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Managing Health Problems of the Dog Pt 2 |
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Written by John Burns
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 THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
The common symptoms of digestive problems in the dog are loose bowel motions; occasional vomiting; abdominal discomfort; straining; passing blood or mucus; flatulence.
Whether the diagnosis is colitis, enteritis, gastoenteritis, indigestion, allergy, infection etc the problem can usually be attributed to one cause - Improper diet.
Digestive upset is often blamed on a diet being "too rich". This is a myth which pet food manufacturers are happy to perpetuate because it implies that their food is of a very high quality . The reality is generally the reverse of this. Low quality foods containing indigestible or unsuitable ingredients are more likely to cause problems than foods that contain easily digested materials.
In humans, a high-fibre diet is a standard recommendation for the treatment of digestive disorders but my experience with dogs is that a highly digestible, low fibre diet works best. The ideal diet is high in easily digested carbohydrate (rice is best) but low in fat and protein. This will result in a much-reduced volume of material in the lower bowel and a much smaller amount of faeces being produced. This is desirable, not only in the treatment of digestive upset but environmentally too.
Many dog foods use Soya or other vegetable proteins that are difficult to digest compared to animal proteins such as chicken, fish and egg. Wheat is much more difficult to digest than rice and seems to cause intolerance in many dogs. Flaked foods consist of hot-rolled cereals that are only partly cooked and are therefore more difficult to digest.
Increasing the quantity of food reduces the digestibility so it is useful to underfeed slightly when a dog is prone to digestive problems. Regular worming is also important to avoid parasite damage to the gut wall.
Advice on using diet to treat and prevent digestive problems is available from John Bums BVMS Lic Ac. MRCVS at Bums Pet Nutrition Tel 0800 0181 890 or 01554 890482
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