If your dog has ever had an upset stomach, chances are that half the day was spent cleaning up vomit or worse. Dogs that have chronic stomach issues often are forced to go through life in pain or discomfort. If you’ve noticed that your dog has digestive issues, there are a few different options available that can help improve their health and wellness, make them feel better, and even help their diet. Here are five key things to remember when it comes to improving your dog’s digestion.
5 Ways to Help Your Dog’s Digestive System
1. Vitamins and Supplements
One of the best and most inexpensive ways to improve digestion is to get probiotics for your dog. Giving dog vitamins and supplements is a fantastic way to help give it the vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients it needs to have a healthy digestive system. Just like in humans, dogs have bacteria that live in their digestive tract. The delicate ecosystem of bacteria and other gut flora is called the microbiome, and it needs to function correctly in order to keep the dog healthy. Vitamins and probiotic supplements can help balance out the level of bacteria, boost their digestion, and improve their health and wellness.
2. Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is also vital to help a dog’s digestive system function correctly. In fact, a dog’s digestive tract can store food for a long time, slowly transforming it into raw energy as it’s needed. However, this is dependent on the amount of physical activity a dog does. If they don’t get much exercise, the food stays there longer and can give them digestive issues. Take regular walks and exercise frequently to keep their digestive system healthy and to help them avoid packing on the pounds, too.
3. Raw Food Diet
Dogs may be domesticated, but that doesn’t mean that those wild impulses and instincts have disappeared entirely. Think about it: dogs weren’t evolved to eat dry, crunchy kibble; they’re carnivorous. Raw food can be a tremendous help for dogs, and the natural enzymes they contain work in tandem to help break down and digest the food efficiently. Try a raw food diet, even if it is a bit more money, as it can significantly help dogs feel better and improve their digestion.
4. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods and prebiotics contain a large number of microbes. Remember how the gut needs beneficial bacteria to digest food properly? The microbes are what helps a dog’s stomach create those good bacteria that are so necessary for a healthy, functioning digestive system. If you don’t want to serve them fermented foods, prebiotics are also available in the form of supplements.
5. Healthy Diet: High Protein, Low Fat
Just like people watch their own diets, it’s also essential to keep an eye on your dog’s diet. A high-protein, low-fat diet is ideal. This can help give the dog’s body and digestive system the building blocks it needs to function correctly and gives good, high-quality energy. The food that a dog eats helps determine the balance of good to bad bacteria in the gut, negatively impacting digestion if unhealthy foods are consumed regularly.
Use These Five Tips to Improve Your Pup’s Digestion and Health
Your dog is your best friend and a beloved member of the family. If they suffer from chronic stomach upset, or even if they’re healthy, it’s incredibly important to keep a close eye on their diet and health. Keep up to date with the latest advice on the Instagram account, Ultimate Pet Nutrition. It’s full of handy hints and tips. It also includes answers to common and not so common questions about your pet’s diet. If you’re wondering whether you can give cherries to dogs or sardines to cats head to this informative site.
Feeding a dog the wrong diet can be very damaging to their health. Instead, try to give them a high-protein, low-fat diet and start a daily supplement and prebiotic regimen. This will keep them happy, healthy, and loving life.
