Digestive Problems Related to Diet - You Can Get Your Dog’s Digestive Health Back

Revised: July 6, 2006

As a holistic breeder who has witnessed the awesome digestive health of my Westies, fed only their species raw diet, there is no doubt you are what you eat! Truer words were never spoken. The proper foods for a species are the foundation to good health, both digestive and immune system health. If you don’t put in the required nutrients for that species, the body won’t function properly in the long run. This is certainly true for our dogs. Sure, life may be sustained by feeding an unnatural diet, but I dare say for many dogs, that life will not be without digestive problems that can lead to disease or illness over time. Just consider our Westie breed and the digestive problems that guardians are having with their companions. While there are other factors to consider which influence the level of immune system and digestive system health, such as vaccinations, pesticides, drugs, etc., we shall concentrate on diet in this article.

Dogs that have digestive problems are typically fed processed dog food products—kibble, canned or soft-moist products. As a naturally rearing breeder who also feeds a totally raw food diet to my Westies, I am convinced that 99% of the digestive problems can be traced back to these unnatural type foods.  I’ve observed through my experience and consultations, that these animals are eating poor quality brands, but that these brands are greatly advertised, well known and recommended by many veterinarians. I have noted that when dogs, being fed commercial processed foods, are switched correctly to an appropriate species-raw food diet, or even a homemade cooked diet with no commercial pet foods, the overall response has been remarkable Any processed pet food can cause digestive upsets; much depends on the individual animal. These dogs typically have one or more or all of the following symptoms that can begin showing up during puppy hood or anytime throughout their adult life:

SYMPTOMS

  • Rumbling stomachs
  • Vomiting of yellow, watery substance
  • Vomiting of pre-digested food (this can occur many hours after eating)
  • Unpleasant mouth odor (that isn’t from tartar buildup or periodontal disease)
  • Grass eating (more than normal)
  • Flatulence (gas)
  • Copious, loose (soft or mushy), very odorous stools
  • Bowel movements will occur more than 2-3 times a day and sometimes 3-4 times a day
  • Always hungry and will want to eat great quantities of food to satisfy themselves or,
  • Can be considered “picky or fussy” about their “dog food” (so the guardian switches brands)

Many dogs continue to be active, seemingly fine in all other respects and will eat other tidbits or goodies.  Some dogs may act tired or sluggish.  Most times the dog turns up its nose to the brand of food it’s presented and when the guardian switches to another brand, the dog may eat it for a short period of time, but then begins to refuse this new food, too.  This can go on many times as the guardian tries to find a food that “the dog likes”, assuming the dog does not like the brand it is being fed. When these dogs are presented to the veterinarian, the diagnosis of being sensitive or allergic to a certain food or ingredient may be given. Many times the veterinarian will suggest other diagnostic work be done such as blood work, x-rays, fecal exams, etc.  The guardian is then instructed to put their dog on an elimination diet recommended and usually sold by the veterinarian such as a prescription diet, a lamb and rice or duck and potato diet. Drugs or other treatments may also be recommended.  Many times the diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) will be given. Is there no hope?  Fortunately, there is, but, in my opinion and experience, not on the present course of action. While some dogs can certainly have unhealthy digestive systems due to other factors not related to diet, I firmly believe the majority of digestive problems are traced right back to diet—typically an unnatural diet.

To Understand Why The Symptoms Occur, We Need To Understand What a Dog Is and What Its True Diet Should Be

What is happening?  Why do these symptoms occur? To find those answers, we must first understand who and what our dogs really are and what they should be eating to promote good health, especially good digestive health. I think the best way to understand this is share a quote from Dr. David L. Mech’s book, The Way of the Wolf: 

How would you like to have a wolf in your home? Chances are you already do.  The civilized model comes as a dog. But delve deep into any dog’s genes, and you will find a wolf.  This is not merely word play.  The dog is, in every way, really a domesticated wolf.  The wolf is merely the original version of the dog. Although domesticated dogs come in over one hundred varieties, they all stem back to the wolf.  However, because we force dogs to adjust to our own lifestyle, we only see the side of the wolf we allow or shape.  Both animals have the same digestive system specialized to use meat and fat.  Both can gorge, and both can fast.  Or, both can eat several times a day.

