Leaky Gut In Dogs – Causes And Effective Treatment

Leaky gut in dogs is a condition where the gastrointestinal mucosa becomes disrupted and permeable, allowing bacteria and other toxins to enter the bloodstream. As this happens, an immune system response is triggered and inflammation occurs throughout the body.

The medical term for dog’s leaky gut syndrome is “increased intestinal permeability”, which means that there are increased spaces between cells or between organs. Often times these spaces allow undigested food particles as well as bacteria and waste products to pass through. The presence of such particles in your pet’s blood stream can increase his susceptibility to food allergies, autoimmune diseases, infections, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disorders, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), asthma/atopic dermatitis and mast cell tumors among others.

What causes leaky gut in dogs?

Leaky gut was only first identified by scientists at The University of Maryland School of Medicine back in 1989. It has since been recognized as a disorder that affects both dogs and humans alike. Therefore, much like us humans are susceptible to similar conditions, so are our canine companions.

The gut lining is composed of cells that are weak and porous. This allows large molecules to pass through the gut lining into your bloodstream. These large molecules, such as proteins, do not usually get absorbed because they are supposed to be broken down by digestive enzymes in the small intestine before entering the blood stream.

Leaky Gut Syndrome occurs when your dog’s gut or intestinal mucosa gets damaged or inflamed. This usually happens due to the presence of toxins and harmful bacteria in our pets’ system.

Much like it does with humans, leaky gut in dogs may happen as a result of: chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract brought on by intestinal parasites such as “giardia”, “coccidia”, and “roundworms” among others; the overuse of antibiotics which destroy both good and bad bacteria, allowing harmful bacteria to overwhelm the system; illnesses that compromise the immune system such as cancer or diabetes among others; chronic pancreatitis which causes enzymes meant to protect our pets’ intestinal tract to instead damage it; exposure to chemicals found in household cleaning products, plants and pet care items among other things.

Symptoms of leaky gut in dogs

Leaky Gut symptoms are often times overlooked by pet owners. There may be signs of diarrhea, constipation, GERD, bloating and weight loss – but these symptoms can also indicate other issues such as dog’s diet change, IBD and more.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut can range from mild all the way up through severe, but they include: fatigue, arthritis-like symptoms (joint pain, stiffness), poor coat condition, skin problems (dry skin, excessive itching/scratching), frequent infections, dog food sensitivities and more. Some of the same symptoms are also associated with other conditions so it’s important to talk with your veterinarian for proper diagnosis.

Caveats: There may be other underlying conditions that cause Leaky Gut Syndrome to develop besides the ones mentioned here, but pet parents should always talk with their veterinarian before proceeding with any treatment plan for such issues.

Consult your Veterinarian: If you notice your dog having frequent diarrhea or vomiting; if he or she is showing signs of severe weight loss, fatigue and/or any other concerning symptoms; if his or her digestive tract has been damaged due to illness, toxins, chemicals and/or harmful bacteria and parasites among other things.

Other Causes of Leaky Gut In Dogs

Vaccinosis in dogs is another common cause. Vaccinosis is basically sensitivity to vaccines caused by adjuvants (substances added to a vaccine to increase the body’s immune response) and/or exposure to genetically modified foods.

The symptoms of vaccinosis can range from mild all the way up through severe, but they include: joint pain, stiffness, inability to climb stairs or jump onto furniture among other things; swollen joints; food sensitivities and more. Much like with leaky gut syndrome, pet parents must rule out other conditions before determining that vaccinosis is what their dog has as it shares some of the same symptoms.

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is another common cause of acid reflux in dogs. It occurs when stomach contents are forced back up into the esophagus because of weakened esophageal sphincter muscles. Affected dogs can show symptoms such as breathing problems (wheezing, coughing); regurgitation; vomiting; weight loss and more.

