It is not often that pet parents (and pet professionals) give the gut the credit it is due, but it really is the hub for wellness and health with your pet.
The gut controls how the body absorbs nutrients and digests food along with using those nutrients to maintain the body and its overall health. This means that if the gut is unbalanced or unhealthy, that the body is too!
Often, skin irritations can occur if there is an overgrowth of bacteria or lack of nutrients absorbed – and this includes in pets too. Things like the inability to store fat correctly can cause weight loss or weight gain.
What is the gut?
The gut, or gastrointestinal tract, is basically the path that food and water follows from the mouth, through the stomach and the intestines before reaching the colon where foods leave the body as faeces (or poop).
What is it responsible for?
Besides the obvious points mentioned in the opening of this blog, the gut also plays a huge role in water absorption (which aids with the formation of your pet’s stools and regularity), and it plays a vital role as part of your pet’s overall immune system. This is over and above the digestion and absorption of minerals and vitamins then needed to maintain and support the body and its functions.
What about the microbiome?
The microbiome refers to the colony of healthy bacteria or micro-organisms that inhabit your pet’s (and your) gut. These micro-organisms (or microbiota) have many key and important functions such as the production of certain vitamins, digestion of plant fibres, reduction of bad (pathogenic) bacteria, supporting the barrier functions and encouraging oral tolerance which lastly, ensures that the oral tolerances lead to not having allergic reactions to food items they eat.
It’s pretty cool, or we think so!
So why is the gut health so important?
Studies have shown that 80% of your dog’s immune system calls the gut “home” which means that the gut helps with fighting against common issues AND allergies in pets. This is something that is often overlooked in clinical medicine when a pet is having a huge, uncomfortable allergy flare up or chronic allergy condition – but really, the root of the issue (at least 80% of the issue) can be addressed with supporting the gut.
If the gut is unbalanced, it cannot absorb nutrients correctly – which cannot sustain the body and its functions.
But the RIGHT type of nutrients is also incredibly important.
It’s a commonly known fact that most pet’s today are overfed and under-nourished. We have the all-time high with pets that are overweight, suffering from diabetes and cancers etc and most of this can be maintained with the correct nutrition from the moment they eat food.
Diets rich in carbohydrates (cereals, wheats, grains etc) encourage pathogenic bacteria to form. Especially noted in the mouth once eaten. The food gets stuck in the pet’s teeth, which causes the carbohydrates, that turn to simple sugars, to attract bacteria and can cause bad dental health and smelly breath. This is why so many pets on commercial diets (high in carbohydrates) need to have annual dental cleanings. The NRC (Nutritional Research Council) found that dogs do not need high volumes of carbohydrates (they are carnivores) but most pet foods today have 30 – 60% carbohydrates content – which is not always displayed on packaging for the pet owner to see and know.
This means that due to the lack of the digestive enzyme, amylase, consuming these types of foods put huge pressure on the digestive system and causes imbalances, and health issues tend to follow this imbalance.
Maintaining your pet’s gut is as simple as fresh, healthy balanced foods and some extra assistance from things like fermented vegetables or Kefir. These introduce some live and active bacteria back into the body.
Some pet’s suffering with long-term (chronic) allergy conditions that do not seem to be letting up with all the cortisone and antibiotic courses and food changes, really do benefit from a fresh diet with the right support aids. This can be formulated for your pet by an animal nutritionist and dietician.
So, the gut and microbiome really is important?
Simply put, YES!
Things like the wrong diet, exposure to frequent chemical drugs and lack of water (moisture) really do impact the gut long-term, and not in a good way either. Antibiotics, and regular use thereof, destroys the microbiome and it can take up to two years to replenish the gut after a single 14-day course of antibiotics. Obviously antibiotics are life-saving and important and necessary at times, but the overuse is detrimental long-term.
The microbiota needs to be cared for and nurtured through fresh foods and gut aids in order to ensure that your pet is healthy and happy internally and thus, externally. Can you imagine the uproar if your GP or dietician told you that fresh foods, and the right foods, are bad for you and that you should only eat convenience meals? The secret is that the RIGHT fresh food is where health begins, both for pets and humans alike.
As we mentioned earlier, the gut is the hub where 80% of your pet’s immune system can be found. It is the place where your pet’s body absorbs nutrients from their food to nourish and maintain the body.
Gut health is always looked at during consultations here, because it is a huge controlling factor for pets today. More often than not, a gut support course has to be done before a new diet is introduced – especially if the pet is experiencing prolonged periods of health issues, inflammation and allergies.
This is a huge topic in pet health and care, and one that is not given the time of day by most professionals, but we hope this short piece brought some understanding as to why it is important to maintain a healthy gut, and use the right foods, for your pet.
If you would like some dietary assistance for your pet, please pop us an email on nutrition@clawsnpaws.co.za or book a session here. Our sessions are a scope package that covers the initial consultation (it can be remote too for distance clients and this is done via Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp video call), new diet plan and reports, integrative support and follow-ups.
Medical cases welcome with our field of work being, but not limited to, kidney disease, liver disease, cancer care, pancreatitis prone dogs, diabetes, obesity and inflammation conditions (arthritis and allergies and leaky gut syndrome).
Thanks for reading!
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