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Intestinal support: acacia fiber and aloe vera for dog?

NielsW

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Hi guys,

Our 5yo dachshund (male) takes probiotics as a support sometimes for his GI. I do too as a human and I take Acacia fiber as a pre-biotic, too. I have 2 questions on intestinal support possibilities:

--> Can our dog have Acacia fiber as I use it (brand: Now Foods), too and what dosage should I apply?

--> Can our dogs have fresh Aloe Vera (we use it too for ourselves) as to calm down his GI? (We have found it to be effective on our very selves and it would be easy to give it to him). And if yes - what dosage?

Warm regards and thanks!
 

GinnyW

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For me the question would be one of need. If he suffers gastrointestinal disturbances, my first thought would be his diet, and then other habits and proclivities which might influence his digestion. Depending on the presentation, there could be many answers and supportive modalities. Generally, though, a dog on a species-appropriate diet of fresh raw meats, bones - and a few vegetables if you really think they are beneficial - should do fine without the soothing effects of aloe. There are studies on the flora of canine intestines, and it's possible that acacia is not harmful, but I would not imagine it necessary. In any case, there are many well-thought-out products to enhance canine gut health which may be more appropriate and/or effective. I would just caution against treating for a condition that does not exist, or that can be better addressed by a more specific remedy.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Hi Niels-

I agree with Ginny 100% and would answer your question about your pup's GI tract based on his BEAM, other symptoms and what kind of food you feed.


If you're using any kibble or canned ultra-processed foods, then you may want to stop that first.

Yes, both acacia and aloe are fine to use.

If you'd like to share more info. in this thread, here's some of what we may ask:

 

NielsW

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For me the question would be one of need. If he suffers gastrointestinal disturbances, my first thought would be his diet, and then other habits and proclivities which might influence his digestion. Depending on the presentation, there could be many answers and supportive modalities. Generally, though, a dog on a species-appropriate diet of fresh raw meats, bones - and a few vegetables if you really think they are beneficial - should do fine without the soothing effects of aloe. There are studies on the flora of canine intestines, and it's possible that acacia is not harmful, but I would not imagine it necessary. In any case, there are many well-thought-out products to enhance canine gut health which may be more appropriate and/or effective. I would just caution against treating for a condition that does not exist, or that can be better addressed by a more specific remedy.

Thanks for your considerations. Yes our focus is on the big picture (food is the main one of them), we do find it desirable that along the way, on the road to improvements, it's good to find some short term relief albeit temporary or symptomatic of nature. Both acacia (to be used as a prebiotic, that is, for humans it works very well on myself) and aloe would be well affordable solutions for us, plus we prefer to choose individual ingredients as they are offered by nature rather than expensive commercial formulas for everything (we do use a commercial probiotic though, but just want to keep things as affordable as possible). Not sure how the inflation is in the US, here it's going nuts :)
 

NielsW

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Hi Niels-

I agree with Ginny 100% and would answer your question about your pup's GI tract based on his BEAM, other symptoms and what kind of food you feed.


If you're using any kibble or canned ultra-processed foods, then you may want to stop that first.

Yes, both acacia and aloe are fine to use.

If you'd like to share more info. in this thread, here's some of what we may ask:

Thanks Dr Jeff for all the info and reply! These guidelines are really good and helpful- I will post a separate complete thread later with all the info required and some questions we are left with. Just to stick with this info for now- can we just experiment a bit on the dosage of aloe and acacia by intuition?
 

Dr. Jeff

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can we just experiment a bit on the dosage of aloe and acacia by intuition?
Yes!

Intuition + BEAM + abnormal GI symptoms
 

Dr. Jeff

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YW!
 

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