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Digestive problems like throwing up, constipation and diarrhea are one of the most common health problems your dog will experience. While these problems are often the result of dietary changes, they can also be indicators of more serious disorders.
Fortunately, the good news is that most of these issues can be resolved quickly and painlessly.
Today, you will discover not only how to put an end to your dog’s digestive problems but also what eating practices to avoid and what foods and supplements should become a part of your dog’s diet.
These modifications to your pet’s eating habits will keep their digestive system healthy, improve their overall well-being, and prolong their lifespan.
What Causes Digestive Problems In Dogs?
Digestive distress is commonly seen in dogs and it is not something that should be ignored. Digestive problems affect your dog’s ability to digest food, which is paramount for your pet to remain healthy. If they cannot use all the nutrients from their diet, their physical and mental health will deteriorate.
Though it is true that some of these problems may go away on their own, others can jeopardize your dog’s health.
For this reason, as soon as you notice one or more signs of digestive problems, you should contact your veterinarian and ask for professional advice.
WE recommend Juverin Food Booster that will give your pet all the necessary nutrients to fight off Digestive distress. Simply sprinkle a little on his food once daily.
That being said, there are many symptoms of digestive problems that can be easily recognized, including diarrhea, vomiting, the loss of appetite, dehydration, bloating, lethargy, and pain.
You should also keep in mind that flatulence is completely normal in dogs and that canines who don’t have digestive problems also produce gases.
There are 11 main reasons your dog could be suffering from digestive problems:
- Improper diet including eating human food or ingesting foreign objects,
- Lack of digestive enzymes,
- Chronic inflammatory gastritis,
- Inflammatory bowel disease,
- Allergies,
- Parasites and worms,
- Pancreatitis,
- Viruses such as canine parvovirus and canine coronavirus,
- Bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli,
- Liver, pancreas, prostate, and kidney diseases, and
- Trauma.
As you can see, there are a lot of potential causes for digestive problems, meaning that you definitely need to consult with your vet to determine the nature of the problem first.
Recommended Treatment Options
If you consult with your veterinarian, he or she may recommend the best course of treatment which typically includes the use of medications. However, there are still some things you can do to ease their recovery process, as well as to prevent further problems.
1.Dog Food and Nutrition
If you are not sure what is causing your dog’s digestive issues, then the first thing you should do is supplement his food with Juverin Food Booster. Give it to him once a day to protect against viruses, parasites and toxins that could be entering his body!
If your dog is experiencing consistent digestive troubles, you should consider switching to organic dog food, which contains no preservatives, coloring’s, and artificial flavorings. These potentially harmful food additives can usually be found in commercial dog food. Organic natural food is a much healthier choice for your dog. Apart from having a high nutritional value, it can also ease your dog’s digestion. Plus organic food comes with a host of benefits, including disease prevention, allergy prevention, and weight maintenance.
Most processed dog food contain ingredients that can harm your dog and shorten its life. However, the worst part is that those foods are cooked, which destroys important digestive enzymes. This can, consequently, worsen your dog’s digestive problems.
Like most dogs, your dog probably doesn’t have high standards when it comes to the foods (and other things!) he eats so it’s your responsibility to ensure that he doesn’t consume anything that could hurt him.
Furthermore, you should ensure that anyone who comes into your home knows that they should not give your pet human foods or table scraps, no matter how desperately your dog begs for something to eat.
As for the dos and don’ts of feeding your dog, you first need to bear in mind that well-balanced, nutritious dog food should be your dog’s primary source of nutrition. Even though it’s fine to feed them certain human foods from time to time, this should not become a common practice in your household, especially if your pet is prone to digestive problems.
As a matter of fact, dogs who often suffer from digestive upset should avoid human foods at least until a VET can give you proper advice. A few moments of happiness really aren’t worth the trouble he will go through when the food reaches their stomach.
Here are some foods your dog must absolutely avoid!
Garlic and onions, raisins, grapes and nuts, avocado, dairy products, chocolate and gum, walnuts, coffee, alcohol, peaches, plums, raw eggs, meat and fish, and regular table salt. Contrary to popular belief, dogs should also never eat fish, poultry or meat bones as they can cause serious health problems that can even result in death.
2.Feeding Schedule
Instead of feeding your dog whenever and whatever they want to eat, you have to create an optimal feeding schedule and stick to it. Though your pet might need some time to get used to this new regime, they will benefit from the changes in the long run. It will make them regular and their digestive systems will be less stressed and function optimally. We suggest 2-3 smaller meals daily- that will help not to overload his digestive system.
3.Hydration
Your dog will most likely experience dehydration as a result of digestive problems, so you should make sure that he is consuming enough water throughout the day to recover. They should always have access to fresh water, regardless of the amount of fluids they drink on a daily basis.
Water is the foundation of all life and hydration is especially significant for your dog’s health. Water plays a crucial role in digestion and nutrient absorption, helps your dog’s body maintain a normal temperature, keeps his joints soft and supple and even improves his cognitive functions.
On the other hand, if your pet becomes dehydrated, it could lead to organ failure and in extreme circumstances even death.
It should also be stressed that you should give your dog more water after strenuous physical activity and during high temperatures.
CAUTION– Dogs who drink too much water (or swallow a lot during playing) could develop a medical condition called hyponatremia or water intoxication- Especially when he overworks himself and does not take a break.
Simply wait till he has calmed down before giving him too much water.
4.Avoid Excessive Feeding and Constant Treats
Dogs are really smart creatures who know how to get what they want, which is why you need to ignore their sad eyes while they beg for additional food or treats.
