The process of dog digestion of food

Dogs have a very strong ability to digest food. Their stomachs are irregular pear-shaped, and the hydrochloric acid content in their gastric juices is as high as 0.4% - 0.6%. Hydrochloric acid swells proteins, making them easier to break down and digest. Therefore, dogs have a strong ability to digest high-protein foods, which is also the nature of carnivores.

Dogs can empty all the food in their stomachs within 5-7 hours after eating, much faster than other herbivores or omnivores. