Gastrointestinal Disease Dog Food - Homemade and Commercial Diets

Dogs can suffer gastrointestinal upset for many reasons. These upsets can range from very mild to debilitating. Something as simple as a rapid change in diet can cause a gastrointestinal upset for many dogs. This kind of upset, called "acute" gastrointestinal disease, can cause diarrhea.

This condition can quickly become serious for small dogs or very young or very old dogs. If dogs in these categories, or any dogs that have previously been weakened, have prolonged bouts of diarrhea, it is possible for them to die. In addition to this relatively simple and easily treatable cause, gastrointestinal upsets can be the result of more serious conditions.

Gastrointestinal upsets can appear with a range of severity from as simple as passing excessive gas to bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Food allergies frequently cause gastrointestinal upsets. In addition, there are various forms of gastrointestinal upsets that are chronic. These forms of gastrointestinal disease can often be treated with special diets that reduce their effect. While most gastrointestinal disease can be alleviated to some degree by a changed diet, some forms of gastrointestinal disease may also require medical or surgical intervention.

Acute Gastrointestinal Disease: acute gastrointestinal disease may have multiple causes. However, one common cause is sensitivity to fatty foods. One common way to correct this problem is to feed a low-fat bland diet for several weeks to reduce the strain on the dog's system. This kind of diet might consist of rice and cottage cheese or rice prepared with cooked and strained ground beef boiled with the water. If this diet does not alleviate the dog's symptoms, other causes may be at work.

Chronic Gastrointestinal Disease: Chronic gastrointestinal disease, like colitis and various forms of large and small bowel disease, require permanent changes to be made to the dog's diet. In these cases a veterinarian should diagnose the precise cause of the dog's discomfort, in order to prescribe the most effective dietary treatment.

Homemade Diets
Regardless of the nature of the gastrointestinal disease, it might be possible to relieve the dog's symptoms with a diet prepared at home, as described above. If the dog will be on this diet for a prolonged period or if the gastrointestinal upsets are of a chronic nature, then a regular diet should be formulated with the assistance of a canine dietary specialist.

Commercial Diets
Unless a homemade diet is prepared under the supervision of a nutritionist, it may not be appropriate for long-term use. Prescribed commercial diets are more effective for long-term treatment. These diets are usually high in insoluble fiber, which should be used under the advice of a professional when being adjusted for long-term care.

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