Poor Bob. He's convinced those docusate drops are helping, while his stool is quietly waving a little white flag.

One of the subtle differences between Type 5 and Type 6 is that Type 5 is still made up of distinct soft blobs. Type 6, on the other hand, has started to lose its structure altogether. It's becoming blobby, ragged and fluffy around the edges. It's often a sign that stool has moved through the bowel a little too quickly, leaving less time for water to be absorbed.

For those of us involved in bowel care, a Type 6 stool is a useful message rather than just an inconvenience. It might be telling you that the bowel routine, diet, fluid intake or medications need another look. Ignore the message for too long and today's "slightly too soft" can become tomorrow's full-blown Type 7.

It's another reminder that good bowel care isn't about guessing—it's about recognising the clues the body gives us and knowing how to respond. That's exactly why we teach stool assessment as part of Fellow Carer's spinal injury training for individuals, care agencies and healthcare professionals.

Have you ever spotted a subtle change in someone's bowel pattern before it developed into a bigger problem? What clues do you look out for first?