Unfortunately,
dog gastritis is a common problem among our four-legged companions.
It usually manifests with
acute vomiting that in some cases
can turn into a chronic disorder, and it should not be overlooked.
In the following paragraphs, we will delve into the problem to help you understand what it is and steer you towards the best method to address it the right way.
What is dog gastritis and how does it manifest?
As we just mentioned,
gastritis is one of the most common, if not the most common, gastrointestinal problems in dogs.
Gastritis refers to an
acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
It can manifest as
a craving for grass, vomiting of the food given (or often
on an empty stomach first thing in the morning),
belching, halitosis, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and/or inflammation, which can all lead to the risk of infection.
When speaking of gastritis in dogs, it’s important to
differentiate between acute gastritis and chronic gastritis.
Acute gastritis is a
self-recovering situation with a rapid or even sudden onset and it usually lasts a short time (vomiting for at least a week).
Chronic gastritis, on the other hand, is a
persistent condition. It manifests with episodes of vomiting lasting for at least 2 weeks.
What are the symptoms of gastritis in dogs?
Without doubt,
the first symptom of gastritis is
vomiting.
Vomiting is not the actual illness but simply a sign indicating the presence of the illness.
Therefore,
to solve the problem, it's important to
focus on solving the underlying cause of the vomiting rather than on simply getting rid of the symptom.
One way, for example,
is to ensure your dog is getting a correct diet to prevent the risk of allergies and intolerances. We will discuss this in a later paragraph below.
The vomit is usually yellowish or mustard in colour (due to the presence of bile) and can sometimes have traces of blood.
Other symptoms of gastritis in dogs include
weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss, excessive salivation (drooling), abdominal pain, regurgitation, and frequent yawning.
What are the causes of gastritis in dogs?
Gastritis in dogs can be due to numerous causes.
The main causes of
acute gastritis are
eating expired or contaminated foods (food poisoning); food allergies or intolerances; viruses, bacteria or parasitic illnesses; or ingestion of a foreign body, grass, pharmaceuticals or toxic substances.
In the case of
chronic gastritis, pinpointing the cause is more difficult but the general view is that it is related
to the continuous exposure to one or more factors causing the acute gastritis.
Gastritis in dogs and food intolerances
As mentioned earlier,
one of the most frequent causes of gastritis is, unfortunately, intolerance to one or more foods.
Food intolerances trigger an inflammatory response in the most sensitive part of the body (target organ). This is a sign that something is not working as it should.
In fact, inflammation of the target organ often represents the only visible manifestation of the food intolerance.
If the stomach is the target organ of the intolerance to one or more foods,
as little as just one portion of the food the body interprets as being toxic will trigger an inflammatory process lasting several days.
If that food continues to be part of the pet's diet, then the inflammatory process will eventually become chronic.
The solution to the dog’s gastritis: A proper diet
By now you probably understand that gastritis in dogs is a complex problem.
For this reason,
you should seek the care of your vet immediately. If necessary,
your vet will prescribe the drug treatment best suited to the situation at hand.
In addition, we also recommend ideally feeding your dog
FORZA10 Intestinal Active or the complete wet food
Intestinal Actiwet, both during and after the therapy.
This is a
complete and highly digestible food formulated to reduce intestinal absorption problems and compensate for poor digestion.
What's more, the
limited ingredients and the
use of a single protein source (anchovies and herring) reduce the risk of food intolerance.
Playing an important role are other added functional substances, such as
Plantago Psyllium and the probiotic
Enterococcus Faecium, which help to normalise gut transit time, as well as beneficial electrolytes for the dog’s proper rehydration.
Among the added functional ingredients there are oregano and rosehip, which combat GI issues and help the immune system.
This food has been scientifically researched by the SANYpet Research and Development Department in two studies you can read here:
If the vomiting is ascribable to a pancreatic insufficiency and/or gastritis, a good alternative is
Gastroenteric, a food composed of 100% hydrolysed proteins (already partially digested) and with a lower fat content (making it extremely digestible).
Feeding your pet hydrolysed proteins is also ideal when the cause/protein triggering the vomiting is still unknown and intolerance or allergy is suspected. The body recognises hydrolysed proteins as “non-harmful” so it is unlikely it will react adversely and remove the food through vomiting.
We hope this article removed some of the doubts you had about gastritis in dogs and made you understand how proper diet can really be the solution to the digestive system issues of our four-legged companions.