From hard and lumpy to fuzzy and soft, the Bristol Stool Chart breaks down every form of stool.
You might not know that there are different kinds of poop if you have never heard of the Bristol Stool Chart. And while discussing your pooping habits might be taboo—sometimes it’s necessary for your well-being. What is the Bristol Stool Chart, also called the Bristol Stool Scale or the Meyers Scale? It can help you explain your bowel movements to your doctor and find out if they’re normal or not. For people with digestive or gut health problems, like IBS, it can be helpful, and it can also help your doctor figure out what’s wrong.
Anish Sheth, M.D., says, “Your bowel movements are the only real way to tell if your GI health is good or bad.” D. , a board-certified gastroenterologist at Penn Medicine’s Center for Digestive Health. To take better care of your body and notice any changes that could mean a bigger problem, learn what your normal stools look like, how thick they are, and how they feel.
Using the Bristol Stool Chart with your doctor will help you and your doctor understand what is going down the toilet if something is wrong with your digestive health. You won’t have to return a stool sample. Here’s what you need to know about this handy reference guide—and what your poop says about your health.
You glance down at the toilet bowl after a bowel movement and are startled to see stool resembling pulled pork BBQ. Alarm bells go off in your head, leaving you wondering what would cause feces to look this way. Rest assured, you’re not alone in experiencing this phenomenon.
While no one likes pondering poop texture and appearance, our stools can provide insight into digestive health. From floaters to sinkers, mudbutt to logs, bowel movements come in many forms, textures, and sizes. So what does it mean when your poop resembles shredded pork? Let’s explore.
What Causes Feces To Look Like Pulled Pork?
There are a few common culprits behind pork-like pooping
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Constipation – When stool lacks bulk and moisture, it can form thin, narrow stools. Chronic constipation leads to stretched bowels and obstructions, causing stringy feces to pass around blockages
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Dehydration – Inadequate fluid intake results in hard dry stool. Without enough liquid the body can’t produce mucus to help feces slide out smoothly.
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Low-fiber diet – Fiber gives stool bulk. Without adequate fiber from fruits, veggies, and whole grains, stools become less formed.
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Gut inflammation – Swelling in the GI tract from conditions like IBS, Crohn’s, infections, etc. can cause mucus production, producing stringy poop.
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Medications – Antibiotics, iron supplements, antacids can cause constipation or affect gut flora, altering stool formation.
So in essence, pulled pork poop tends to result from drier, harder stools that clump together in stringy bits rather than soft, solid logs.
Why Poop Texture Matters
The texture and form of your feces provides insight into overall digestive health. The Bristol Stool Chart classifies poop into seven types based on appearance. Ideal stools are Types 3-4 – smooth, soft sausage shapes that are easy to pass.
Poop texture is influenced by:
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Fluid intake – Adequate hydration keeps stool soft.
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Dietary fiber – Bulks up stool and prevents constipation.
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Gut flora – Healthy bacteria ensure proper stool formation.
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Transit time – Food moving too fast or slowly alters poop texture.
When stools are consistently too hard, loose, thin, or porous, it may signal an underlying issue.
What Pulled Pork Poop Could Mean
While gross, examining your poop provides clues about your health. Pulled pork stools can indicate:
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Dehydration – Dry, hard stools are painful to pass. Up your fluid intake.
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Constipation – Lack of fiber and fluids causes stool to shrink and thin out. Add more fiber-rich foods.
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Gut inflammation – Diarrhea, gas, and stringy poop could mean IBS, IBD, infections, etc. See a doctor.
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Hemorrhoids – Straining from constipation and hard stools can cause swollen veins. Treat with creams, hydration.
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Impaction – Hard stool gets stuck due to blockages. May require enema, laxatives, or manual disimpaction.
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Bowel obstruction – Thin stools passing around blockage requires urgent medical attention.
Overall, stringy poop signals some sort of disruption in the digestive process. While likely not serious, make diet and lifestyle changes. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist.
What Causes Pulled Pork-Looking Stools?
There are a few key contributing factors to this distinct and disturbing poop manifestation:
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Low-fiber diet – Without adequate fiber from whole grains, fruits and veggies, stool lacks bulk and can’t form properly.
