Does Your Dog Have Stomach Problems? How to Help
They say that some dog breeds have more of a tendency toward stomach problems than other breeds. But is breed the only reason? Actually, many different kinds of dogs can have a delicate stomach, for reasons apart from just their breed.
Nothing hurts more than watching your dog suffer. Of course, you want to help your friend, with whatever you can do. But how can you help your dog if it has stomach problems? Well, keep reading below to find some suggestions that you should find useful.
Advice for helping dogs with stomach problems
If your dog has stomach problems, they may not necessarily be caused by its habits or its physical makeup. Occasionally these can actually be caused by you or what you do, without you even realizing it.
So, it’s important that you take your role of a responsible pet owner seriously. You may need to try to fix some bad habits that have crept in when you care for your dog. For instance:
Supply of fresh water
It’s good to admit it. Sometimes our busy lives don’t allow us to do all that we want or need to. It’s very common to put off or procrastinate on what you think is less important. Your memory will occasionally even leave these things aside to focus on and remember the essentials.
Although it’s certainly true that changing your pet’s water should be a priority, occasionally you might just tend to look across the room to check it has enough water, and leave it at that. But this water can be dirty and can easily have attracted bacteria throughout the long day.
Dirty or contaminated water is a principal cause of stomach problems in dogs.
Dog stomach problems: check its food
Make sure you’re up to date with your pet’s food. Their diet may not be as balanced and healthy as you might think. Did you know that your dog’s food should change depending on its age? You might have forgotten to change the type of food you give your dog so that it’s age appropriate.
It’s also possible that you could be giving your dog food with nutrients that it doesn’t need anymore.
Take a trip to the vet
It’s a good idea to take your dog to the vet for a checkup, just in case any stomach problems are caused by an allergy or intolerance to some ingredient in your dog’s diet.
If any test results come back positive after the checkup, the vet will be able to recommend a treatment for your pet.
Give your pet enough fiber
Fiber is essential for the healthy functioning of the intestines. It’s also a basic need for the whole digestive system, which includes the stomach. That’s why you need to make sure that your dog is getting the correct amount of fiber in its diet. Do research to find out what’s necessary to balance your dog’s levels.
When your dog receives the correct amount of fiber, the whole intestinal flora and digestive system work well together.
Right amount of dog food
Did you know that when your dog gets to a certain age, it may only need just one meal a day? What could happen if you don’t take this into account, and give your dog more than what it needs? That could give your dog indigestion and start to create those dreaded stomach problems.
Ask your vet what the daily amount of dog food is that your pet should be receiving.
Stomach problems: help your dog avoid binge eating
Some animals tend to eat their food as if someone was about to take it away from them. Does your dog do this? It may eat chunks of meat or other foods that are really too big for it. Then, later on, it may have trouble digesting them.
Keep an eye on what your dog eats. If you give it another kind of food apart from kibble, make sure that the pieces are the right size for easy digestion. It’s also a good idea to give your pet only small amounts of food at a time, so that it can’t wolf down huge portions too quickly.
Stomach problems can create more serious issues for your dog. These could be health problems such as obesity, and could even lead to heart problems. So, don’t take it for granted that your dog is getting the right amount and kind of food, or that any stomach problems are just caused by your dog’s breed.
As we mentioned above, the breed of dog can influence things, but of course, breed isn’t the only cause of this type of problem. Check to make sure your dog is getting the right food, clean water, and enough fiber for a healthy stomach.