Snapshot: dealing with your pet especially when it’s having an upset stomach or sensitive stomach is tough. Sometimes dogs suffer from upset stomachs frequently due to digestive problems while other times they simply suffer from sensitive stomachs. If your dog too experiences similar symptoms and digestive problems, we have brought to you a comprehensive guide that might be helpful.
Some dogs are born with sensitive stomachs while others develop digestive problems with time. No matter what, a sensitive stomach has to be dealt with care and attention. It’s important to let your dog thrive. Look for symptoms in your dog to know if at all, it’s suffering from a sensitive stomach. Usually, symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, excessive gas, vomiting are indicative of sensitive stomachs. Normally, changing your pet’s diet is expected to cease such symptoms. If the symptoms still exist, you must take your pet for a quick check-up. If you are willing to know more about how to deal with sensitive stomachs, continue reading below.
How to determine if your pet has a sensitive stomach?
If you carefully look for the symptoms, you might easily figure out if at all your dog is suffering from a sensitive stomach. A few steps mentioned below might be helpful
- Know the signs of digestive problems
If it seems like their stomach hurts or they are looking at their abdomen frequently or their stomach feels tight, they might suffer from severe problems and you must consult your vet immediately.
- Look for the severity of symptoms
If your pet is eliminating runny stools or frequent vomiting, especially after feeding it indicates a sensitive stomach. Uncontrollable diarrhea, frequent vomiting, and fluid stools sometimes with blood are extremely serious symptoms that must be addressed to a vet. Also, check if your vet appears dehydrated and tired. If yes, take it to the vet immediately.
- Check whether there are other symptoms
Vomiting and mild diarrhea alone aren’t serious symptoms. But if they are accompanied by other signs, they shouldn’t be neglected.
Neurological symptoms like frequent seizures, tremors, etc. Indicate that your pet has consumed something toxic.
Pale gums or lethargy indicates a severe shock, that it must have got from an internal injury or allergy.
- Withhold food to see if symptoms go away
Symptoms of the sensitive stomach may include:
- Hypersalivation
- Nausea
- Lack of hunger
- Excessive gas
- Runny stool
- Blood in stool
- Frequent vomiting
- Acute diarrhea
If none of the additional symptoms are evident and you are sure that it’s solely a case of a sensitive stomach, consider skipping the next few meals of that day. If the symptoms don’t subside, take your pet to the vet. Follow the feeding recommendations as given by the vet at home.
Best dry foods to consider for your pet
Finding the best dry food that’s appropriate for your dog might be tricky, especially when there are so many varieties of foods available. To help you out, we have shortlisted the best dry food for dogs with sensitive stomachsbelow:
- Diamond care sensitive stomach dry food for adult dogs
This formula contains a major portion of animal protein that’s derived from the highly digestible dried egg. The recipe as given in the label of this product makes it clear how well balanced and formulated it is. It contains 14% fat, 28% protein, 50% carbs. Its fat to protein ratio is about 52%.
Its main ingredients are chicken fat, tomato pomace, dried egg, potato protein, and potatoes. As you can see, diamond care sensitive stomach food is a limited ingredient recipe, well balanced, and ideal for long-term use.
- Royal Canine Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Dry
This product is usually prescribed by veterinarians. It has been found extremely helpful and is a top-rated product among dog owners. The product is available in 3 different container sizes, allowing customers to buy a suitable quantity.
The formula contains low fats, but includes more proteins. Hence, your pet can easily digest it. It also contains certain amounts of probiotics to help the digestion process and maintain healthy bacteria in their intestines. The product is available in one sized container. It’s small and can meet the feeding requirements of most dog breeds.
- Hill’s science diet for sensitive stomach and skin
This is again one of the best products as reviewed by renowned veterinarians. Its major ingredients are chicken meal, brewers rice, chicken, cracked pearled barley, and yellow peas. A major portion of this formula’s meat protein is derived from fresh chicken.
From the label, one can understand the diet contains well-balanced amounts of every ingredient such as 16% fat, 26% protein, and 50% carbs. Its fat to protein ratio is about 61%.
