Upset tummies in our pet pooches are not uncommon. They can be caused by many things including unpleasant bacteria or viruses, some potentially questionable dietary choices (bin food anyone?) and occasionally something a little more serious. It’s important to know the signs that might indicate more concerning conditions. These may include marked lethargy, vomiting that is very frequent or prolonged, an inability to keep any food or water down, and blood in the stools or vomit. Any of these signs should prompt an urgent trip to your vet.

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Luckily for many dogs their signs will settle quickly and often despite, rather than because of, anything we do. A bland diet and maybe a short course of some doggy probiotics may help speed things along, as well as ensuring they stay well hydrated.

Longer term issues

In some instances, although not necessarily severe initially, these signs are persistent or recurrent. Affected dogs will often need a bit more help and a trip to your vet will be warranted. Your vet can rule out more serious problems and advise whether your pet needs any medications. Diseases that can cause recurrent or chronic, vomiting and diarrhoea include:

  • Chronic infections and parasites
  • Food sensitivities
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (this should not be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome which seems to be much less common in dogs compared to humans)
  • Gastric ulcers
  • Pancreatitis
  • Pancreatic insufficiency
  • Low levels of Vitamin B12
  • Certain types of cancer (although this is thankfully rare)

Your vet may suggest tests to determine whether any of these are causing your pet’s problem. This might include sending away a faecal sample for analysis, running blood tests, an ultrasound scan or x-rays of the abdomen and occasionally, examination internally with a camera (endoscope) or even exploratory surgery with or without biopsy samples. Once your vet is able to rule out the more sinister causes, they will often recommend either a specialist intestinal diet or sometimes a specific low allergy diet.

Why change the diet?

If you think about it, it’s hardly surprising that the health of the intestines can be directly influenced by the food that passes through them. Although good old “chicken and rice” was a common recommendation for a bland diet in the past; these days things have moved on a bit. More sophisticated intestinal diets have become available which are specially designed to help poorly tummies heal quicker.  

And current evidence suggests this is a safer and more effective approach than the old-fashioned chicken and rice “bland” diet.

How do they work?

Intestinal diets work in a number of different ways and vary a little, depending on the specific brand; but almost all are designed to be highly digestible. This means that it is easy for the intestines to extract as much goodness from the diet as possible even when they are not working normally. Many intestinal diets are designed to be low in common allergens that may irritate the gut. They are also frequently supplemented with extra vitamins and minerals. Intestinal upsets can mean that it’s harder for the body to absorb all the nutrients they need, especially things like vitamin B12 and they will often lose electrolytes rapidly. 

Another feature of these diets is that they tend to be lower in certain detrimental fats; and higher in other helpful ones such as medium and short chain fatty acids. Many modern intestinal diets also contain prebiotics. This is basically food for the good bacteria in the gut which have often been compromised by the intestinal upset. Importantly the other feature of many gastrointestinal diets is that they are made to be extra tasty; so your poorly pooch is more likely to eat them.

But they’re not a cure-all!

Although these diets can be very effective, caution should be taken, as not every gastrointestinal diet will be suitable for every intestinal problem. For example, some conditions, such as pancreatitis, need a very low-fat diet, and dogs with food allergies may require a specific low allergy or hydrolysed diet to help with their symptoms. 

This is one of the reasons that many gastrointestinal diets are termed “prescription diets”. This is not quite the same as prescription medicine. But it basically means that they should be used under the direction of your vet who will know which specific food is most suitable for your pet’s particular problems. If you think your pet may benefit, chat with your vet who can help you decide whether or not they will help return your pet’s guts back to prime health! 

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