What helps dogs digest fat
What Helps With Dog Digestion?
As a pet parent, theres a lot to consider when it comes to your dog and his health and that includes digestive wellness. If youve ever found yourself wondering what helps with dog digestion and what you can do at home to support a healthy gut, regular stool, and nutrient absorption, keep reading!
What Is Included In The Dog Digestive System
While your dogs body breaks down, digests, and expels food differently than your human body does, much of his digestive system is similar. And one thing is definitely the same between us people and our pets when it comes to the gut: every aspect of the digestive tract needs to be in working order and well supported for healthy digestion. Heres a quick breakdown of your dogs digestive system so you can understand all the working parts that make up his doggie digestive process:
- The Mouth & Teeth: Your dog breaks food down in his mouth so that it can pass through to his stomach and get broken down even further. Because your dogs mouth and teeth play a big role in his digestive process, dental wellness is key when it comes to digestion, too. You need to be taking care of your dogs teeth if you want his gut to be able to function to the fullest!
- The Esophagus: This organ helps transport the food your dog chomps and chews from his mouth down to his stomach, where it can continue on its journey to nourish your pups body.
- The Stomach: Your dogs stomach plays one of the most important roles in the digestive process because it takes the partially broken down food your dog has just swallowed and gets it ready to enter the rest of the GI tract where it can actually be used. Your pups stomach also acts as a storage device during the digestive process, keeping his food safe & stowed until his body is ready to break it down for fuel.
- The Intestines: Its inside the small & large intestines that your dog actually absorbs many of the nutrients that are present in his food. This step in the digestive process is what gives your dog energy and its also responsible for delivering those nutrients to the rest of his body. Intestinal health is essential for healthy digestion and overall wellness.
- The Pancreas: Your dogs pancreas is packed with digestive enzymes that help him digest his food. They break down every bite he has eaten even more and help him utilize the fat, carbohydrates, and protein present in each meal.
- The Liver: Your dogs liver is involved in the digestive process, too! Its responsible for creating bile, a substance that sounds awfully off-putting, but is crucial when it comes to breaking down fats and also in helping to get waste out of your dogs body.
- The Colon: This is where the leftovers, or waste, are sent and turned into fecal matter. This is the last step in your dogs digestive process, and certainly one of the most important! Without this, his body wouldnt
Dog Digestive Issues: What To Watch Out For
Knowing all the components of your dogs digestive tract can help prepare you to keep tabs on your pets digestive health. When you know that each organ plays a crucial role in your dogs digestion, you can watch out for potential digestive issues. That said, its not always easy to know if your dogs digestive system is functioning at its best or if its causing discomfort for your dog. Here are some signs that might indicate your pet is experiencing some dog digestive issues:
- Irregular Bowel Movements: If your pet doesnt go #2 every day, its cause for pause. Your pet should have regular and frequent bowel movements and if hes not begging to go outside and do his business, its a good idea to discuss with your Vet.
- Gas Or Bloating: Most dogs have occasional gasits totally normal But, if your dog has suddenly developed a stinky, gas habit or appears bloated, he could be experiencing digestive discomfort and you should ask your Vet about whether or not your dog should seek treatment.
- Discomfort: If your pup is visibly uncomfortable or seems a little on edge because hes not at his best, a digestive issue could be to blame.
- Vomiting: If your dog isnt able to keep his meals down and seems to be vomiting with some frequency, you should discuss a potential dog digestive issue with your Vet.
- Changes to Appetite: If your normally hungry dog turns his nose up at his dog bowl it could be cause for concern. On the flip side, if your picky pup is suddenly eating everything in sight, it could also indicate he has something going on with his digestive system.
These are just some of the indicators that your pup is experiencing digestive upset or some sort of dog digestive issue. And while many digestive issues are easy to spot, some are far more subtle. To help keep tabs on your dogs digestive health, keep a close eye on him when hes doing his business in the yard and at mealtime. This way, youll notice any changes to your pets behavior, bowel movements, or appetite straight away!
How To Support Your Dogs Digestive System
When you want to support your dogs digestive health, its a good idea to remember that any changes to your pets diet, new ingredients or foods, and changes to your dogs daily routine can all affect his gut health. To help your dogs digestive system function at its best, make sure you are introducing foods slowly and checking with your Vet before you feed Fido anything new o make sure its ok for your pet. While one ingredient might be perfectly safe for most dogs, your pup could have a negative reaction and its essential to discuss this with your Vet before you give a new product or food a try!
