The basic recommendations for treating gastrointestinal problems with symptoms such as chronic loose stools, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation or poor appetite are as follows:
Diet
Diet is the first thing to address in treating any gastrointestinal problem. Minimally; a very high quality canned food with no fillers or artificial preservatives. If you feed some kibble try a hypo-allergenic one. Better yet would be the addition of raw or home prepared foods. Please see this article on our site: What You Need to Know About Your Pet's Food
Dogs and cats with gastrointestinal difficulties often respond VERY well to a raw food diet and once transitioned need no other supplements to stay healthy and symptom free. Here is a link to Dr. Siegler’s article about feeding Raw Food: All About Raw Food
Websites with recipes for home-prepared diets
Make any diet changes very slowly – gradually increasing the ratio of new food to old food over the course of 10 – 15 days.
Digestive Enzymes
In addition to raw food or a very high quality canned food, a good digestive enzyme and probiotic supplement is important to aid digestion.
To read the full article about IBD and Gastrointestinal Issues click here.
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The articles and information in the Holistic Healthcare Library are presented for informational purposes only and are not intended as an endorsement of any product. The information is not intended to be a substitute for visits to your local veterinarian. Instead, the content offers the reader information and opinions written by our staff, guest authors, and/or veterinarians concerning animal health issues and animal care products.