Introduction:
Basic Concepts:
Diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, vomiting, and gastro-enteritis are occasional irritants affecting all pets and people from time to time.
But for some patients, these problems and other bowel diseases like colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, viral enteritis, and reflux can be either very serious or long term problems that can make your pet miserable. And it's no fun to be the owner of pets with chronic bowel problems either.
Medications like antibiotics, steroids, cancer drugs, and pain medications for diseases like arthritis sometimes cause stomach or bowel irritation.
Of all the common ailments in pets, I suspect that having very itchy skin or painful ears from skin parasites, skin allergies, or chronic ear infections make the pet the most miserable.
But I bet that having chronic intestinal discomfort is also miserable.
With that in mind, if your pet has gastro-intestinal problems, we offer quite a few products that will probably make your pet happier, more comfortable, and healthier
We talk about therapeutic intestinal diets on another page, but we sometimes use Royal Canin HE for just a week or two as a treatment for intestinal flare ups, so I've included it on this page about supplements as well.
Royal Canin HE for dogs and cats:
I'm not quite sure why this high fat diet works so well at helping pets with diarrhea and inflammation of the bowel but it does. This diet is amazingly effective as a treatment as well as a long term diet.
Royal Canin HE is available in dry and canned for both dogs and cats.
Digest-Rite is often effective for chronic diarrhea, gas, and other inflammatory bowel diseases. It contains digestive enzymes (amylase, protease, cellulase, lipase, and pectinase) that break down fats, starches, and proteins ... something that most pets do naturally but something that a lot of pets don't do well ... especially after middle age sets in. And it also contains beneficial amino acids, Yucca schidigera, and probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Bifidobacterium longum, and Bacticillus subtilus), all of which reduce bowel inflammation, gas, aid in various digestive disorders and often stops stool eating. And even helpful with weight problems. Disgest Rite is a flavored powder you spoon over your pet's food once a day.
DigestRite contains Probiotics, so I thought I better write
a basic introduction to Probiotics:
A probiotic, sometimes referred to as good or friendly bacteria, is a microorganism necessary for a healthy and balanced intestinal tract. The prevailing theory for using probiotics is that there are two types of bacteria found in the intestinal tract, good and harmful bacteria. Good bacteria, or probiotics, ensure good health as they supposedly:
1. Produce natural antibiotics, which can fight harmful bacteria.
2. Regulate and increase hormone levels.
3. Manufacture B group vitamins, biotin and folic acid.
4. Stimulate the immune system.
5. Reduce food intolerance.
6. Increase energy levels.
7. Inhibit the growth of some yeast.
8. Absorb nutrients, antioxidants and iron from food that is eaten.
9. Reduce inflammation.
10. Increase digestibility of food.
Several things can destroy the intestinal bacterial balance in a pet’s gut. Antibiotic and other prescription medications may destroy good bacteria as well as bad. Stress, poor diet, pollutants in the air, water, and environment may also deplete beneficial bacteria.
FortiFlora Probiotics made by Purina for Cats & Dogs:
This unique supplement contains live active cultures and is recommended for the dietary management of dogs with diarrhea. It tastes great and can be easily sprinkled on a dog's food.
Contains a special strain of probiotic that has been proven to promote intestinal health and balance. Promotes a healthy immune system. Contains high levels of antioxidant Vitamins A, E, and C
FortiFlora may help nutritionally manage dogs with diarrhea in many situations, including:
Stressful situations such as boarding or change in home environment
Diet change or consumption of inappropriate foods. Soft stool in puppies. Antibiotic therapy
DiaBac is a Proprietary Blend of Oregano extract (Thymol, Carvacrol), Dextrose, Corn Starch, Essential Oils, Calendula oil, catnip oil, olice oil, peppermint, oil, St. John's Wort oil, and Thyme.
DiaBac seems to work well on stress diarrhea and GI upset from anxiety. Good for pets that get diarrhea or other signs of GI distress when boarding, traveling, or anxious about guests in the home, thunderstorms, and so forth.
Fiber supplements like Vetasyl: The right amount and right type of fiber in the diet can be very helpful in treating pets prone to diarrea as well as pets prone to constipation. This is because fiber regulates the amount of moisture in the bowel... Not too much and not too little.
