Understanding your dog’s gut with health tips from Pawsome Raw

If your pooch has skin problems, arthritis, diabetes or weight issues it could all be linked to his or her gut.

Pawsome Raw owner Retha van der Walt, who has a branch in Ballito, said gut health goes far beyond just digesting food, absorbing nutrients and expelling waste.

“The lymphoid tissue associated with the gut is the largest immune organ in the body. The combination of all immune components – beneficial gut bugs called probiotics that form part of the population of intestinal microorganisms called the microbiome – contribute as much as 70 percent of the body’s total immune system,” said Van der Walt who is a firm advocate for a raw diet.

She said it is necessary to have a healthy balance of probiotics to ensure good gut health as an unhealthy mix of intestinal bug flora leads to leaky gut syndrome.

“Leaky gut is when inflammation of the intestines creates gaps between the individual cells lining the gut walls. These gaps allow toxins and pathogens to leak and escape the intestines where it causes inflammation in other parts of the body and can lead to problems such as asthma, skin rashes, joint pain and thyroid conditions.”

Also read: Dog walking – off leash or to heel? Ballito puppy trainer shares all

Typical symptoms associated with leaky gut syndrome are: food allergies which can cause skin irritations, diarrhoea or constipation; inflammatory bowel disease; joint conditions; thyroid disease; liver dysfunction; diabetes; weight gain and low energy.

One of the biggest causes of gut problems is grains, according to Van der Walt.

“Just because dogs can digest grains, does not mean they should.

“When they eat grains, it generally creates a constant level of inflammation in their gut; this inflammation ceases when grain, as a dietary component, is eliminated.”

She said when looking at the internal makeup of a dog, it is clear that they are made to eat meat.

“Have you ever noticed that dogs get away with gulping food without chewing? Unlike most other mammals, dogs’ salivary glands do not contain the amylase enzyme, therefore no chewing is required. Dogs also have one of the shortest intestines of all mammals. These factors that indicate that dogs are carnivores and therefore need a carnivorous diet,” she said.

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