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For many dogs, having a sensitive stomach can be a real challenge. Digestive issues like vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive gas can be uncomfortable and even painful for your furry friend. Luckily, there are dog foods specifically formulated for sensitive stomachs that can help alleviate these issues and keep your pup happy and healthy.
When looking for the best dog food for a sensitive stomach, there are a few key things to keep in mind. In this article, we will explore the top tips and best dog foods for sensitive digestion.
Does my dog have sensitive digestion?
This usually means the dog can't tolerate poorly digestible ingredients or foods with higher fat content. Your dog would struggle to adapt to new foods or ingredients, as it has a more fragile gut flora population (microorganisms living in the gut that helps digestion). Symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea would occur between 2-12 hours after a new food, high fat food, or poorly digestible food is given. However, this should resolve after 24 hours of going back to regular food or a bland diet. Food allergies may cause similar symptoms but it is less common. It is more common for food allergies to cause itching, particularly of the feet and ears.
What measures can I take if my dog has a sensitive digestion?
One of the best way to tackle this issue is to find a food that works well for your dog with a sensitive stomach. High quality, easily digestible diet consisting of chicken or fish protein and rice are normally good options. We recommend Hills Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome.
Another option is to limit treats, especially human foods. Find a few types of treats that your dog likes and stick with those options. Make sure that they can't dig into the rubbish bin and eat the unwanted leftovers. Prebiotics and probiotics are beneficial for supporting normal gut flora. And finally, seek veterinary advice and discuss your dog’s issues with your vet - keeping a food and toileting diary can be very helpful to track what's causing the issue.
With these tips in mind, here are some of the best dog foods for sensitive stomachs that you might want to try out:
Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Digestion: a trusted dog food brand with high quality, easily digestible and bioavailable ingredients to promote digestive health. The formula has prebiotic blend to support good bacteria in the gut, and extra fibre for stool quality.
Advance Sensitive Skin and Digestion: This is another great option for dogs with sensitive stomachs. This food is made with easily digestible fish protein and rice. It has added fibre in the form of beet pulp, and inulin which is prebiotic for healthy digestion.
Royal Canin Digestive Care: This formula is highly digestible and has bioavailable chicken, hydrolysed protein and rice. It contains low indigestible protein, which is specifically selected for digestibility. With added fibre in the form of beet pulp and vegetable fibre, this is also a good choice if your dog has a sensitive stomach.
Meals for Mutts Salmon and Sardine: This formula contains highly digestible fish protein and is less likely to be allergenic. It contains both prebiotics and probiotics, perfect for promoting healthy guts. With the inclusion of nutritious brown rice, it is not only gluten-free but provides beneficial fibre and bioavailable nutrition.
If you want to compare dog food options for sensitive digestion, check out Pawsitive Plan to compare across 28 different dog food brands and personalise a meal plan for your pup.