Intestinal cleansing in dogs: tips for a healthy intestinal flora

A functioning digestive system is vital to a dog's health (this is true for cats and even us humans, of course). The intestine in particular plays an important role in this context.

Because he not only takes over the main work in the utilization of the consumed food. In addition, the dog's intestine is also an indispensable part of the immune system and must help to keep it healthy and thus make a major contribution to keeping the body running. The following explains why intestinal cleansing in dogs may be necessary in certain situations and how to proceed correctly.

Duties of the dog intestine

Next to the skin, the intestine is the largest organ in dogs in terms of surface area. Its task is to further utilize the food pulp from the stomach and to filter out micro- and macronutrients from it. In addition, the dog's intestines play an important role in the defense against pathogens. The intestinal flora fights viruses and bacteria and ensures that they cannot cause any damage.

The intestinal flora consists of countless beneficial bacteria that ensure the function of the digestive tract. However, for various reasons, the dog's intestinal flora can become unbalanced and harmful bacteria can gain the upper hand.

This leads to many problems for the dog, such as diarrhea and increased susceptibility to illness. In this case, intestinal cleansing can help to support the intestinal flora and counteract the symptoms.

When is intestinal cleansing useful for dogs?

Problems with the intestinal flora can have various causes. For example, intestinal cleansing can be useful in dogs with diarrhea, after an illness, an infestation with Giardia and worms, after a wormer treatment or after the administration of antibiotics.

We recommend colon cleansing in dogs in the following situations:

In dogs with chronic intestinal inflammation
In dogs with diarrhea
For gastrointestinal infections
After administration of antibiotics
After an infestation with intestinal parasites
After a wormer
After a serious illness or operation
With high physical stress
In case of excessive load
For dogs with allergies
For dogs with a weakened immune system

Consequences of a disturbed intestinal flora in dogs

When your dog's gut flora is compromised and there aren't enough beneficial gut bacteria left, this leads to a number of health problems.

Your dog will become more susceptible to infections and diarrhea. It also increases the risk of joint problems such as osteoarthritis and diseases of the internal organs. For example, your dog may develop liver disease, pancreatitis, or even kidney failure.

In addition, dogs with a disturbed intestinal flora suffer significantly more often from skin problems and from food allergies and intolerances. Some four-legged friends even develop behavioral disorders over time.

As you can see, the possible consequences are by no means limited to obvious digestive problems such as diarrhea or bloating. You should therefore pay sufficient attention to the intestinal health of your dog.

A timely intestinal cleansing of the dog can help to significantly reduce the risk of all these health problems in your furry friend.

This is how intestinal cleansing works in dogs

Countless bacteria live in a healthy gut. In order to restore the intestinal flora that has been thrown out of balance, the dog's diet is particularly important.

Unfortunately, dog food often contains numerous ingredients that are harmful to the dog's intestines. These include various artificial additives and grains. This leads to numerous complaints over time.

The right food for the dog's intestines

In the context of intestinal rehabilitation, it is important that your dog receives well-tolerated food. For this purpose, we recommend a hypoallergenic dog food.

As a rule, a simple change of food is not enough to clean the dog's intestines. In order to provide additional support for the intestinal flora and to counteract existing complaints, it is therefore often advisable to use suitable food supplements for dogs that offer intestinal support and contain targeted ingredients to support the intestine.

With Annimally Colon Vital we have developed a product that supports your dog's intestinal health.

In addition to many billions of healthy intestinal bacteria (we mean the good intestinal bacteria Enterococcus Faecium), the powder contains selected ingredients such as chicory powder, carob meal, which are known for their supportive effect on digestion and can ensure a healthy intestinal flora. Thanks to its special composition with healthy bacteria, that is Intestinal Wellbeing Product (after worming & antibiotics) is very easy to digest, so that you can use this dietary supplement without hesitation as part of the intestinal cleansing of your four-legged friend.

Intestinal rehabilitation dog - our conclusion

As you can see, the gut is very important to your dog's health and well-being. A disturbed intestinal flora is the starting point for numerous complaints and often leads to serious illnesses that can have a lasting impact on the life of your four-legged friend.

In order to avoid problems, intestinal cleansing can be useful in certain situations. In addition to switching to an easily digestible dog food, we recommend taking care of the gut health with the Giving a dietary supplement to support.

How to stop diarrhea in dogs

Your dog is a walking garbage chute!

Dogs can eat anything they find by the side of the trail, drink dirty water full of germs... and in most cases they're fine. The digestive system is amazingly resilient!

But every once in a while, the digestive system encounters something it can't handle. And then your dog gets diarrhea.

Whatever caused your dog's diarrhea, you're going to want to stop it FAST! And you probably want to avoid drugs and chemicals that can damage his gut even more.

Get to the root of the cause of your dog's diarrhea, then you can take steps to stop it for good.

Is it small or large intestine diarrhea?

The next important question is where the "thin whistle" comes from. You should know if it is the small or large intestine. Why is that important?

Well, because one of them is more serious...

colonic diarrhea

If the cause of your pet's diarrhea is in their colon, their bowel movements will be more frequent. He will need to poop with the utmost urgency. So it is likely that he will have accidents in his home.

These stools are often semi-formed with some mucus. You may see fresh bloodstains on the surface of the stool.

small bowel diarrhea

If the diarrhea is coming from the small intestine, his bowel movements will be less frequent. He'll be able to control her better... without the urgency.

But the hallmark of small intestine diarrhea is that there is no obvious blood. This is because the blood is digested in the small intestine.

You might think small bowel diarrhea is less serious...but it's actually more serious.

Your dog digests most of its nutrients in its small intestine. When inflamed, it cannot absorb nutrients. Food enters the large intestine too quickly.

Why is there blood in the stool?

Blood can appear in your pet's feces in a number of ways:

blood on the surface

This often looks scary when you see it. It comes from the colon when stool leaves the body. It's less bad than blood from the small intestine. It can also happen with otherwise normal stool.

Don't panic...but watch your bowel movements in case it happens frequently.

Black, tarry stool

Those dark brown to black stools look less scary... so you might not realize they're a problem. But black tar colored stool means there is blood in it. They can be dangerous for your dog.

"Strawberry Milkshake" or "Strawberry Jam"

A strawberry milkshake looks like when the blood in the stool is mixed and partially digested. The stool then appears as if red or pink swirls or polka dots are mixed into the stool.

It differs from a "strawberry jam" appearance, which is a richer pink or red. It can often mean a serious condition called HGE - hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.

These last two stool types tell you about bleeding in the small intestine. That means there's a lot of inflammation... and it can be a serious condition. In this case, a veterinarian should be consulted for treatment.

causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea and vomiting are natural ways of removing toxins.

Here are a few reasons why your animal family member's body needs to do this. Some of these are acute...meaning they come and go quickly. Others are chronic...

Causes can be:

Bacterial or viral infection
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Wrong diet
intolerance or allergies
Stress ...

The good news is that there are natural solutions to stop diarrhea in dogs.

Why antibiotics are not a good idea for dog diarrhea

If your dog has accelerated digestion, you don't have to panic right away!

You can go to the vet, they will usually give you antibiotics. It will stop the symptoms after a few doses.

Trouble is... that's all it does. It stops the symptoms without fixing the underlying problem. So the diarrhea comes back. Antibiotics are not the best solution. They can do even more damage to your pet's gut. And this damage can be permanent

Diarrhea means "flow"...from the Greek dia means through, and rhoee means to flow...It's the body's way of getting rid of toxins.

Using drugs to suppress this natural flow will not cure the GI tract of its ailments in the long run.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the doctor. This is appropriate if the following situations occur with your animal:

lethargy
Bloated abdominal wall
Repeated vomiting
Has a large amount of blood in the stool
Ate something dangerous like rat poison

However, most acute episodes of diarrhea last less than a day or two. And you can treat them at home.

Step 1: Fasting

Many dogs will fast themselves if they have a stomach problem and refuse to eat. If your four-legged friend does this, do not try to get him to eat.

Unless your dog is willing to give up food willingly, it's a good idea not to feed him for 12 to 24 hours. This will settle his bowels.

