Blog Dog Gut Health: Tips for how to support your dog’s microbiome.
Dog Gut Health: Tips for how to support your dog’s microbiome.
Digestive health in our pets is just as important as it is in our own bodies. Similarly to our own, your dog’s gastrointestinal tract is home to a community of thousands of different types of bacteria and other microorganisms that all function together to form your pet’s unique gut microbiome.
A balanced, diverse, and healthy gut microbiome in our dogs supports their overall health through:
- strengthening their immune system,
- defending against intestinal pathogens,
- promoting healthy cognitive function,
- and distributing vitamins and nutrients throughout their body.
In a healthy and balanced digestive system, the “good” bacteria keep the “bad” bacteria in check in our dog’s GI tract. When the different populations of bacteria in your dog’s gut are out of whack, we can start to see health issues pop up. Anything from flakey skin to irritable bowel syndrome to depression can be a result of an imbalanced or unhealthy gut microbiome.
So how can we make sure we’re enriching our dogs’ digestive health and supporting a healthy gut microbiome? Through managing their diet!
In this article we will outline some tips for how you can naturally improve your dog’s gut health and thus improve their overall wellbeing.
Managing their diet is the main way to manage your dog’s gut health.
Good nutrition and good overall health go hand-in-hand. Every different kind of bacteria – the good and the bad – in your dog’s gut needs different nutrients to be able to survive. This means that what you choose to feed your dog impacts which types of bacteria can thrive in their digestive system. Feeding our dogs a healthy, well-balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is the best thing we can do for their physical and mental health.
Read on for a breakdown of a few tips to help feed your dog a gut-healthy diet.
Feed your dog a balanced raw diet.
Feeding a raw diet has been shown to create a more diverse gut microbiome in dogs than when you feed them kibble. Rotating proteins, incorporating different fruits and vegetables, and mixing up the organ meats – balancing your dog’s diet throughout the week – is a great way to get them a wide variety of nutrients to feed the wide variety of bacteria in their gut. Diversify the microbiome by feeding a diversified diet.
The benefits of a raw food diet for gut health in dogs:
- Improved nutrient absorption
- Smaller, less smelly poops
- Reduced risk of allergies
- Reduced risk of food sensitivities
- Maintain a healthier weight
- Increased energy
- Shinier coat and healthier skin
- Stronger immune system
Use probiotics wisely.
Supplementing your dog’s diet with probiotics and digestive enzymes helps to maintain the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your dog’s digestive system. This is especially important to think about if your dog is on antibiotics for any reason as these medications often wipe out populations of good bacteria along with the bad while they’re at work in your dog’s body. Incorporate probiotics into your dog’s meals to repopulate their gut with good bacteria and help get their gut microbiome back to a healthy state.
Focus on fiber – feed the good bacteria.
Dietary fiber is super important to help move food through your dog’s digestive system, and to feed the good bacteria in their gut. Prebiotics are types of fiber that selectively stimulate and “feed” the good gut bacteria. Prebiotics can help:
- promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut,
- reduce inflammation and improve digestion by enhancing the function of the gut barrier,
- reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infections and diseases,
- enhance nutrient absorption,
- produce nutrients when fermented by bacteria in the gut, including Vitamin K and SCFAs (short chain fatty acids),
- regulate blood sugar and cholesterol,
- stimulate production of immune cells in the gut,
- and improve mood and cognitive function.
Switch to a truly raw diet for improved gut health in dogs.
Overall, transitioning your dog from a from a carbohydrate-heavy kibble diet to a moisture- and nutrient-rich raw diet of real, whole foods is the best thing you can do for their gut microbiome and overarching health.
Carnos makes feeding truly raw easy with canine nutritionist developed Complete & Balanced ready-to-serve raw meals. Get started feeding a raw diet today!