What is leaky gut (Dysbiosis) in dogs?
Without getting way over our heads in the science behind it (though we totally do that here if you’re interested!) dog dysbiosis or leaky gut is when your dog’s gut is out of balance. So much so that the bad bacteria that are present far outnumber the good bacteria, and there’s inflammation in your dog’s intestinal lining. Sometimes it’s even called small intestinal permeability because that inflamed lining allows toxins and bacteria that are supposed to be contained in the gut into the bloodstream (hence, your dog’s gut ‘leaks’ bad stuff into his bloodstream).
When this happens, your dog’s immune system goes on high alert and reacts. Those bacteria, toxins and even undigested bits of food are invaders, and the immune system’s job is to eliminate them.
That’s the problem, though. That immune system reacting to the ‘invaders’ can lead to chronic inflammation in your dog–his gut, his body…you name it. Dysbiosis in dogs can affect nearly every system in your dog’s body, and it’s super important that you work on balancing his gut so his whole body health is optimal.
How do I know if my dog has leaky gut (Dysbiosis)?
That’s a hard one because the reality is that dysbiosis in dogs is often overlooked as a condition because the symptoms can also be attributed to so many other symptoms. Diarrhea and digestive issues could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Your vet may consider itchy, rashy skin simple allergies. Or, they may think that their weight loss could be because of nutritional deficiencies.
And while those may be true–they may also be signs of dysbiosis in your dog. It’s often less expensive and invasive to treat symptoms of these conditions, and we get that. But, if your dog’s gut is leaky, he’ll continue to have the symptoms as inflammation continues to tear through his body.
If your dog shows any of the following symptoms, he may be suffering from canine dysbiosis:
- Allergy symptoms (hot spots, ear infections, paw chewing, itchiness)
- Behavior issues (anxiety, depression, aggression)
- Digestive issues (diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, flatulence)
- Weight Loss
- Joint pain
- Bad breath
- Unexplained Seizures
How do I help my dog’s leaky gut?
Some of the causes experts believe leaky gut in dogs stem from are medications, stress, toxins and highly-processed diets.
And the good news, most of the time, for a dog with dysbiosis is that healing the gut will mean you are helping to relieve the symptoms of leaky gut and battle the causes.
Many dogs eat highly-processed kibble that has lesser ingredient quality or cheap, poorly-absorbed fillers. Yes, even the expensive dog foods fall prey to this, and your dog just can’t absorb the nutrients as he should There’s no way to keep his gut healthy when he’s not getting enough nutrition to do so.
And, when you figure that a lot of dog foods are made with ingredients that have been subject to pesticides…those pesticides inside their guts do some damage to their beneficial bacteria too. The same goes for medicines that may be necessary for your dog–they treat one (or more symptoms) but in the process? Destroy your dog’s gut health.
Bernie’s Perfect Poop: Dysbiosis be gone!
When you help your dog’s gut heal, you are helping eliminate dysbiosis in your dog. Want to know the best way to do that? Ensure that they’re getting enough high-quality fiber, pre- and probiotics and digestive enzymes!
It’s true! Giving your dog high-quality fiber supplements like those found in Bernie’s Perfect Poop (Miscanthus grass, flaxseed and pumpkin) will help your dog’s digestive intestinal lining be a better crossover barrier for those foreign invaders. Allowing food to go through your dog’s digestive tract efficiently and at the right consistency and speed means that they’ll get the right nutrient absorption with each meal. And, fiber feeds the probiotics in your dog’s gut that keep his gut health balanced. Research continues to show over and over that the right combination of pre- and probiotics in your dog’s gut will keep the lining tighter and allow nutrients to be absorbed and toxins and bad bacteria to be expelled in poop. Perfect Poop also includes Xylooigosaccharides (XOS), which have been clinically proven to add beneficial bacteria to microbiomes. When your dog’s gut is thriving, there’s less inflammation and irritation and his gut doesn’t want to leak anymore.
Combine that with digestive enzymes that help ensure the food your dog eats gets broken down appropriately and so your dog’s immune system won’t think it’s an invader? You’ve got a winning combination to battle dysbiosis in dogs!
Leaky gut or dysbiosis in dogs is serious, but the good news is you can do something to help your dog’s gut thrive. Add Bernie’s Perfect Poop to his daily meals and watch his gut health get better. You’ll know because his overall health gets better too!