What species is the dog? Scientists have designated the dog the same species as the gray wolf, and dogs are the domesticated variant of the gray wolf, canis lupus.  Their classification is Canis Lupus Familiaris.  Both are classified biologically as being in the order carnivora.  There is no debate among scientist regarding that fact. Just look at the dog's teeth. A carnivore is designed to eat and thrive on raw meat (but I am not talking about an all meat diet). Obviously, the pet food industry would have us believe that dogs are omnivores, an animal that can eat vegetables, plants and animal food sources. The keyword is “eat” because dogs certainly can eat all these things and many like them, dogs are scavengers by nature, but eating them and requiring them are two different things. After all, processed pet foods are mainly grains and cereals; they are high in carbohydrates, and dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates!  When dogs are fed an unnatural diet that humans have created and have forced upon them and which consists of cooked/processed foods including grains, cereals, sugars, fillers, by-products and chemicals, how can this possible translate into good digestive health?  Common sense should prevail. Processed pet foods will sustain a dog but do you really think this equates to good health?  As we have noted, there are many dogs with digestive problems and in 99% of the cases, it is all traced back to the improper diet humans’ force upon them and that the pet food industry propagates upon the pet owning consumer.  

Dogs are quite intelligent, this we know. Like their cousins the wolf, they also have an in-depth sense or intelligence that is purely instinctive and as guardians, we sometimes don’t understand, listen to or educate ourselves to understand what they know and try to tell us. The trouble is we anthropomorphize human traits, feelings and purpose upon them.  Step back and look at what you have before you. Not a child but a domesticated wolf, a carnivore. Until we come to accept who they are, we will never be able to respect what they are and when we don’t respect what they are, how can we begin to feed them what they need for long term good health?

Now, let’s get back to digestive problems.  Because processed dog food products are totally unnatural foods that dogs should not be eating, many dogs, at some point in their lives, simply say enough!  Their bodies are saying enough! All the symptoms you are seeing is your dog’s way of saying, it hurts to eat this stuff.  It’s not what I want and it’s not what I need. The body, therefore, tries to purge itself of the foreign food and chemicals that are in this food. 

What is the Answer?

The first thing you should do is to seek out a competent holistic veterinarian who will help you to help your companion.  To locate one closest to you go to www.ahvma.org  Having a holistic veterinarian on your team with your allopathic veterinarian is the best of both worlds. In my opinion, the answer to better digestive health is quite simple, really.  Switch your companion back to a species-appropriate raw diet (ARF) of raw muscle meat, raw organ meat and bone. If you are really committed to helping your companion regain its digestive health, you must first read Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schultze. This is a very good, basic primer to the raw diet.  Join the ARF4Westies support list www.westielovers.com/arf4westies and continue to read and educate yourself.

WARNING: Do not attempt to switch your dog to raw unless you have read Kymythy’s book and totally understand all the foods you need to feed as well as knowing how to switch your dog over properly; which raw food companies provide quality raw/frozen foods.  The failure of a raw diet is not the diet, but the lack of knowledge and understanding on the part of the person feeding it; any diet fed incorrectly will have consequences. 

There are many companies that are now providing the raw foods, mostly ground up and frozen, to make it easy and convenient and safe to feed a raw diet. One such company to check out is www.bravorawdiet.com   Always ask the company where they obtain their food sources. You want to feed human grade foods and better yet, foods that come from pasture fed and cage free animal sources. Some times you can search locally for farm raised animal sources.  Try to avoid supermarket meats as the animals are generally raised in cramped feedlots and have been given antibiotics and steroids.  Organic is always the premium food to feed but it can be expensive, especially if you have more than one dog to feed.

Feeding our dogs as close to the foods that nature intended for them to eat and thrive on, ultimately, is the best diet to feed for long term good health. Logic and common sense tell us that.

Other Options

I recognize that there are some guardians that can’t or are unable or unwilling to feed their companion a species-appropriate raw diet (ARF) for good digestive health.  If that is the case, the next best option would be to feed a home prepared diet. If you wish to look into that, I recommend you read Dr. Richard Pitcairn’s, Natural Health Care for Dogs and Cats.  Dr. Pitcairn’s book will give you all the information you need to prepare these meals correctly.  In my opinion, next to a raw diet, a home prepared one is the best, but again, it must be fed correctly and it will still be cooked. Listen to the guidance of your holistic veterinarian.

Lastly, if you continue to feed processed dog food products (or any cooked food) you may still help your dog if you switch to a better quality ingredients brand and you will NOT find any in a supermarket.  Remember--ALL these products are processed (cooked), including the better quality ones. An enzyme supplement food (such as Prozyme®)  better yet, Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes & Probiotics www.animalessentials.com should be added to all meals of processed foods because needed enzymes are killed in the heating process of the food. Be sure the food you feed is not warm/hot when you add the supplement, as heat will destroy enzymes. However, that being said, and while I do not promote processed diets because they are just not the proper foods of carnivorous animals, our dogs, if you do fed them, please research out the better brands that contain “quality” and possibly “organic” ingredients.  DO NOT feed any foods that contain:

  • cheap fillers and food fragments (brewer’s rice, corn gluten)
  • animal digest
  • by-products (chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc.)
  • fats or proteins named generically (animal fat, poultry fat, meat meal / instead should say beef fat, chicken fat or lamb meal)
  • artificial sweeteners (corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizen which is added to attract dogs to unappealing food)
  • proplylene glycol
  • sodium nitrate (to retain color for YOUR benefit, not your dogs); this is considered a carcinogen
  • flavors
  • dyes
  • chemical preservatives such as BHT, BHA and ethoxyquin. 

These are a few quality brands to consider. If you subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal (www.the-whole-dog-journal.com) they have a yearly recommendation list.  These are some of my suggestions:

These companies are producing good quality foods by using quality and in some cases, organic ingredients.  Read labels and learn to understand what the ingredient list means. For more information that you should know in order to make informed choices about the above products, contact the manufacturer. 

CONCLUSION

There is hope for dogs that have digestive problems.  Work with a competent holistic veterinarian.  Switch your companion to a species appropriate raw food diet and see what happens.  If all it takes to correct the digestive problem is feeding what your companion has been asking for all along, seems to me it’s worth a try, will save your pocketbook and may help avoid having to put your companion through numerous diagnostic tests and unnecessary drugs and treatments.
 
Books:
Foods Pets Die For by Ann Martin
Give Your Dog A Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst
Holistic Care for Cats and Dogs by Dr. Donald Hamilton
Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Richard Pitcairn

Additional websites of interest:
www.BonnieBrierNRWesties.com
www.westielovers.com/arf4westies
www.naturalrearing.com
www.caberfeidh.com
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
www.thepetwhisperer.com

By Christine L. Swingle
Exhibitor/Holistic-Natural Rearing Breeder
Bonnie Brier….est. 1964 and since 1996,
West Highland White Terriers Raised the Natural Rearing Way
For a Long Life of Wellness and Well Being
100% ARF Fed
Natural Immunity

For additional information you may contact Christine by phone or email as follows:

Phone:

860-872-8045 (available after 7pm)

Email:

Click here to email Christine


This article is © 2006 and cannot be republished without the authorization of the author.

***Disclaimer***

Any information contained on this site relating to various medical, health, and fitness conditions of Westies and their treatment is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing a Westie's health - you should always consult your own veterinarian.


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