Does your furry mate have a sensitive tummy? The prevalent signs of a sensitive stomach in dogs include nausea, intermittent loose stools, and diarrhea now and then. You can also tell if your dog is sick, if they're not licking their lips, not eating or swallowing, and excessive wind passing. Besides, your canine might vomit or you notice blood in their stools.
Sometimes when your dog has eaten a sensitive stomach triggering food, they may become less active and reluctant to go for a walk.
While, just like humans, dogs too have digestive troubles as part and parcel of a dog's life, but if the symptoms have become chronic and you notice weight loss, then talk to your pet’s vet.
Here in this article, we've rounded up top tips to help your pet with a sensitive tummy.
#1 Keep Your Dog Hydrated
Make sure your furry friend stays hydrated throughout the day, just like food, give them fresh drinking water at different times, especially before the meals for detoxification. An upset tummy can lead to diarrhea, which further contributes to dehydration, and loss of essential electrolytes. Thus, it is vital to ensure that your pet replenishes what they have lost.
You must watch for their water intake, make sure they don't drink too much water after the meal, as it may result in severe diarrhea. If you want this not to happen, then give your pet a couple of ice cubes or teaspoons of water, rather than an entire bowl of water.
#2 Goat's Milk
The milk of goats contains proteins, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, electrolytes, and fatty acids; all help in promoting good gut health. It improves the digestive system, helps the stomach to settle, and prepares them for a new raw diet.
The milk of goats helps in improving the balance between the harmful and good bacteria, and digestion as a whole.
Goat milk is also high in potassium, which makes it a natural antacid for dogs. It helps dogs gut to achieve the right pH level throughout its digestive system.
For dogs weighing below 10 pounds, you must serve only 2oz of goat milk a day. For dogs with weight above 20-40lbs, serve not more than 4oz a day, and 8oz a day for dogs weighing 50-80 pounds.
#3 Dry Food
The fundamental difference between dry & wet food is water content. While, the dry food has 3 to 12% water content, compared to 60 to 80% in wet food. The considerable difference impacts the digestive system of dogs. Dry foods such as Ultamino dry dog food are much lighter on the stomach and easy to digest. Due to high-energy content, such foods need to be served only in small quantities.
Look for a balanced dry food that doesn't irritate your dog's stomach. Read the label carefully to check whether the food contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, as their deficiency might make your pet less active.
When changing your pet's food, give new food in small quantities. Once their stomach gets accustomed, then you can give them a regular diet.
#4 Intermittent Fasting for Dogs
If your dog has a tendency of an upset tummy, then try the intermittent fasting technique for a couple of days, until their digestive system improves. Intermittent fasting for 12 hours provides great relief to dogs.
Moreover, this gives more time to the dog's digestive system to digest the food properly before the next meal. Also, make sure your dog drinks clean water throughout the day.
#5 Canned Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin, a fiber-rich veggie is a perfect natural remedy for dogs with sensitive tummies. Make sure the pumpkin you serve is pure, with no extra species. The pumpkin has an abundance of soluble fiber, which soothes irritated bowel movements. Further, the soluble fiber causes the delay of the GI tract transit time, therefore calming the digestive tract to avoid diarrhea.
Pumpkin is also a great source of potassium, which is something your pet may lose from diarrhea. Low potassium can the body can cause weakness, heart rate irregularities, pains, fatigue, and many other health problems.
For small dogs, half a teaspoon of pumpkin is enough, while one teaspoon is for adult canines.
In the end, if these natural remedies don't improve the digestive system of your dog, you must consult your vet doctor for a complete health inspection.