By Robert Mueller:
Vomiting and diarrhea – Cleaning up after our pets is NEVER fun for anyone. Something has caused your poor pooch to be sick whether from a one time occurrence like getting into the garbage or from years something in their diet slowly wearing down their tolerance. Either way, you are stuck scrubbing the carpet and your pet is miserable. How did this happen and how do you get out of this mess?
Other than skin and allergy issues, which are the #1 problem that plagues our companion animals, the second most troubling issues relate to digestion and gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances.
I receive calls every week that relate to a condition called Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It is also classified as a form of colitis, a condition that is characterized by inflammation or swelling of the large intestine.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is called a disease of exclusion. This means that because IBS is difficult to diagnose, several other disorders have to be eliminated before a proper diagnosis of IBS can be made. The symptoms include passage of small amounts of mucous stool, a watery discharge or very soft stool and it can be sometimes associated with painful defecation and an increased frequency of defecation.
As the disease progresses, it can trigger intermittent bloating, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It comes as no surprise that a dog with this condition is reluctant to enjoy his/her normal meal which can lead to underweight issues or inappetence (lack of appetite).
There is a major difference between the occurrence of this disease between wild and domesticated dogs.
Wild dogs search and find foods that are biologically appropriate and available. They eat what nature intended for them and as a result do not normally suffer from these types of digestive issues.
On the other hand, domesticated dogs are fed whatever their companion guardian elects to feed them. In this case, the domesticated dog may be subjected to many factors that he wouldn’t normally be exposed to in the wild such as a diet full of chemicals, pesticides, flavoring agents, fat sprays, and fillers. Do you suppose that a dog whose diet that is excluded from all these harmful agents would have less chance of getting this disease?
Give your pet a fighting chance to avoid painful upset by adding a digestive aid, like digestive enzymes or pre-biotics, to their diet – whatever that diet may be!
The conventional vet treatment for this condition includes diarrhea medication, antibiotics, and steroids to reduce any inflammation. This may be necessary in the most extreme cases however; alternatively, the holistic vet approach is to supplement the animal’s meals with dietary fiber. Many holistic vets will recommend adding crushed flaxseeds to the raw food diet for its fiber and omega-3 content.
Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist, author of “Living Enzymes: The World’s Best Kept Pet Food Secret“. He and his wife love to travel around the world with their dog, Moxie – a Yorkshire Terrier/Maltese mix. For more articles like these and to learn more about the benefits of raw food for your pets.