Caution: fasting may not be a good treatment and may be less appropriate for very small dogs or those who suffer from hypoglycaemia quickly.

If he's not vomiting and the diarrhea has stopped or slowed down, offer him small sips of water.

For very small dogs, start with a few teaspoons every few hours.
For large dogs, increase the amount and give ½ to 1 cup.

After only 6 hours of water, you can start with some broth or small amounts of unseasoned food (see step 2). Bone broth is a nutritious option. It offers a hearty blend of nutrients, but it's easy on the stomach.

Gradually increase his food over the next 4 to 5 days.

Step 2: Feed unseasoned food

When you can start feeding the dog again, start slowly with a bland diet. This protects his digestive system. And it may have an impact on preventing further diarrheal diseases.

Remember the last time you had a stomach flu or food poisoning. What did you want to eat? Probably also bland foods and chicken soup.

And the same goes for your dog. When he starts eating again, unseasoned food is best to prevent further abdominal pain. And soup is a good start...

Feeding white rice and cooked chicken or ground beef may often be recommended. But starting with soup is a gentler way to ease the transition back to regular eating without the added starch.

Soothing soup for stomach problems

Place 3-4 chicken thighs in 1.5 liters of water. Add chopped celery and carrot if you like.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.
Remove the skin and bones and set the meat aside.
Strain the broth and cook 1 to 2 cups of chopped vegetables (like carrot, celery, cauliflower) for 20 minutes.
Let the broth cool before serving.

You can offer just the broth at first, or prepare small portions with meat, vegetable puree, and broth. If possible, give small portions (a few teaspoons for very small dogs and ½ cup for larger dogs). Wait 4 to 6 hours after these first meals to check for diarrhea or vomiting.

Step 3: Rebalance the gut

Feeding your dog a prebiotic and probiotic item will help repopulate your dog's gut with healthy, good bacteria and help prevent further disease. For a body full of health, on which "bad" bacteria and germs should no longer have any influence.

Probiotics

Research shows that probiotics boost the immune system to support the entire body. They also help build and restore your dog's intestinal lining. When you feed these gut bacteria, they support your dog's mucosal barrier and help repair gut cells.

The administration of a probiotic dietary supplement helps.

Note: Probiotics aren't just for diarrhea! They can be administered regularly to boost gut health and immunity. This is especially important if your dog needs to take antibiotics or after a dewormer. Just give the healthy gut bacteria at a different time than the antibiotics or dewormers.

Probiotics can also be helpful during times of stress, such as weaning, trying agility, or traveling.

Präbiotics

Prebiotics are indigestible fibers that enter the colon. Once in the colon, they ferment and become short-chain fatty acids.

Prebiotics support your dog's colon and have a few other benefits as well:

Inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria
Providing an energy source for colon cells
Maintenance of electrolyte and fluid balance

They keep your dog's intestines moving. When in the gut, prebiotics promote and support healthy digestive bacterial flora.

Always use prebiotics and probiotics together. Prebiotics feed the probiotics and make them more effective. Annimally Colon Vital contains the ideal combination for support.

Giving prebiotics alone can cause them to feed harmful gut bacteria. Those that can cause diarrhea. That is why it is important that a part also contains probiotics.

Our favorite prebiotic sources are chicory root, yeast, and fast-acting simple sugars like dextrose. Yoghurt cultures also work in a species-appropriate way.

Dog has diarrhea: when you should consult the veterinarian

If dogs and cats are healthy and have strong immune systems, these natural solutions will do the trick in a matter of days.

If your dog is still showing signs of illness and diarrhea after a few days, it is better to see a veterinarian to find out why.

If the dog's diarrhea becomes chronic (i.e. regular) and the signs do not improve, a visit to the doctor is also essential.

Your vet will examine the stool to rule out parasites. He/she can also arrange for a blood count to rule out concerns about organ function. Further measures would be: X-ray or an abdominal ultrasound to rule out foreign bodies and cancer or an endoscopy to visualize the gastric and intestinal mucosa.

Fortunately, most cases of diarrhea are harmless. With a little help from us humans, your dog can quickly get back into shape.