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Dehydration – Inadequate fluid intake leads to hard, dry stools that cling together in porky clumps rather than passing smoothly.
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Medications – Antibiotics, OTC antacids, and iron supplements commonly cause constipation and strange poop textures.
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Stress – High stress impairs digestion, potentially causing diarrhea or thin stools.
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Sedentary lifestyle – Lack of exercise slows bowel movements, increasing constipation risk.
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Diet high in fat/meat – Excess fatty and meat-heavy diets speed up the digestive tract, causing loose stools.
Essentially, pulled pork poop arises when stools become misshapen, dehydrated, and clumpy rather than properly hydrated and formed.
Tips For Preventing Pulled Pork Poop
You can help optimize your digestion and promote healthier poops with these strategies:
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Drink plenty of fluids like water, herbal tea, broths. Proper hydration is key.
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Eat more high-fiber foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds.
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Take probiotics to support healthy gut flora. Consider yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha.
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Exercise regularly to stimulate the digestive system.
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Address stress via yoga, meditation, therapy, mindfulness, etc.
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Avoid gut irritants like spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, NSAIDs.
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See a doctor if symptoms persist to rule out underlying conditions.
With some dietary tweaks and lifestyle changes, you can get your bowel movements back on track and avoid pulled pork poops! But when in doubt, consult your physician.
How is the Bristol Stool Chart used?
The Bristol Stool Chart helps doctors and patients speak the same language when talking about bowel movements, explains Lukasz Kwapisz, M.D., gastroenterologist at Gastro Health. “It really helps clinicians—in most cases, gastroenterologists or primary care physicians—to have an understanding of what type of bowel movements patients are having,” he says. “This allows the doctors to tailor a treatment plan to improve the consistency and help alleviate patients’ concerns.”
Typically, patients are shown the chart and asked to ID the number of the stool they’ve been experiencing. “It’s hard to describe poop,” points out Ellen Stein, M.D., a gastroenterologist and associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “It’s a lot easier to point to [the chart].”
The Bristol Stool Chart can be used by your doctor if you have diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramps, bloating and gas, nausea, or problems with absorption. They may also ask you other questions about your stool such as:
- How much do you usually go when you go to the bathroom?
- In general, what color and smell does your poop look like?
- Do you notice blood or mucus in your poop?
- Do your stools stick to the toilet bowl after flushing?
Soft blobs with clear-cut edges
UnityPoint Health medical experts say this is a slightly loose stool, but it’s pretty normal for people who go to the bathroom twice or three times a day, usually after a main meal. (If this is normal for you, and it’s soft and passes comfortably, consider it A-OK. ).
A visual guide to healthy poop
FAQ
Why does my poop look shredded?
What is the shape of diverticulitis stools?
What do unhealthy bowel movements look like?
Why am I pooping out something that looks like a string?
Why does my poop look mushy?
The cause of these insufficiencies include: 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.
What could be the cause of blood in the crack of poop?
Blood in the crack of poop can be caused by a number of things, including: 1. Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum or anus. They can cause pain, itching, and bleeding. 2. Anal fissure: An anal fissure is a small tear in the lining of the anus. It can cause pain, bleeding, and difficulty passing stool. 3. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): IBD is a group of chronic conditions that cause inflammation of the digestive tract. It can cause blood in the stool, as well as other symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. 4. Rectal cancer: Rectal cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the rectum. It can cause blood in the stool, as well as other symptoms, such as weight loss, change in bowel habits, and abdominal pain. 5. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Some STIs, such as gonorrhea and syphilis, can cause blood in the stool. 6. Trauma: Trauma to the anus or rectum can cause bleeding. This can happen from a fall, a sexual assault, or other injury.
Why does my poop look dark?
If there is blood in your stool, the poop color depends on where the bleeding takes place in the digestive tract. Blood from the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the stomach or esophagus, will look dark by the time it exits the body as a bowel movement.
Why is my poop pale?
Poop that is pale or light-colored could also mean there is excessive fat in the poop—a condition called steatorrhea . This can be caused by anything that disrupts the intestinal lining, such as celiac disease or disorders that affect the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder. Steatorrhea means there is excessive fat in your stool.