Your Dog Is What He Eats.
Nov 10, 2021
Dog Nutrition: Your Dog Is What He Eats.
That's at least what we've all heard a million times. I agree with this statement, but I am no health freak. I want my dogs to live healthy life for as many years to come.
Our dogs' nutrition is usually the last thing on people's minds when their dog is experiencing aggression, reactivity, or anxiety.
What we eat as humans affects our mood, right? So why are we so surprised that it's the same for our canine companions.
Yes, I grew up in the middle of nowhere, where our dogs were fed table scraps or just fended for their own. Dogs have changed, and modern medicine and test are beautiful things. The dog food industry is no exception; there has been changing and growing over the years. We, as dog professionals, are finally looking at the whole dog when we get called in for behavioral problems.
We look at what the dog is or isn't eating all of the nutrients it should be. Professionals now are starting more and more to work with a Veterinarian to rule out allergies. But once we know the dog has sensitive skin or stomach, what do we do? We treat the symptoms and not the root cause.
We need to find the root cause of the problem and start healing the gut through nutrition. Especially when a dog has a sensitivity or allergy, it can cause them so much discomfort like itching, constantly licking, ear infections, loose stools, flatulence. All of these can worsen if the dog is allergic to food ingredients and seasonal allergies play a part. No one, I repeat, no one feels great when itchy or going through an allergic reaction.
When dogs don't feel good, it shows in their behavior. Read that again. If the dog has allergies, food sensitivities, GI imbalance, Arthritis, or any other medical condition, it's less likely they feel up to doing everyday dog things.
The stomach is the second brain, and if it's been stripped of all good microbiomes, we are shit out of luck. This is very common with dogs rescued as stray (eating trash or nothing) dogs rescued from hoarding situations or backyard breeders. Also common if dogs have parasites or intestinal issues and too many antibiotics get rid of good and bad flora.
Join us on our journey as we test our pack member's microbiome after being on raw for 6 months but fed over-processed food most of her life. Just as you are learning the best for your pup we have done the same with our pack. Zena has suffered from allergies for 3 years, read more about Zena here.
We are excited to test Zena'sgut microbiome and will update them in a new post on her results and what we change based on the results. Read more about Animal Microbiome Here
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