Unusual-looking poop, such as poop that is fluffy or has ragged and torn edges, can be a sign that something is not right in your digestive system. Although there is wide variability as to what a normal stool can look like, there are also some significant changes to stool appearance that may warrant follow-up.Healthcare providers use a chart called the Bristol Stool Chart to help describe differences in the color, shape, and consistency of stool. These differences can help diagnose gastrointestinal conditions like constipation or irritable bowel syndrome.This article goes over some of the stool characteristics that could indicate a problem in your gastrointestinal system.Caiaimage / Chris Ryan Getty ImagesIf the appearance of your stool has changed, it is essential that you bring it to the attention of your healthcare provider.
Unusual-looking poop, such as poop that is fluffy or has ragged and torn edges, can be a sign that something is not right in your digestive system. Although there is wide variability as to what a normal stool can look like, there are also some significant changes to stool appearance that may warrant follow-up.
Healthcare providers use a chart called the Bristol Stool Chart to help describe differences in the color, shape, and consistency of stool. These differences can help diagnose gastrointestinal conditions like constipation or irritable bowel syndrome.
This article goes over some of the stool characteristics that could indicate a problem in your gastrointestinal system.
Caiaimage / Chris Ryan Getty Images
If the appearance of your stool has changed, it is essential that you bring it to the attention of your healthcare provider.
1Hard StoolsAlan Grinberg/Moment/Getty ImagesHard stools are those pebbly nuggets that are hard to pass. Sometimes the pebbles lump together into one larger mass that passes through in a singlebowel movement. In such cases, there may be a sharp edge to the front of this lump. At other times, only a single pebble or a few small nuggets make their way out during a bowel movement.Hard stools indicate that the fecal matter lacks sufficient moisture, typically because it has been in the large intestine for too long.Some of the more common causes of hard stool include:ConstipationNot drinking enough liquidsNot eating enough fiberWaiting too long to have a bowel movementHealth problems with constipation as a symptomMedications with constipation as a side effectConstipation Treatment and Causes of Hard Poop
1
Hard StoolsAlan Grinberg/Moment/Getty ImagesHard stools are those pebbly nuggets that are hard to pass. Sometimes the pebbles lump together into one larger mass that passes through in a singlebowel movement. In such cases, there may be a sharp edge to the front of this lump. At other times, only a single pebble or a few small nuggets make their way out during a bowel movement.Hard stools indicate that the fecal matter lacks sufficient moisture, typically because it has been in the large intestine for too long.Some of the more common causes of hard stool include:ConstipationNot drinking enough liquidsNot eating enough fiberWaiting too long to have a bowel movementHealth problems with constipation as a symptomMedications with constipation as a side effectConstipation Treatment and Causes of Hard Poop
Hard Stools
Alan Grinberg/Moment/Getty Images
Hard stools are those pebbly nuggets that are hard to pass. Sometimes the pebbles lump together into one larger mass that passes through in a singlebowel movement. In such cases, there may be a sharp edge to the front of this lump. At other times, only a single pebble or a few small nuggets make their way out during a bowel movement.
Hard stools indicate that the fecal matter lacks sufficient moisture, typically because it has been in the large intestine for too long.
Some of the more common causes of hard stool include:
Constipation Treatment and Causes of Hard Poop
2
Loose Stools
Yuji Kotani/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Loose stools are those with a loose, watery appearance. Most often loose stools are associated with the frequent bowel movements ofdiarrhea.
What Are the Causes and Fixes of Loose Stool?
3
Floating Stools
Karsten Bidstrup/Lonely Planet Images
Your floating stools are not something to be too concerned about if they are:
If you start to experience floating stools on a regular basis, it is essential to tell your healthcare provider. Floating stools may be the result of too much fat in your stool, a condition known assteatorrhea.
Other symptoms of steatorrhea include:
Steatorrhea may indicate a problem with fat malabsorption. This means that fats are not being broken down and digested completely in the small intestine. This may be the result of a lack of adequate amounts of pancreatic enzymes and/or bile acids. The cause of these insufficiencies include:
Causes of Floating Stool
4
Fluffy Stools
Amazon
Stool that looks fluffy or mushy and has ragged edges may be an early sign of diarrhea or it may indicate that you have excess fat in your stool. If you have poop that looks this way and it doesn’t resolve after a few days, it could mean your body isn’t absorbing nutrients the way it should be.
Fluffy or mushy poop could be a symptom of a number of conditions, including:
5Strangely Colored StoolsGanymede Photography/Moment Open/Getty ImagesNormal stools can come in a range of colors, including:Different hues of brownOrangeTanYellowThe following stool color changes should be brought to the attention of your healthcare provider:Black or tar-coloredGreenPale, clay-coloredRed (bright or dark)
5
Strangely Colored StoolsGanymede Photography/Moment Open/Getty ImagesNormal stools can come in a range of colors, including:Different hues of brownOrangeTanYellowThe following stool color changes should be brought to the attention of your healthcare provider:Black or tar-coloredGreenPale, clay-coloredRed (bright or dark)
Strangely Colored Stools
Ganymede Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images
Normal stools can come in a range of colors, including:
The following stool color changes should be brought to the attention of your healthcare provider:
6Mucus Covered StoolsJohn Lawson, Belhaven/Moment Open/Getty ImagesMucus is that clear or slightly yellow gunky substance that sometimes is eliminated alongside the fecal matter of a bowel movement. Small amounts of mucus on the stool are considered normal. Larger amounts indicate the presence of an infection or a more chronic health problem.Mucus in Your Stool
6
Mucus Covered StoolsJohn Lawson, Belhaven/Moment Open/Getty ImagesMucus is that clear or slightly yellow gunky substance that sometimes is eliminated alongside the fecal matter of a bowel movement. Small amounts of mucus on the stool are considered normal. Larger amounts indicate the presence of an infection or a more chronic health problem.Mucus in Your Stool
Mucus Covered Stools
John Lawson, Belhaven/Moment Open/Getty Images
Mucus is that clear or slightly yellow gunky substance that sometimes is eliminated alongside the fecal matter of a bowel movement. Small amounts of mucus on the stool are considered normal. Larger amounts indicate the presence of an infection or a more chronic health problem.