If this scenario sounds very familiar to you, then you have to find ways to deal with your dog’s constant begging. For starters, you should begin looking at begging for what it really is – unwanted behavior. Once you establish your authority and dominance with your dog, they will realize that begging for food is not something they should do.
Of course, this is easier said than done, but some perseverance and discipline should do the trick. If you are having trouble, check out Doggy Dan’s FREE training videos on our home page. He is probably the best trainer I know and a few minutes of your time will certainly pay off!
By feeding your dog most human foods, you are not doing them a favor as you will not only disrupt their feeding schedule but you also promote unwanted behavior that could result in obesity. If you are unsure what NOT to feed your dog, check out our article- 12 Human Foods That Could Spell Toxic Consequences For Your DOG (and even death!)
Instead of giving them food whenever they want to eat, try to show them affection or engage them in playful activity. They might be persistent in the beginning but they will most likely accept these alternative rewards after some training.
We like to feed our dog 2 smaller meals a day instead of one big meal and then mixing some healthy treats every once in a while- this allows his digestive system to react positively.
5. Keep Harmful Foods and Treats Out Of Sight!
It is virtually impossible to keep an eye on your pet throughout the entire day. They will certainly explore their surroundings when you’re not at home, so it’s best to keep harmful foods, materials, and objects out of your dog’s reach.
Dogs are curious creatures by nature so you need to make sure that you leave no food or even cooking and eating utensils that may have food drippings on them near the kitchen counter or table where they may be able to access them.
Also, make certain that they cannot open the trash can and feast on its contents. Your dog will instinctively attempt to explore your garbage bin and eat whatever seems appealing to them. That is why it is best to purchase a trash can with a lid on it that your pet cannot possibly open.
Finally, it is important to note that the best dog food in the world won’t eliminate digestive problems if your dog’s digestive system doesn’t work optimally. For that reason, you should definitely incorporate various supplements in your dog’s diet so that they could lead a healthy life without experiencing digestive upset.
Our preferred choice is Juverin Food Booster because it has a full spectrum of minerals, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants that will keep your dog healthy! Other supplements may include canine probiotics, canine prebiotics, and digestive enzymes.
How Probiotics And Prebiotics Keep Your Dog Healthy
Like humans, dogs also have ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in their digestive system. The ‘good’ bacteria not only helps keep the digestive system healthy but also prevent the reproduction of ‘bad’ bacteria.
If your dog has more ‘bad’ bacteria in his gut than the ‘good’ bacteria, chances are he will suffer from digestive problems at some point in his life.
That’s why dogs sometimes need to supplement with probiotics so they can fight off the deadly invaders.
PLUS, probiotics play a key role in nutrient absorption that allows all the nutrients to be absorbed and used by your body. To put it simply, probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that improve your dog’s digestion process and boost his immune system at the same time.
On the other hand, if your dog doesn’t take in enough probiotics, the prevalence of ‘bad bacteria’ that naturally exist in his intestines will eventually cause health problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, the development of seasonal allergy, lethargy and weakness, and flatulence and bad breath.
By creating a healthy balance in your dog’s gut, you help boosting his immune health, enhance nutrient absorption, promote cell growth, and even provide protection against life-threatening conditions such as cancer.
Prebiotics are actually food for the probiotics. By adding prebiotics to your dog’s gut, you encourage good bacteria growth in your pet’s intestines, which improves digestion and strengthens their immune system.
Probiotics and prebiotics work best if given together, so you should make use of both of these supplements when creating an eating plan for your dog.
The Role Digestive Enzymes Play In Your Dog’s Health
You need to think of digestive enzymes as the worker bees. They make everything in your dog’s body work and help him to properly assimilate all the nutrients in the food he eats so his body functions properly.
Your dog needs digestive enzymes because the modern canine diet doesn’t contain any digestive enzymes. That means extra work for the pancreas because it will have to produce all the enzymes that are needed for the digestion process.
Over time, this leads to digestive distress as the pancreas loses its ability over time to be effective.
To make matters worse, without the added digestive enzymes, your dog’s health will also deteriorate because his immune system will be weakened. This can also significantly shorten your dog’s lifespan.
There are specific signs that you need to watch out for that could mean a weakened immune system in your dog:
If you dog has developed allergies, started to shed excessively, lost or gained weight, is often lethargic and frequently vomiting, you should immediately talk to your veterinarian. The problem has probably escalated itself and needs immediate attention.
Not all digestive enzymes are created equally, so you have to be extra careful when choosing enzymes for your pet.
You should definitely consult with your veterinarian before purchasing digestive enzymes. Veterinarians will take into consideration your dog’s health and age prior to recommending a certain product.
Even though your dog should unquestionably consume supplemental enzymes, you shouldn’t solely rely on supplementation.
You should also feed your dog foods that naturally contain enzymes like Juverin Food Booster for dogs.
Raw foods like certain vegetables ( my favorite is Brussle Sprouts) will have an incredible effect on your dog’s digestion system and overall health. Some of the foods that are abundant in digestive enzymes can be found in our article entitled 10 Super Foods That Build Energy, Vitality and Longevity For Your Dog
The Bottom Line
Digestive problems affect most dogs during their lifetime. Whether your dog suffers from chronic digestive conditions or occasionally experiences digestive upset, chances are that he often feels pain and discomfort. However, these problems are not incurable; on the contrary, they can easily be solved.
The role of a good diet and proper supplementation in enhancing and maintaining your dog’s well-being cannot be stressed enough: he will no longer have digestive distress and will be protected against a myriad of avoidable health conditions.
By feeding your dog high-quality dog food, and boosting it with Juverin Food Booster, as well as whole and raw foods, and adding probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes to his diet, you will significantly improve his health and get to enjoy life with him for many, many years to come.
