GI Wish I Felt Better!
By Brooke Sloate
Have
you ever experienced loose stools or diarrhea? How about killer flatulence…you
know, passing gas! What about a tummy ache, or worse yet vomiting? If you’ve
experienced some of these things, you can understand how uncomfortable it is. Unfortunately,
our pets experience these same things. And when they have a loose stool, pass
gas or have a gurgling tummy…they’re actually trying to tell you something! And
what they’re trying to tell you is that they’re not feeling well, and that
they’re having issues with their gastrointestinal (GI) system.
Good
health for our pets begins in the gut! In fact, GI issues are one of the most
common reasons pet parents take their pets to the vet. What if there was
something you could do to save your pets from unnecessary discomfort or
suffering, and save on those vet bills too?
How
do you know when your pet is trying to tell you their gut needs a little help?
Look for these indicators:
● Loose stool
● Passing gas
● Gurgling tummy
● Vomiting
One
other indicator is stool eating, known as Coprophagia. Yes, we may cringe at
the idea of it, but it happens. Why? The simple reason is that the deposited
stool hadn’t been fully digested and still has some “good stuff” left in it.
Now, it’s important to note who’s eating the stool and who is depositing the
stool being eaten – especially if you have more than one dog or cat. Actually,
the pet that is depositing the stool that’s being eaten is the one with the
issue, not necessarily the one that is eating the stool. Now, you should always
treat both pets with probiotics to get their GI tracts healthy. When treated
properly with a good probiotic, this habit will stop. Sorry for THAT visual!
What
causes GI issues?
Basically,
the bacteria in their gut is unbalanced, it’s as simple as that.
● It can be genetic
● It can be a dietary issue
o
Or…combination
of the two
● It can be environmental -
something they’re getting into and eating outside
● If your pet takes
antibiotics, they’ll likely have a loose stool, as antibiotics change the
levels of the gut flora, allowing bad bacteria to grow
So
let’s heal that gut with 4 simple solutions:
● Probiotics – beneficial microorganisms for GI health – known as the “good bacteria”
● Prebiotics – the long-chain sugars which feed the “good bacteria” (probiotics) to assist in probiotic growth
● Digestive Enzymes – help breakdown
fats, proteins, starches and cellulose
● Amylase breaks down
carbohydrates into basic starches - like
sugars and sucrose
● Lipase breaks down fats into
fatty acids
● Cellulase breaks down
cellulose
● Protease, Bromelain and
Papain all break down protein
● Herbs – which soothe the gut
● Ginger – supports overall
bowel health – it’s an antioxidant, and an anti-inflammatory
● Cinnamon – balances the
sugar metabolism, and is an excellent antioxidant
● Licorice – is also an
antioxidant and anti-spasmodic
At
pawTree® we are committed to providing pet parents with a line of premium
products to help pets thrive. Look for products from pawTree that include the
recommended ingredients listed above, including our proprietary supplement,
Gastro Pro Plus, developed by veterinarians and animal nutritionists. Gastro
Pro Plus is a premium supplement that provides a natural solution to overall
gut health for dogs and cats.
About
Brooke…
Brooke
Sloate, Director of Product Development at pawTree LLC, is passionate about
solving problems for pets and creating products that truly make a difference to
pet parents.
With
over 20 years of experience in the pet industry working for a variety of pet
companies prior to pawTree®, including Nature's Variety®, Hill’s®, Mars®,
Petmate®, Applica® and Sergeant's®, Brooke has developed a wide range of
innovative pet products including pet food, treats, and pet accessories.
Brooke
loves pets! She enjoys the unconditional love of her family of Shih Tzus and
responds by spoiling them every chance she gets!
TAGS
Gastro Pro Plus