Natural and effective treatments for leaky gut in dogs

As of right now there is no known cure for Leaky Gut Syndrome in dogs. However, you can help prevent its development by avoiding overuse of antibiotics, minimizing stress on your dog as best as possible and providing him or her with own dog foods that contain high quality protein sources such as chicken or fish among others. Also be sure to select supplements that include prebiotics such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) among others.

As with Leaky Gut Syndrome, there is no known cure for GERD at this time. However, pet parents can treat their dog’s gut  at home by avoiding giving him or her fatty foods (fast food, fried foods among others), excess table scraps and/or simply feeding smaller but multiple meals throughout the day instead of one large meal at night before bedtime. They should also avoid feeding from raised bowls and instead opt for normal table level or on the floor style feeders only.

Although it would seem logical to some pet parents that changing your dog’s food to a hypoallergenic diet could help with either Leaky Gut, GERD or both, such diets won’t actually help in most cases because they don’t address why these conditions exist in the first place.

If you suspect your dog has Leaky Gut Syndrome, GERD or any other condition/problem, be sure to consult your Veterinarian before changing his or her diet and/or making any other decisions (such as adding supplements) for him or her at home without professional guidance.

Prebiotic and probiotic for leaky gut in dogs

Adding natural sources of probiotics and prebiotics to your dog’s diet is an inexpensive way of preventing any gastrointestinal problems.

Prebiotics and probiotics are important parts of a healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy digestive system. For the past few years, prebiotic and probiotic supplements have been increasing in popularity due to their effectiveness when it comes to treating certain medical conditions such as leaky gut syndrome.

The good news is that leaky gut syndrome is easily preventable with the use of prebiotics and probiotics. All you have to do is give your pet one of these supplements on a daily basis to reduce the risk of leaky gut syndrome.

What are prebiotics and probiotics?

Prebiotics are substances that support the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut while probiotics are live cultures of good bacteria that help maintain digestive balance by preventing harmful organisms from growing. They also ensure that your dog’s immune system can function properly while fighting off toxins, viruses, fungi or other harmful microorganisms.

Prebiotic fibers are found in foods such as chicory root, dandelion greens, garlic among others while some examples of probiotic-rich foods include sauerkraut, Kefir, Goat’s Milk, kombucha tea, plain whole milk yogurt, cottage cheese among others.

Prebiotics and probiotics also improve your pet’s digestive system by increasing the good bacteria in his or her gut while at the same time decreasing the amount of harmful bacteria. By doing so, they promote an environment that will keep your dog healthy and prevent him or her from developing any gut health conditions such as leaky gut syndrome. The best part is that prebiotics and probiotics do not interact with each other which means you can safely give them both to your pet at the same time without worrying about issues like an overload of bad bacteria.

The benefits of using alkaline water to treat leaky gut syndrome in dogs

When it comes to treating leaky gut syndrome with natural remedies, alkalizing the body is one of the most effective ways to do so. Unfortunately most people are not aware that stomach acid is actually very acidic. And by drinking acidic beverages such as coffee, tea and soda among others, they lower the pH of their blood which makes it more acidic.

What is alkaline water?

Alkaline water is a type of purified or filtered water that has a higher ph level than regular tap or spring water and this causes it to neutralize acids in the body. This can help reduce the effects of acidosis in your dog’s body which could then help restore his or her health.

Alkaline water is also rich in antioxidants that are known to fight off free radicals and other harmful cells that could eventually lead to disease. The antioxidant content of alkaline water can be up to 200 times more powerful than the ones found in orange juice.

In conclusion, Leaky Gut in dogs is a very common cause of gastrointestinal problems in dogs. Having a healthy digestive system is extremely important for your dog’s health but unfortunately, LGS can be triggered by the ingestion of certain types of food that contain high levels of sugar, fat or carbohydrates.

Prebiotics and probiotics work together so they can prevent LGS from occurring by keeping your pet’s intestines healthy.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article, you may also like: 10 Easy Ways On How To Keep My Dog Happy.