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This great article is from my friend and colleague in the beautiful state of Washington, Dr. Lisa Brienen:
Assisting Your Dog to Heal Digestive Disease by Lisa Brienen DVM, CVH
It is the middle of the night and your dog has been outside several times with diarrhea and possibly some vomiting. What to do? For the most part this is nature’s way of allowing the body to cleanse and remove a toxin. It is often important to give supportive care and avoid anything that might inhibit this natural process unless there is significant debilitation. A small amount of blood or mucus can sometimes be seen in the stool when the intestinal bacteria is out of balance. Please be very observant. If at any time your dog is extremely lethargic, feverish, bloated, there is a large amount of blood in the stool or vomit, or you are concerned, seek veterinary emergency care as soon as possible.
Fasting. Most animals will fast themselves when they have digestive disease. Start with 6-12 hours of no food or water (unless your dog is very small and prone to hypoglycemia, in which case you can give them tiny licks of honey or karo syrup each hour or as needed if weak and trembly).
After this time, if there is no further vomiting and the diarrhea has stopped or slowed, offer small sips of water (a few teaspoons in very small dogs up to ½ to 1 cup in large dogs) every few hours. Please use filtered or spring water. After another 6 hours you may start some broth or small amounts of food. Gradually increase the amounts of food over 4-5 days.
Bland food. Homemade soup: 3-4 chicken thighs in 6 cups water (can add chopped celery and carrot). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove skin and bones, set meat aside, strain broth and use to boil 1-2 cups chopped vegetables (ideas: carrot, celery, yam, cauliflower) for 20 minutes. You can offer just the broth at first or you can make small servings with meat, mashed vegetables and broth. Give small portions (a few teaspoons for very small dogs up to ½ to 1 cup for larger dogs) – allow 4-6 hours to elapse to monitor for vomiting after those first few meals.
Other bland diets include: a mix of half white rice and half low fat meat, you may add a 1-2 tablespoons plain yogurt and baked yam; half cooked white rice and low fat cottage cheese; or mashed potato and cottage cheese can be bland as well, although many believe potato to be inflammatory.
Probiotics help repopulate the intestine with healthy bacteria and there is a growing research base to indicate that they boost the immune system in the digestive tract as well as systemically. They can help maintain the mucosal barrier and enhance cellular repair. They can be given when an individual is on antibiotics, just give at a different time than the antibiotic. They can be used during stressful times – weaning, boarding, agility trials and when traveling. Products to consider are Proviable DC, Nutramax Labs; Fortiflora, Purina; Vetri-probiotic Everyday Chew, Vetri-Science; Iams, Prostora Max.
Prebiotics are indigestible food components which travel undigested to the colon where they ferment and are converted into short chain fatty acids (scfa). The scfa are involved in inhibiting growth of harmful bacteria, acting as a source of energy for colon cells and preserving electrolyte and fluid balance thus allowing the intestine to move properly. In this location they can promote and support a healthy digestive bacterial flora. It is recommended that they be used in combination with probiotics and they will support the growth of the good bacteria from the probiotic. However, they can also potentially feed harmful instestinal bacteria - which is the case in the majority in dogs with digestive disease - so their use may be controversial. Besides FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide), beet pulp is another well known prebiotic. Some dogs however do not always process beat pulp well (perhaps these are ones that should be on a probiotic) and can have bloating, nausea and flatulence.
Flower Essences can have a role in comforting both you and your dog. There are many emotions around digestive disease – fear, frustration and uncertainty. Pet Essences1 carries a number of combination flower essences designed to assist in easing the emotions surrounding digestion and other conditions. The following recipe is for a spray that can be misted into the room to reduce fear and anxiety and produce a calming ease. Calming spray: use an 8 oz. spray bottle, fill 1/10th full with vodka (to preserve and prevent algae growth from the spring water), add 56 drops of calming solution (Pet Essences), add 4 drops Lemon Grass essential oil and fill with spring water. Shake before each use.
