Does your pet suffer from Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)? Signs of IBD are typically chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea. According to Dr. Bruce Syme, holistic veterinarian, acute vomiting is more common in cats than in dogs and chronic diarrhea is the most common symptom reported when IBD is diagnosed in both cats and dogs. Basically, he says, IBD is really just a chronic form of food allergy at the gut level. Your pet’s body simply doesn’t know what to do with the processed food he is ingesting.
Doctor says IBD is one of the many conditions where pets respond well and improve on a raw, unprocessed diet. A probiotic supplement will also help IBD conditions improve and he recommends a probiotic supplement for any pet that is having difficulty with digestion. Doctors say you should allow 6-8 weeks after changing your pet’s diet to see complete resolution of the condition.
Specifically in cats, I have had many instances of customers coming in within just a few days after changing their cat’s diet from a dry food to a wet food diet. Pet owners come in with happy, smiling faces reporting a marked reduction in vomiting, and in many cases, the vomiting has stopped completely. Now, isn’t that easy?
I should mention many of said pet owners have come in to talk to me as a last resort, after talking with their local veterinarian, after many costly tests, trying several prescription diets, etc.
There are many options available that make feeding your pet a raw diet easier than it used to be. There are frozen raw diets, dehydrated raw diets, freeze-dried raw diets, etc. But mainly, you want to eliminate as much dry food from your pet’s diet as possible (if not eliminate it completely) and increase as much whole, unprocessed food as possible. The better the quality of the food, the more your pet’s condition should improve.
Does Your Pet Have Digestive Upsets? Probiotics Can Help.
Does your pet suffer from excessive gas or chronic digestive upsets? Just like in humans, there are many reasons or causes for digestion issues. Some common causes include sensitive stomach, nerves, intolerance or hypersensitivity to certain foods or ingredients, eating a foreign object or critter from the yard, or something more severe like a problem with the liver or the pancreas not functioning the way it should.
Take A Closer Look.
If your pet suffers frequently from digestive upsets, it’s time to take a closer look. First, visit your veterinarian to rule out a parasite, virus or obstruction from a foreign object. Once you have ruled out parasites, etc., take a look at what your pet is eating. Perhaps its time to make a change. Is the food all natural? Are the ingredients wholesome? Look at the ingredient label – the first five ingredients should be meat and/or whole grains, and should not include any by-products, corn or soy.
Add Probiotics to Help Digestion.
Adding a probiotic to your pet’s diet is a great way to help him digest his food and to ensure he’s absorbing all the nutrients he can out of the food he eats. Some pets (like humans) just need a little help with digestion. What are probiotics? These are good bacteria or microorganisms that help build “flora and fauna” in the digestive tract to keep it balanced and healthy.
