Some dogs seem to be able to eat just about anything and feel just fine, from garbage, to an unidentifiable dead thing they found in the park, to cockroaches…
Other dogs aren’t so lucky. Even their regular kibble seems to give them a stomach upset, resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea. If your dog is predisposed to feeling queasy, here are a few ideas that might help you to soothe their roiling stomach.
Check for allergies
A dog who has problems with regular dog food may be allergic to an ingredient which causes a negative reaction in their digestive system. Gluten, soy and corn are often components of dry and wet dog food products that may disagree with some dogs.
In conjunction with your vet, it is possible to undertake an experimental program in which individual food components are removed one at a time in order to determine if an allergy exists. For example, if symptoms desist after an ingredient such as wheat is removed, it is likely the dog has a gluten-intolerance. Once you have identified a problem-ingredient, helping your dog feel well is achieved simply through removing it from their dinner bowl by switching to a different food product.
Change to a specially formulated diet
Many dog food companies have developed products specifically tailored for dogs with stomach sensitivity. These foods can help put an end to issues a sensitive dog may have with commonplace dog food recipes. Generally speaking, the more meat and vegetable the product contains the better. Usually the higher quality the ingredients the easier they are to digest so paying a little extra can pay off long term, with less need to visit the vet. Avoid fatty foods (more than 15% fat is a big no-no) as they are much harder to break down than carbohydrates and protein. Fibres such as beet pulp can further assist in improving digestive function and go towards settling your pup’s tummy.
Keep it simple
It may seem unkind to give a dog the same food all the time – it would be boring after all for us to eat the same thing everyday. Yet when it comes to dogs with sensitive stomachs, variety is not the spice of life. Restricting the number of different kinds of food can help prevent aches and pains. Keep him or her largely on one kind of food and add one additional variety of treat they are fond of to give on occasion – and make sure they aren’t sneaking scraps from the garbage!
