3 Ways to Support Your Dog’s Gut Health Every Day

Managing the overall health of our built-in best friends can weigh heavy on any dog owner’s mind – especially when it comes to our dog’s digestive system.

Digestive health is extremely important for a number of reasons – from balancing goodand bad gut bacteria to supporting your dog’s immune system and more. Just like humans, a healthy and balanced gut is a good indicator of overall health.

Whether you’re looking for tips to maintain your dog’s general health, or are looking to manage gastrointestinal health issues like constipation, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, loose stool, pain, discomfort, infection, or sudden weight loss, read on for three ways you can support your dog’s gut health every day. As always, your veterinarian should be the first stop if your dog is experiencing any negative health symptoms. In fact, a regular vet visit is one of the best things you can do to be proactive about your pup’s overall health.

Find the Right Dog Food

Supporting a healthy gut starts with your dog’s diet, so the pet food or kibble you choose to offer every day has a direct impact on their wellbeing. Just like humans, diet is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. It gives your dog the fuel to exercise, socialize, and grow. As your dog’s main food source, ensuring his/her everyday food aligns with his/her needs is paramount – whether grain-free, low fat, high protein, allergy-friendly, or other specialized formulas. While there are a number of options on the market, including the trending but impactful raw and fresh food options, your dog’s best chow is ultimately the one that helps them maintain optimum overall health, good energy, and regular, healthy stool. Sometimes this takes trial and error, which is where those regular vet visits once again prove their importance. Veterinarian visits can help with defining allergies, breed specific conditions and tendencies, age requirements, and more.

We don’t claim to be dog food experts here – remember, we’re veterinarians and cannabinoid scientists who specialize in high quality pet supplements! Our good friends at DogFoodAdvisor.com can give you an unbiased rundown of your options – they even had their editors put together their Best Dog Food recommendations for 2024.

Consider Probiotics and/or Prebiotics

As we’ve seen time and time again, while a good and healthy diet is the foundation, it cannot always solely provide the full range of support your dog needs. Remember, there are unique elements to your pup’s anatomy, as dictated by their breed(s), age, size, experience, routine, and more. So if you’re looking for supplementary elements to include in your pup’s diet, you’re not alone. While there are a myriad of pet supplements available, pet owners often wonder what extra digestive support they can offer to their pet to ensure they have a happy, healthy dog as part of their family. In fact, probiotics and prebiotic supplements are one of the top trending focuses for 2024 amongst pet owners.

The gut microbiomes in our dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts can sometimes become imbalanced and need help getting back on track – whether it’s due to sneaking too much human food, dehydration, a virus or infection, routine or environment changes, stress, or general health dynamics. This imbalance is where probiotics and prebiotics come in to offer additional dietary enzymes and microorganisms that can support proper nutrient absorption, acid balancing, and overall well-being. As you likely know, the upper gastrointestinal tract is highly acidic, and can easily be influenced by factors mentioned above. This acidic imbalance is often why we feel heartburn, and can sometimes induce nausea and vomiting. Balancing the gut is the key role of prebiotics and probiotics, which is why much success is often seen in both humans and pets when introducing these supplements to one’s health routine. Talk to your vet about the potential need for your dog!

Research Digestive Supplements

It has become abundantly clear over time that a dog’s health is closely tied to their digestive system, and any digestive issues they face day in and day out could be seriously impacting their mind, body, and spirit. We all know what it feels like to have a stomach ache – it’s nearly impossible to focus, let alone maintain a good quality of life. This is often why we should consider digestive issues as a source when dealing with behavioral issues. Inflammation and pain associated with unbalanced gut health is a common experience for many dogs, especially those in stressful situations. The microbiome must be balanced, which is why it’s so easily affected by environmental stressors that can negatively impact your dog’s system. Homeostasis, or optimal and balanced health across all bodily systems, is a daily journey, and the right tools can make all the difference.

Finding a digestive supplement that supports your dog’s wellness can drastically improve their overall quality of life – if you’re in the market for a high-quality digestive supplement that features anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients, look no further than Digest Daily Soft Chews from CHOU2 PHARMA / CHOU2 PET WELLNESS. Featuring an abundance of probiotics, as well as other key digestive health ingredients, Digest Daily Soft Chews are designed to provide consistent, daily gut health support in one simple step. Give your dog 1-2 chews (instructions found on package) on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before food. For extreme situations or extra large pups, give them a second round of chews later in the day. For example, two chews 30 minutes before breakfast and two chews 30 minutes before dinner. Follow your gut with CHOU2 PHARMA / CHOU2 PET WELLNESS.