Other Intestinal support products:
Phytomucil, Animal’s Apawthecary2 contains organic marshmallow root, licorice root, plantain herb, slippery elm inner bark
Gastriplex, Thorne Research3 – contains N-Acetyl-D Glucosamind, L-Glutamine, Slippery Elm bark, Deglycerrhinated Licorice root (DGL), Bacillus coagulans, Quercetin (flavonoid and anti-inflammatory), Saccharomyces boulardii (acts as a probiotic), Vitamin B5 and Folic Acid
Slippery elm. Give ¼ capsule twice daily to small dogs, ½ capsule twice daily medium dogs, 1 capsule once to twice daily for large dogs. Another dose regime is give ¼ tsp of slippery elm powder for every 10 lbs body weight. Mix the powder into food. There are also various recipes to make it into a syrup. Mix 1 rounded teaspoon in 1 cup cold water, bring to boil while stirring, turn down heat, stir and simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Let cool. Under 25 lbs give 1-2 Tbsp., 25-50 lb 2-4 Tbsp., 50 lbs and over ¼ to ½ cup – dose 4 times a day. There’s a huge range of safety and effectiveness. I’ve found this therapy to be much safer and more effective than Kaopectate and Pepto Bismol which both contains salicylates and are unsafe for dogs.
A healing mixture for the intestinal tract can be made by using equal parts: slippery elm powder4, FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide) powder5 and L-Glutamine powder3. Give 1 tsp twice daily for small dogs, 2 tsp twice daily for medium dogs and 3 tsp twice daily for large dogs. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that heals intestinal cells. To dose this supplement individually give 500 mg per 25 lbs per day. FOS is a prebiotic (see above).
I have mixed experiences with digestive enzymes. For dogs not on raw food, it makes sense to supplement the digestive enzymes they are missing from a natural raw food source. Some animals have improved digestion and do well. Some dogs will react with intolerable abdominal bloating and gas. It is best to observe your dog and start at a reduced dose at first. Some animal digestive support products contain digestive enzymes – read labels. Dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency require additional pancreatic enzymes (which include proteolytic enzymes, lipases, and amylases) in order to digest their food properly. These are usually prescription products.
Homeopathic remedies can be a very useful complement to managing digestive ailments. Use a 30c potency. Mix 3-4 pellets into ½ cup spring or distilled water. Stir between doses. Give 1 teaspoon orally from the glass. Observe over 4-6 hours. If improved – wait further, do not repeat remedies if you see improvement. If there is no improvement you may give another 1-2 doses at 3-4 hour intervals. If there is no response re-evaluate the symptoms. Here are a few of the remedies I often find useful in treating digestive disease.
A few of these homeopathic medicines as well as references and resources are in the next post.
Assisting Your Dog to Heal Digestive Disease by Lisa Brienen DVM, CVH
It is the middle of the night and your dog has been outside several times with diarrhea and possibly some vomiting. What to do? For the most part this is nature’s way of allowing the body to cleanse and remove a toxin. It is often important to give supportive care and avoid anything that might inhibit this natural process unless there is significant debilitation. A small amount of blood or mucus can sometimes be seen in the stool when the intestinal bacteria is out of balance. Please be very observant. If at any time your dog is extremely lethargic, feverish, bloated, there is a large amount of blood in the stool or vomit, or you are concerned, seek veterinary emergency care as soon as possible.
Fasting. Most animals will fast themselves when they have digestive disease. Start with 6-12 hours of no food or water (unless your dog is very small and prone to hypoglycemia, in which case you can give them tiny licks of honey or karo syrup each hour or as needed if weak and trembly).
After this time, if there is no further vomiting and the diarrhea has stopped or slowed, offer small sips of water (a few teaspoons in very small dogs up to ½ to 1 cup in large dogs) every few hours. Please use filtered or spring water. After another 6 hours you may start some broth or small amounts of food. Gradually increase the amounts of food over 4-5 days.
Bland food. Homemade soup: 3-4 chicken thighs in 6 cups water (can add chopped celery and carrot). Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove skin and bones, set meat aside, strain broth and use to boil 1-2 cups chopped vegetables (ideas: carrot, celery, yam, cauliflower) for 20 minutes. You can offer just the broth at first or you can make small servings with meat, mashed vegetables and broth. Give small portions (a few teaspoons for very small dogs up to ½ to 1 cup for larger dogs) – allow 4-6 hours to elapse to monitor for vomiting after those first few meals.
Other bland diets include: a mix of half white rice and half low fat meat, you may add a 1-2 tablespoons plain yogurt and baked yam; half cooked white rice and low fat cottage cheese; or mashed potato and cottage cheese can be bland as well, although many believe potato to be inflammatory.