As you can see, it’s a well-balanced, effective diet formula that contains probiotic fibre. It facilitates the growth of natural gut bacteria and helps to regulate proper bowel movement.
- Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Sensitive Skin and Stomach
Another top-rated recipe for a sensitive stomach is the pro-plan focus adult diet from Purina. Barley, salmon, ground rice, oatmeal, and canola meal are some of its major ingredients.
This diet acquires a major portion of animal protein from fresh salmon. It contains extremely low amounts of fats, about 16% along with 33% protein and 44 % carbs. Its protein to fat ratio is about 62%. The formula is highly digestible, well balanced, and most recommended by verified users.
- Royal Canine Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Kibble
This diet’s major ingredients are brewers rice, barley, chicken by-product meal, wheat, and natural flavours. It’s a prescription diet, extremely digestible, and low on fat content.
This diet derives most of its meat protein from a chicken meal. From the label, one can understand its low-fat content of 5%. Additionally, it also contains 22% protein and 65% carbs. This diet is effective in treating a wide variety of canine digestive disorders.
- Wellness Simple Ingredient Dry Dog Food
Another effective dry food recipe for various dog breeds is the wellness simple ingredient turkey and potato formula. Its major ingredients are dried ground potatoes, peas, turkey meal, and deboned turkey.
Turkey meal and fresh turkey forms a major portion of this recipe’s protein content. It contains 29% protein, 49% carbs, and as low as 14% fat. Devoid of wheat, gluten, or grains, this diet is appropriate and an affordable option for treating dogs with sensitive stomachs.
- Nulo Freestyle Limited+ Puppy and Adult Dry Recipe
The newly developed freestyle formula by Nulo derives a major portion of its meat protein from the salmon meal and fresh salmon.
Containing about 33% protein and 39% carbs, its low-fat content makes it highlights digestible for your pet. Hence, it’s widely recommended by vets across the globe.
The major ingredients of this formula are salmon meal, deboned salmon, chickpea flour, and canola oil. Containing a single source of animal protein, this diet is devoid of all potential allergens.
Home Remedies to Help Your Dog’s Upset Stomach
When you figure out that your pet is suffering from digestive problems and a sensitive stomach, you must follow some of these remedies mentioned below:
- Keep your dog hydrated
Your pet needs to remain hydrated throughout the day, especially if they are suffering from frequent vomiting and diarrhea. Consider feeding them ice chips after every 2 to 3 hours. Don’t think only offering them drinking water would suffice. Dogs need electrolytes and vitamins to retain their hydration and body fluids.
- Check your dog’s temperature
Use a rectal thermometer to check your dog’s temperature. Usually, a dog’s temperature is about 101.5° F. A temperature slightly above that is indicative of mild fever. If it’s more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, you might consult your vet for proper treatments.
- Skip food for 12-24 hours
It’s normal for wild animals like dogs to go hours without food. If your dog’s stomach is upset or it’s having digestive problems, fasting can be effective in allowing your dog’s gastrointestinal tract to get cleaned. If your pet is a little puppy, don’t skip food for more than 12 hours.
- Prepare Bone broth
Bone broth is very effective in healing sensitive stomachs and digestive problems. Simmer meat along with apple cider vinegar and water in a container. Keep it like that in a freezer for a day to get the bone broth ready. Skim off any remaining fat before freezing.
- Prepare a Bland diet
After your pet has fasted for about 14 hours, note whether it’s still vomiting or eliminating runny stools. If not, it’s time to feed it a bland diet. Prepare a diet containing about 75% boiled rice, extra-lean hamburger, and chicken meat without bones. Make sure there’s no fat or oils or spices.
- Probiotics
If you feel like your dog is feeling better, you can consider feeding it unsweetened yogurt. Products like FortiFlora, Proviable, or Prostora are effective probiotics that you can feed your dog.
There are a variety of other foods like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, unsweetened yogurt, and canned pumpkin that are equally effective in treating sensitive stomachs. Apart from these homemade remedies, try feeding your dog the best dry food recipes that we have enlisted. There are lots of dry food recipes available nowadays that will get your dog on the road to better health and happiness.