Mucus in Your Stool
7Bloody StoolsTalaj/E+/Getty ImagesIf you see any sign of blood in your stool, you must immediately bring it to the attention of your healthcare provider. The blood may appear bright or dark red and may or may not include clots. Black or tar-colored stools can also be a sign of the presence of blood, but not always.Blood in stoolsdoes not always mean that there is something dangerously wrong with you. It could just be the result of ableeding hemorrhoidoranal fissure. However, some serious health conditions, such as cancer, can cause blood in the stools.See your healthcare provider for immediate medical investigation of any sign that blood is present in the stool.
7
Bloody StoolsTalaj/E+/Getty ImagesIf you see any sign of blood in your stool, you must immediately bring it to the attention of your healthcare provider. The blood may appear bright or dark red and may or may not include clots. Black or tar-colored stools can also be a sign of the presence of blood, but not always.Blood in stoolsdoes not always mean that there is something dangerously wrong with you. It could just be the result of ableeding hemorrhoidoranal fissure. However, some serious health conditions, such as cancer, can cause blood in the stools.See your healthcare provider for immediate medical investigation of any sign that blood is present in the stool.
Bloody Stools
Talaj/E+/Getty Images
If you see any sign of blood in your stool, you must immediately bring it to the attention of your healthcare provider. The blood may appear bright or dark red and may or may not include clots. Black or tar-colored stools can also be a sign of the presence of blood, but not always.
Blood in stoolsdoes not always mean that there is something dangerously wrong with you. It could just be the result of ableeding hemorrhoidoranal fissure. However, some serious health conditions, such as cancer, can cause blood in the stools.
See your healthcare provider for immediate medical investigation of any sign that blood is present in the stool.
8Pencil Thin Stoolskemalbas/E+/Getty ImagesIf you only experience thin stool every now and then, it is probably not cause for significant concern as this is not necessarily a sign of a serious health problem. However, you should still bring the symptom to your healthcare provider’s attention. If you are experiencing persistent pencil-thin stools you need to tell your healthcare provider immediately.The causes of pencil-thin stools include:Colon cancerDiarrhea associated withirritable bowel syndromeorinflammatory bowel diseaseEnlarged prostatePolyps in the colonScar tissue in the colonWhat Causes Flat Poop?
8
Pencil Thin Stoolskemalbas/E+/Getty ImagesIf you only experience thin stool every now and then, it is probably not cause for significant concern as this is not necessarily a sign of a serious health problem. However, you should still bring the symptom to your healthcare provider’s attention. If you are experiencing persistent pencil-thin stools you need to tell your healthcare provider immediately.The causes of pencil-thin stools include:Colon cancerDiarrhea associated withirritable bowel syndromeorinflammatory bowel diseaseEnlarged prostatePolyps in the colonScar tissue in the colonWhat Causes Flat Poop?
Pencil Thin Stools
kemalbas/E+/Getty Images
If you only experience thin stool every now and then, it is probably not cause for significant concern as this is not necessarily a sign of a serious health problem. However, you should still bring the symptom to your healthcare provider’s attention. If you are experiencing persistent pencil-thin stools you need to tell your healthcare provider immediately.
The causes of pencil-thin stools include:
What Causes Flat Poop?
Summary
Stools can vary in consistency from hard to watery. Floating stools, stools that are fluffy or ragged, and stools that are an unusual color, contain mucus, or are pencil-thin can be a sign that there is something wrong in your digestive system.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Constipation.NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.NIH MedlinePlus.Stools - floating.Stanford Health Care.Symptoms of short bowel syndrome.Brenner DM, Domínguez-Muñoz JE.Differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea: An algorithm to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea from other organic gastrointestinal diseases, with special focus on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2023;57(7):663-670. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001855Additional ReadingNational Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications: Bowel obstruction.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Constipation.NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.NIH MedlinePlus.Stools - floating.Stanford Health Care.Symptoms of short bowel syndrome.Brenner DM, Domínguez-Muñoz JE.Differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea: An algorithm to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea from other organic gastrointestinal diseases, with special focus on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2023;57(7):663-670. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001855Additional ReadingNational Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications: Bowel obstruction.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Constipation.NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.NIH MedlinePlus.Stools - floating.Stanford Health Care.Symptoms of short bowel syndrome.Brenner DM, Domínguez-Muñoz JE.Differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea: An algorithm to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea from other organic gastrointestinal diseases, with special focus on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2023;57(7):663-670. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001855
NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Constipation.
NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diarrhea.
NIH MedlinePlus.Stools - floating.
Stanford Health Care.Symptoms of short bowel syndrome.
Brenner DM, Domínguez-Muñoz JE.Differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea: An algorithm to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea from other organic gastrointestinal diseases, with special focus on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2023;57(7):663-670. doi:10.1097/MCG.0000000000001855
National Cancer Institute.Gastrointestinal complications: Bowel obstruction.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