Probiotics help repopulate the intestine with healthy bacteria and there is a growing research base to indicate that they boost the immune system in the digestive tract as well as systemically. They can help maintain the mucosal barrier and enhance cellular repair. They can be given when an individual is on antibiotics, just give at a different time than the antibiotic. They can be used during stressful times – weaning, boarding, agility trials and when traveling. Products to consider are Proviable DC, Nutramax Labs; Fortiflora, Purina; Vetri-probiotic Everyday Chew, Vetri-Science; Iams, Prostora Max.
Prebiotics are indigestible food components which travel undigested to the colon where they ferment and are converted into short chain fatty acids (scfa). The scfa are involved in inhibiting growth of harmful bacteria, acting as a source of energy for colon cells and preserving electrolyte and fluid balance thus allowing the intestine to move properly. In this location they can promote and support a healthy digestive bacterial flora. It is recommended that they be used in combination with probiotics and they will support the growth of the good bacteria from the probiotic. However, they can also potentially feed harmful instestinal bacteria - which is the case in the majority in dogs with digestive disease - so their use may be controversial. Besides FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide), beet pulp is another well known prebiotic. Some dogs however do not always process beat pulp well (perhaps these are ones that should be on a probiotic) and can have bloating, nausea and flatulence.
Flower Essences can have a role in comforting both you and your dog. There are many emotions around digestive disease – fear, frustration and uncertainty. Pet Essences1 carries a number of combination flower essences designed to assist in easing the emotions surrounding digestion and other conditions. The following recipe is for a spray that can be misted into the room to reduce fear and anxiety and produce a calming ease. Calming spray: use an 8 oz. spray bottle, fill 1/10th full with vodka (to preserve and prevent algae growth from the spring water), add 56 drops of calming solution (Pet Essences), add 4 drops Lemon Grass essential oil and fill with spring water. Shake before each use.
Other Intestinal support products:
Phytomucil, Animal’s Apawthecary2 contains organic marshmallow root, licorice root, plantain herb, slippery elm inner bark
Gastriplex, Thorne Research3 – contains N-Acetyl-D Glucosamind, L-Glutamine, Slippery Elm bark, Deglycerrhinated Licorice root (DGL), Bacillus coagulans, Quercetin (flavonoid and anti-inflammatory), Saccharomyces boulardii (acts as a probiotic), Vitamin B5 and Folic Acid
Slippery elm. Give ¼ capsule twice daily to small dogs, ½ capsule twice daily medium dogs, 1 capsule once to twice daily for large dogs. Another dose regime is give ¼ tsp of slippery elm powder for every 10 lbs body weight. Mix the powder into food. There are also various recipes to make it into a syrup. Mix 1 rounded teaspoon in 1 cup cold water, bring to boil while stirring, turn down heat, stir and simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Let cool. Under 25 lbs give 1-2 Tbsp., 25-50 lb 2-4 Tbsp., 50 lbs and over ¼ to ½ cup – dose 4 times a day. There’s a huge range of safety and effectiveness. I’ve found this therapy to be much safer and more effective than Kaopectate and Pepto Bismol which both contains salicylates and are unsafe for dogs.
A healing mixture for the intestinal tract can be made by using equal parts: slippery elm powder4, FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide) powder5 and L-Glutamine powder3. Give 1 tsp twice daily for small dogs, 2 tsp twice daily for medium dogs and 3 tsp twice daily for large dogs. L-Glutamine is an amino acid that heals intestinal cells. To dose this supplement individually give 500 mg per 25 lbs per day. FOS is a prebiotic (see above).
I have mixed experiences with digestive enzymes. For dogs not on raw food, it makes sense to supplement the digestive enzymes they are missing from a natural raw food source. Some animals have improved digestion and do well. Some dogs will react with intolerable abdominal bloating and gas. It is best to observe your dog and start at a reduced dose at first. Some animal digestive support products contain digestive enzymes – read labels. Dogs with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency require additional pancreatic enzymes (which include proteolytic enzymes, lipases, and amylases) in order to digest their food properly. These are usually prescription products.
Homeopathic remedies can be a very useful complement to managing digestive ailments. Use a 30c potency. Mix 3-4 pellets into ½ cup spring or distilled water. Stir between doses. Give 1 teaspoon orally from the glass. Observe over 4-6 hours. If improved – wait further, do not repeat remedies if you see improvement. If there is no improvement you may give another 1-2 doses at 3-4 hour intervals. If there is no response re-evaluate the symptoms. Here are a few of the remedies I often find useful in treating digestive disease.
A few of these homeopathic medicines as well as references and resources are in the next post.
