten. If you do not usually indulge in spicy food but then eat a hot curry, it will turn your poop into a grainy horror story, too much caffeine? Similar effect? A change of lifestyle can do this too!

Different Colors:

Not only will your poops be unpleasant if they’re grainy, and you can tell a lot about this unpleasantness, but take a gander at the color too, because color can tell you a more full story of what is going on with you. 

Green Grainy Poop

Grainy or not, if your poops are green, this says that your fecal matter traveled at lightning speed through your GI tract. This is because bile is green, this is made in your liver and sent to your gallbladder. 

So, if green bile is tainting your poops then all your food may not have been digested, which is not uncommon with grainy diarrhea! 

Black Grainy Poop

Black poops often mean blood is present. It could also be something you have eaten, but always be wary of black poops, especially if your body is hurting as well. 

Black poops tend to mean there is a bleed in your small intestine, it tries up as it travels through your body and makes your poops black. So, if you have black grainy poops, you might want to see a doctor.

Brown Grainy Poop

Not that anyone wants to stare down their poops like it’s a showdown, but brown is the color you want to be seeing. Brown poop tells us that our food has been absorbed well, and it is fully digested. If your stools are brown but grainy, it’s probably just a result of stress, or diet. 

What Does Gritty Poop Mean?

Gritty and grainy poops are one and the same, not that either of them is nice to experience. These types of poops only mean that you need to check your lifestyle.

Why Is My Poop Grainy Like Sand?

Grainy, sandy gritty poop in adults can feel unpleasant coming out and are just as unpleasant to look at. But it is often due to what you’ve eaten. If you have a usually healthy diet and then eat junk food, it could cause this, but the same is true and vice versa. 

Grainy Poop When Wiping

Grainy poops upon wiping just tell you that you may need to change your lifestyle, or how you eat. Sure it feels horrific and is usually a sign of diarrhea or tummy troubles, but analyzing the why and figuring out if it’s your lifestyle vs what you eat or something more serious is important.

What About Grainy Poop In Dogs?

We are not the only ones who get grainy poops, our pets can too, but what does it mean when Fido has a bit of a grainy runny bum?

Grainy Dog Poop

So, Fido has a grainy runny bottom, what does this mean? Well, it may sound strange, but for dogs, the reason is not so different from the reason for us. 

Dogs can get grainy poops if they are mildly dehydrated, have a lack of fiber in their diet, do not enough exercise, parasites, inflammations in their GI tract, or others. 

While some of these are much more serious than others, all should be seen to by a trained veterinarian. 

Grainy Puppy Poop

The most common reason your puppy’s poop will be grainy is due to dehydration. This is usually because they simply lack the water that is needed to break down the food properly and create a good, solid excretion. 

If your puppy is having grainy poops, you should be vigilant and pay your vet a visit. Watch out for other possibly abnormal behaviors.

My Dog Poop Looks Grainy

If your dog’s poop is grainy, consider many things like you would yourself. Consider diet, exercise, and lifestyle. While the most common reason is that they are dehydrated, it is best to be watchful, just in case!

Summary:

So, this is it. We discussed what it means if you have grainy poop and its potential causes.

Just as a disclaimer, I am not a doctor, I am a nutritionist, but I have had a long battle with digestive issues before (Read more here about IBS and the elimination diet)

Saying that, you should always consult with your doctor, reading stuff online is great, but these are only just suggestions on what might be going wrong with you if you ever have these symptoms. So please always consult with your doctor.