Having a pet is a blessing. Your furry friends bring in joy and hundreds of sweet moments in your life. It is essential to take care of your pets, especially dogs whose dietary requirements are often misunderstood by the owners. Since dogs are so easygoing, the owners assume they can eat anything. If you own a dog who has a sensitive stomach, you need to pay extra attention to its dietary requirements.
Our four-legged friends have similar aversions to food like you or any kid. They too go through stomach aches and other digestive discomforts if they are sensitive to certain food items. You cannot give any dog food to such sensitive dogs. While there are a variety of nuts, fruits and vegetable dogs can eat safely, it is difficult for sensitive dogs to digest some items.
How to check a sensitive stomach in a dog?
Typical signs that your dog has a sensitive stomach can be one or a combination of a few of the following:
- Eating less food than normal
- Excessive gas
- Bloating or tight belly
- Puking after eating food
- Signs of pain in the abdomen
If your dog reacts badly to regular food, you can check for these signs. If it is difficult to figure out the reason behind the sensitivity, take your dog to the vet right after it is fed.
What is the right dog food for my furry friend?
In order to know the food which suits your dog, you need to understand the three major types of dog food available to you. These food items have proven to be beneficial for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
- Limited ingredient foods- This type of dog food allows you to identify the problem-causing ingredient. If you want to figure out which food item is the reason your dog has an upset stomach, this can be a good start. Made from a single protein source and a single source of vegetables, including fat and probiotics for digestion. All you need to ensure is avoid those limited ingredient foods that contain colors and additives.
- Prescription foods- As the name suggests, this type of food requires a doctor’s prescription to purchase. Prescription gastrointestinal dog food is only recommended by the vet. In case your dog has specific dietary requirements or aliments the vet would write you a prescription. These are given to your dog if it has major digestive issues or if it has extreme allergies to specific food items.
- Hypoallergenic food- This one is a specialized grade food as well, unlike the regular dog feed that you find in the stores. In this, the proteins sourced from meats are broken down into amino acids before making the food. It helps the food to digest with less effort in the stomach. As a result, the immune system of the dog will work less. Also, the chances of bad reactions to food become lesser.
Whichever type of food you intend to introduce in your pet’s diet, ensure that you are not upending its entire diet overnight. As per the recommendations of various animal associations, dog owners should introduce new food in a 10:90 plan. It means a mix of 10% new and 90% old food. With every passing week or ten days, you can keep on altering the proportion until the entire diet transforms. Overall, spend at least 90-100 days introducing your dog to new dog food. Not all dogs are created equal, and it is natural to have different dietary requirements for different breeds. You might need to introduce a host of combinations before you reach a balanced diet that suits your sensitive dog.