Fiber supplements often help with hair ball problems, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cramps, and gas pains.
Fiber supplements designed to ferment slowly can aid in weight loss programs helping to make your pet feel full
Vetasyl is the brand of fiber we recommend.
It encourages natural elimination without the aid of chemicals, while providing gentle, effective relief from constipation. Often works wonders for pets troubled by hair balls. Good for both cats and dogs.
Benefits:
• A natural remedy for digestive issues
• Returns normalcy to your pet’s elimination
• Convenient, and easy to administer
• Contains 100% natural fiber sources
• Formulated without preservatives, artificial flavors or colors
• No reported side effects
How it works:
Vetasyl is sprinkled over food every day to aid in better digestion. The natural fiber source, which includes psyllium and barley, encourages natural elimination without the aid of chemicals.
I'll describe the following products soon:
DiaRobe Paste
Pancreazyme
GastriCalm
ProPectalin
K-Pectin
Lean Treats
Click on and of the links below to go to the therapeutic diets we recommend the most because we have found them to work well:
This page is about the products and supplements we recommend for pets with frequent diarrhea, colon cramps or discomfort, constipation, gas, and other GI problems.
Also for pets that need to take medication whether short term or long term that might cause bowel inflammation. These include many antibiotics, steroids, pain medications, and phenobarbital.
On Other pages we discuss the special diets and supplements use to treat:
Please visit our other Pages on this Site:
The Products we Recommend:
Revolution Frontline Plus Comfortis Vectra3D Promeris CapStar
Program 6 Month Injection for Cats Sentinel KnockOut House
KnockOut Premise Advantage Multi PrevenTic Collars
Revolution Advantage Multi TriHeart Plus
ProHeart 6 month injection
Inteceptor Sentinel
Panacur ProFender Pyrantel-50mg Revolution Advantage Multi
Inteceptor Sentinel
TriHeart Plus
And The Very Best Products Available For:
ZymoxHC FoxNest Ear Cleaner Mometamax Acrexx MalOtic
Phytosphingosine Hydroxyzine Tris8 Duralactin OFA's
Exotic Diets
Phytosphingosine FoxNest Medicated Shampoo Relief OFA's Zymox
FoxNest OatMeal Shampoo Hydroxyzine The Furminator Exotic Diets Hylyt Shampoo Genesis Spray BioGroom Natural Scented Shampoos MaloKet
Zymox VBG Cream Nolvasan Malotic DermaGel Bag Balm
Fly Repellent Vet Wrap
Biotene MaxiGuard Oral Gel Greenies TD OraVet Kits Gum Vaccine
ProPectalin DigestRite DiaRobe CatLax DiaBac Pancrazyme
GastriCalm K-Pectin
Duralactin Dasaquin SynoviFlex ChondroFlex for Cats Rimadyl Adequan
Tramadol AntiOxUltra
Special Diets Duralactin AntiOxUltra OFA's
Reconcile/Prozac DAP Collars & Plug-Ins Elimiodor Forbid
OFA's AntiOx SAM-e CranVet MultiVitamins PetTinic Milk Replacer
Bottles & Nipples Slentrol Reducing Diet LeanTreats
Prescription Therapy Diets
Urine Off The Equilizer Eliminodor Pet Candles ThioTrol Skunk
The Furminator Shed Guard OFA's Phytosphingosine
AllerPet for Humans MicroChips Pet Insurance Pet Candles Bag Balm
Dog Appeasing Pheromone Feliway Spray PetGuard
FoxNest Hairball Treats:
Hairball Treats are an intestinal lubricant that helps eliminate hairballs and their symptoms, including constipation, straining during a bowel movement, dry cough and vomiting associated with hairballs. It is also a gentle laxative against the formation of hairballs.
Cats really, really like these treats.
Cat Lax and CatNip flavored Cat Lax: These products are toothpaste like tubes full of flavored petroleum jelly and cod liver oil. Nothing is more successful at evacuating the bowel
We recommend Cat Lax when cats or dogs are suspected to have acute GI upset or clogging.
Don't forget to check for parasites at least once a year. Many worms have become resistant to deworming products.
