Health
|
15 min
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £39.99
Nutrition is always the best fuel for your dog’s health and happiness, but when they have health conditions that require a specialist diet - such as colitis - it becomes even more important.
If your pooch has ongoing toilet trouble (usually severe diarrhoea) to the extent that they’ve been diagnosed with colitis, one of the first steps in their treatment is to get a special diet in place that works with their delicate digestive system.
So what do you feed a dog with colitis? Read on to learn about the best food to give your pooch for colitis - from what ingredients to avoid, to what constitutes a colitis-friendly diet.
Colitis is a condition in which the colon becomes inflamed, resulting in the dog experiencing severe toilet issues - usually diarrhoea, but sometimes constipation, to the point where there’s often blood or mucus alongside their poop.
It can be brought on by a few things such as food allergies, an illness (autoimmune disorders, for example) or even by stress. It can be long-term affliction or a short burst of colitis - but it’s always exacerbated by your pooch eating the wrong foods.
Diet is an integral treatment to manage a dog with colitis, as continuing to feed triggering foods means they’ll keep experiencing bowel issues and diarrhoea.
Not tweaking their diet can result in serious worsening of their condition, so once your pooch is diagnosed with colitis, it’s a good idea to assess and hone their diet straight away.
So what makes a diet suitable for a dog with colitis? These are usually the factors of a colitis-friendly diet for dogs:
So what kind of food can you give your pooch to manage their colitis? It’s a personal choice, but you’ll want to discuss one of the following options with your vet:
As dogs with colitis can be triggered by common food allergies like grain, lots of pooch parents opt for a specialist grain-free dog food to target the problem. Pooch & Mutt offer a vet-recommended dog food for gastrointestinal issues, such as colitis, that contains zero grain. It comes with the protein goodness of tasty salmon and herring, a shot of probiotics and prebiotics to soothe a turbulent gut, and apple pulp for an added boost of dietary fibre.
There are also lots of tummy-sensitive recipes in our Health & Digestion range, which contain gently digestible, high-fibre ingredients such as lean turkey, white fish and nutritious veggies - along with probiotics and prebiotics, to support dogs with gut and bowel issues such as colitis.
You could also try adding a natural probiotics supplement for dogs to sprinkle on the food you give them for their colitis. Check with your vet once you’ve decided on your preferred dietary combination.
When you’re planning a new diet for your dog with colitis, here’s a reminder of foods to stay away from to avoid more doggo diarrhoea…
When you’ve organised a diet for your dog’s colitis, it’s important to transition them safely into their new foods…
To sum up, here are the main points to consider when your dog has colitis:
Yes it can, in fact stress can even be the sole cause of colitis in some circumstances. If your vet has ruled out any other causes and your dog has been through a stressful event; perhaps a house move, recent surgery or you’ve just got a new pet; it’s possible that stress could be exacerbating your dog’s digestive issues and worsening colitis. Here are some tips on managing stress colitis in dogs.
Salmon is a healthy, delicious protein full of essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6. However, it can be considered a risky food for dogs with serious digestive issues (pancreatitis, for instance), due to it having a higher fat content than other proteins.
Discuss this over with your vet, however a specialist dog food for digestion that contains salmon should be safe for your dog to eat. If you choose to feed your dog fresh salmon, be sure it’s cooked and plain without added salt, and that all the bones are removed.
Both Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) and colitis are conditions that affect digestion and bowel function in dogs, however they are different things. IBD is a general term for inflammation of the entire digestive system, including the gut, small intestine and colon, whereas colitis is specifically linked to the colon. Colitis can be either chronic or an acute, short-term symptom of another illness or infection, whereas IBD is a longer-term condition in dogs that impacts what they can eat and digest.
This depends on the severity and causes of your dog’s colitis, but in general, once you’ve transitioned your dog into a new colitis-friendly diet, you should start to see improvements within 2-4 weeks. Keep an eye on their behaviours and bowel movements for signs of improvements on their colitis, and be in touch with your vet throughout the process so they can guide you on next steps.
A probiotic supplement is a great option for a dog with digestive issues such as colitis. Probiotics and prebiotics are responsible for balancing the bacteria in the gut and promoting digestion, immunity and healthy bowel function. Dogs can get probiotics from food, but a probiotic supplement for dogs that you can sprinkle over their food is a more targeted way of making sure they get all the probiotic goodness they need.
All dogs deserve treats, even those with dodgy tummies! The key is choosing dog treats that won’t cause havoc in their delicate tums, which means human leftovers and fatty, sugary treats are a no-no. Try some healthy dog treats made from natural ingredients. Many, such as our probiotic meaty treats, for instance, have added supplements that will actually support your dog’s digestive issues.
If your hungry hound has a digestive health condition such as colitis, take a look at our tasty and digestible grain-free dog food for sensitive stomachs, our specialist Veterinary Diets range and powerful probiotic supplements.
Comments (4)
I am in the USA can I get your products?
Hi Lynnette,
I am very sorry but we don’t currently deliver to the USA, but this is something the team are working on and hopefully we can deliver to you in the near future! :)
Do you have wet food
Hi Julie,
We do indeed have Wet Foods available! Please do contact the team at [email protected] if you would like any further advice or recommendations :)
Leave a comment