How to Support Your Dog’s Gut Health
Did you know that your dog’s gut microbiome has a strong influence on how they feel overall? Located in your dog’s intestines, a microbiome is the large collection of organisms that live within. Their job is to assist in digesting food, and fighting against unhealthy germs. Their presence affects inflammation and even plays a role in how the brain connects with the gastrointestinal system. Having a healthy gut microbiome is critical to the health of your dog.
Symptoms of an Unbalanced Microbiome
Keeping your dog’s gut bacteria diverse and balanced is absolutely necessary for their wellbeing. This is because 70% of their immune system is associated with their gut. When a dog’s gut bacteria becomes unbalanced, a variety of unwanted symptoms may occur which include:
- Obesity
- Gastrointestinal upset
- Flatulence
- Allergens
- Auto-immune conditions
- Cognitive impairments
Triggers for Digestive Disorders
When a dog becomes sick or stressed, this is the time that his/her gut may become imbalanced. As a result, diarrhea, cramping, gas, and bad breath may happen. Here are a few triggers that may cause an imbalance:
- An infection
- Changes in his/her environment such as moving house
- Old age
- Diet: Abrupt changes, spoiled food, or food that just doesn’t agree
- Parasites
- Antibiotics and steroid medications.
As advised by the AKC, it is a good idea to give your dog probiotics a few days before, if you know that a stressful event is coming on.
How to Help Your Dog Maintain a Healthy Gut
Keeping a dog’s microbiome can be tricky as things like medicines, genetics, certain diseases, and even their environment can all have an effect on them. A dog’s diet can also play a major role in keeping a healthy digestive tract. Selecting a dog food that contains prebiotics and/or probiotics may be particularly helpful.
Prebiotic Food Sources
Prebiotics work by providing nourishment to the healthy bacteria within the gut by giving them a food source. These special plant fibers make a dog’s digestive system work at its best. Here are a few dog-safe prebiotic foods:
- Flaxseed
- Raw Oats
- Pumpkin
- Apples
- Bananas
- Green Vegetables
About Probiotics
Probiotics are made up of live bacteria and yeast. They help the body create several vitamins and short-chain fatty acids. They also help to stop harmful bacteria within the gut. They help to create a balance between the good and bad bacteria within the gut microbiome. This helps to keep your dog’s digestive tract working as it should.
If for some reason your dog’s digestion is out of balance, probiotics will bring it back into order. If you have ever eaten yogurt with live cultures, you have had probiotics. They bolster the immune system.
Before giving your dog any human probiotic foods or supplements, be sure to check first with your veterinarian. It is best for your vet to recommend something specific for the health of your dog.