Is Your Dog Too Picky About Food?

February 14th, 2009 by admin

Several different gastrointestinal diseases can arise to afflict your dog. These problems are digestion problems, diarrhea, nausea, loose stools, gas, irritable bowel, colitis, bloat-torsion, liver or kidney damage, and eating grass or feces. The intestinal track is made to digest and absorb nutrients. That’s why nutrition is important in preventing and treating gastrointestinal disorders. Usually acute gastrointestinal problems are caused by poor diet. Vomiting and diarrhea are acute. Stopping food intake for twenty-four to forty-eight hours is a normal request from your vet. This will rest your dog’s bowel and it will reduce the amount of unabsorbed nutrients in his bowel.

Sometimes water should be withheld too. This approach should help stop the vomiting and diarrhea. When these signs of the disease have stopped, you can give your pet some water. If he doesn’t get sick from the water then you can give him some food. A bland diet is the usual one recommended in these cases. Basically, this is food that’s low-fat and easy to digest. Cottage cheese and rice works well for dogs. If your dog eats this food, then a therapeutic diet for the treatment of gastrointestinal disease will be recommended. These are very digestible and contain moderate or low fat.

If your dog isn’t vomiting, but he does have diarrhea, then your vet may treat him with an oral dehydration solution. The solutions contain carbohydrates, amino acids, and electrolytes like potassium and sodium. Only use products that are made for pets because the ones made for humans could harm your dog. He has different nutritional requirements than people do. The use of these solutions and semi-solid food could make the diarrhea worse before your pet gets better. If this occurs contact your vet for help. If the health issue isn’t chronic then your vet will suggest that you feed your dog his regular diet after a few days to a week.

Author: Don Rainwater

Your senior dog needs special care and attention to make them healthy and happy during their golden years. To learn more about senior dog care and products that can help their longevity and health visit http://seniorcanines.com

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