Your dog or cat has
probably eaten something that they shouldn’t have on more than one occasion,
which is why it is pretty commonplace for pets to vomit or have diarrhea. But
pet owner beware, if your dog or cat is vomiting or has diarrhea for weeks or
months at a time, they could have inflammatory bowel disease, a serious
digestive problem that requires immediate attention.
The root cause of
inflammatory bowel disease (sometimes referred to as IBD) in pets isn’t exactly
known, but veterinarians believe it occurs when the immune system erroneously
attacks tissues in the digestive tract. Problems with the pancreas, food
allergies and even hairballs may contribute to IBD.
Traditional
treatments for inflammatory bowel disease in pets includes medication like
steroids and antibiotics, which can do more harm than good both in the short and
long term. Holistic veterinarians choose to take a more natural approach;
treating the disease by strengthening the immune system and the body’s digestive
and regulatory organs such as the liver and pancreas.
What are the signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
• Your cat is vomiting a great deal, more
than “normal” • Chronic diarrhea • Blood in your pet’s stools • Pet has
weight loss and any of the other symptoms above
What can you do?
It is believed that IBD occurs because the pancreas is working harder than it
should, so giving your dog or cat a supplement or probiotic such as
MSE Natural
Defense is a great way to help your pet’s pancreas work more smoothly and
efficiently.
What is MSE Natural Defense?
MSE Natural Defense is a
digestive enzyme aid (probiotic) that is given to pets that experience stress on
a daily basis, as well as to control litter box odors like ammonia. MSE Natural
defense is purified and formulated to be palatable to your pet, can be mixed
into food and given to animals with allergies. It works to control diarrhea and
loose stools, which can be a symptom of EPI (Exocrine Pandreatic Insufficiency)
or IBS. In addition to helping digestive issues,
MSE Natural Defense controls
symptoms of upper respiratory diseases, controlling the illness and preventing
it from traveling to healthy pets in the home.
Change of Diet
Many
pets are sensitive to the low quality ingredients in commercial pet food, and so
the best thing to do is to switch to a high-quality, natural food. Foods like
Life’s Abundance work wonderfully to improve your pets IBD symptoms and overall
wellness.
Yogurt- Yes, Yogurt!
Controlling bacteria with yogurt is
an easy and inexpensive way to restore acidic balance in the digestive system.
Give your dog or cat 1-3 teaspoons of live-culture yogurt once a day to
replenish the body with good bacteria. In addition to giving yogurt, you can
give your pet Lactobacillus Acidophilus, a supplement that contains the same
organisms as yogurt. For pets less than 20 pounds, use ¼ of the human dosage,
pets 21-50 pounds, use ½ the human dose, pets over 50 pounds, use the full,
recommended human dose. Live-culture yogurt is beneficial to your pet, but
should be used in addition to probiotics to receive the full benefits.
Water
Tap water contains chlorine, which kills beneficial bacteria in the
intestines. Giving your pet filtered spring water will help to combat intestinal
issues.
Milk Thistle
The liver is an important part of digestive
regulation as it produces large amount of metabolic enzymes. Help your pet’s
liver work better by giving him/her milk thistle once a day, as it may help the
liver to generate new, healthy cells.
Glutamine Supplements
Supplements containing glutamine help to regenerate the intestinal wall, which
can become damaged due to inflammatory bowel disease. 500 milligrams of
L-Glutamine twice a day will help the symptoms of IBD.
Toxin Absorption
You may be able to help your pet stop vomiting and experiencing diarrhea by
giving them absorption clay like betonite. Betonite can absorb up to 2000 times
their weight in toxins!
Scour-aid also works to control diarrhea in pets
regardless if it is viral, bacterial or protozoan. It should be used with
MSE
Natural Defense for best results, as this will address the root of the problem,
which often is stress-based.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy works, and
remedies like Nux Vomica and Arsenicum work to stop diarrhea and vomiting. Using
spring water, follow the instruction on the package to treat your pet. If you
notice that your pet is still having issues, see your vet.
Digestive Support Products like
Slippery Elm work to help
long-term intestinal problems. These benefits include healthy digestive
functioning, soothing gastric membranes, improved energy levels, and overall
wellness along with healthy routine absorption of nutrition. Look for our
Buy 2,
Get 1 Free Special on Digestive Support.
My name is Bree Weasner, and I’ve been bringing pet owners like you
valuable information on pet nutrition and natural holistic alternatives to
conventional pet care since 2001.