Its also a good idea to remember that digestive health is not just about your dogs gut. His overall health, immune system, emotional state of mind, and more can all play a role in his digestive function. Because so many aspects of your pets health can influence his digestive wellness, its important to care for your dogs whole body when you want to support digestive health. Make sure you are addressing any health concerns that could affect your dogs digestive health if you want his gut to properly break down his food, turn it into fuel, and help him have healthy bowel movements.
Address Your Dogs Diet
If your dog has a digestive issue, his diet could be to blame. Take a look at your pets food as a first step because so many digestive issues can be helped by addressing diet first and foremost. Some dogs have a hard time breaking down and processing grains, so many pets with digestive issues eat a grain-free diet. Others need a little extra protein for their bodies to feel their best and should eat a diet thats packed with animal meats. Other dogs still need a little extra fiber to help with digestive wellness and should eat a diet designed with digestive health in mind. This often means its a food that contains plenty of fiber-filled ingredients that will help your dogs GI tract break down and absorb food without discomfort.
Add In A Dog Digestive Supplement
If you want to boost your pets current diet to make it a bit more gut-friendly, consider adding in a dog digestive supplement. Choose one that contains lots of prebiotic fiber to help feed the healthy bacteria in your pets gutthe bacteria that are essential to a healthy digestive process. Or, choose a probiotic for dogs that contain billions of living bacteria that will help replenish and rebalance your dogs gut to help with healthy digestion. Or, choose a dog digestive supplement that contains fibrous foods like greens or pumpkin for the best support.
Get Plenty Of Exercise
Help your dogs gut by making sure Fido gets plenty of exercise. Your pups body needs to move and be active in order for all his organs to stay healthyhis digestive tract included! Take your dog for a walk every day to ensure hes staying active and to aid in healthy digestion. Or, if youre unable to get outside with your dog, daily, frequent the dog park or doggie daycare where your pup is free to run and exercise to his hearts desire!
Reduce Stress!
Did you know your dogs mood can affect his gut health, as well? If your doggo is anxious or stressed, it can put unnecessary stress on his bodyincluding his digestive system. To support a healthy gut and digestive wellness, make sure your dog has a space in your home where he feels safe and can go to be alone and calm down. Consider adding calming supplements to your pets diet if he is often on edge or occasionally anxious. Soothing ingredients like chamomile, valerian root, or hemp all help to boost your dogs mood and help him chill out enough to stay healthy!
Pet Honesty Products For Healthy Digestion
Ready to support your dogs gut with some digestive supplements? Try Pet Honesty Digestive Probiotics Chews. Theyre packed with gut support thanks to billions of healthy bacteria and a blend of nutrients that promote healthy digestion. Or, reach for a jar of SuperVitamin+ Chews. They contain all your dogs daily essential nutrients, plus probiotics and some seriously impressive ingredients. These chews are backed by clinical research and support 15 areas of your dogs healthnot just digestive wellness! Theyll also help your dog stay energized, have a robust immune system, support joint mobility, and more.
Sources:
https://roguepetscience.com/2020/11/16/10-ways-to-improve-your-dogs-gut-health-digestion/
https://www.lucypetproducts.com/blog/7-most-common-dog-digestive-issues/
https://www.cuteness.com/article/aid-dogs-digestion-naturally
https://shop.animalbiome.com/blogs/pet-health/dog-gut-health-the-4-ways-to-restore-it-naturally
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/best-food-for-dogs-with-sensitive-stomachs/
Noon Edition
If our livers didn't produce bile, humans would have a very difficult time digesting fats. Fats need special assistance in being digested because they don't dissolve in water. They're inclined to stick together, forming large clumps.
One way to think about this is to consider oil and vinegar in a salad dressing. They don't mix very well, and end up as separate pools on the lettuce. This is how the fats in our digestive tract are with water.
Lipase, the enzyme that digests fat, doesn't stand much of a chance against large masses of fat. Unless broken down first, a lot of the fat we consume would pass through our digestive system without being absorbed.
If fat isn't absorbed, then the fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K aren't absorbed either. Fat also fuels many of our body's cells, not to mention that if it's not absorbed, it wil cause bloating, gas and diarrhea.
One of bile's jobs is to emulsify fats, meaning it enables fat and water to mix. Bile contains molecules that are partly attracted to fat and partly attracted to water.
These molecules draw fat and water together by sandwhiching themselves in between the two. Thus, fat molecules are kept separated, and lipase is able to digest them.
How Are Fats Digested, and Can You Speed Up the Process?
Fat from your food is digested by enzymes at various stages of the digestion process. Some of it is used for energy right away, and some of it is stored for later. When extra energy is needed, your body will break down the stored fat.
Even though fat has gotten a bad rap over the years, its actually essential to your health. Fat supports several of your bodys functions and gives your body the energy that it needs.
Fat also helps your body absorb important vitamins and gives your body essential fatty acids that control inflammation, improve brain health, and more.
The amount of time that fat takes to digest varies from person to person and between cisgender males and females.
In the 1980s, Mayo Clinic researchers found that the average transit time from eating to the elimination of stool was approximately 40 hours. Total transit time averaged at 33 hours in men and 47 hours in women.
Fat takes longer to digest than other foods, and the amount of time varies based on the type of fat. Dietary fats consist of:
Trans and saturated fats are considered unhealthy fats and raise LDL cholesterol.
The process of fat digestion involves a series of steps that begin the moment food enters your mouth. Heres a look at the process from beginning to end:
1. Mouth
The digestion process begins when you start chewing your food.
Your teeth break the food into smaller pieces, and your saliva moistens the food so that its easier for it to move through your esophagus and into your stomach. Your saliva also contains enzymes that begin breaking down the fat in your food.
2. Esophagus
When you swallow, a series of muscle contractions called peristalsis moves the food through your esophagus and into your stomach.
3. Stomach
Your stomach lining produces acids and enzymes that break down your food further so that the foods can pass to the small intestine.
4. Small intestine
The majority of fat digestion happens once it reaches the small intestine. This is also where the majority of nutrients are absorbed.
Your pancreas produces enzymes that break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Your liver produces bile that helps you digest fats and certain vitamins. This bile is stored in the gallbladder. These digestive juices are delivered to your small intestine through ducts where it all works together to complete the fat breakdown.
During this process, fat and cholesterol are packaged into tiny particles called chylomicrons.
After the fat has been digested, fatty acids are passed through the lymph system and then throughout the body via your bloodstream to be used or stored for energy, cell repair, and growth. Your lymph system also absorbs fatty acids to help fight infection.
Adipose, which is fat tissue, takes triglyceride from the chylomicrons. Each chylomicron gets smaller, eventually leaving a remnant thats rich in cholesterol and taken in by the liver.
Nutritional supplements
Supplements containing digestive enzymes have become more and more popular, although more research needs to be done on how effective they are. However, its been shown that they may provide promising results for more than just enzyme deficiencies.
These supplements may contain many different enzymes that help break down specific foods.
For example, lipase aids in fat digestion, while amylase helps break down carbohydrates, bromelain, and papain. Bromelain and papain are both enzymes that help break down proteins. They can be found in pineapple and papaya.
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As mentioned, more research is still needed to further investigate supplements for fat digestion. Always talk to your doctor before taking a supplement meant to improve fat digestion.
Pancreatic enzymes
Certain pancreatic enzymes come as prescription drugs that help you digest food. These are different from the enzymes sold by health stores.
Pancreatic enzymes, such as pancrelipase (Creon, Pancreaze, Zenpep), are prescribed when a medical condition interferes with your pancreas ability to produce the enzymes needed for digestion.
Some conditions that do this include:
Pancreatic enzymes should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.
Food sources
Along with adding papaya and pineapple to your diet, you may also want to consider spicing up your meals using any of the following:
A 2011 animal study found that these common spices stimulated the secretion of bile with higher amounts of bile acids in rats on a high-fat diet. Bile plays an important role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fat.
More research is still needed to understand how these spices may help improve fat digestion in humans.
If youre concerned about your dietary fat intake, you can cut back on the bad fats and add more healthy fats to your diet. The
Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are also recommended because theyre beneficial for heart health. Reading food labels is a great start. Keep in mind that many foods contain more than one type of fat.
Here are some examples of foods that contain healthy fats:
- vegetable oils, such as olive oil, sesame oil, and canola oil
- nuts, including almonds, pecans, and cashews
- avocado
- peanut butter and almond butter
- fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, and trout
- seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame
- tofu
Eating a healthy diet thats low in unhealthy fats, while incorporating healthy fats, can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of diseases.
Remember that its important to speak to your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet or starting a new supplement so that they can ensure youll be doing it the healthiest way.
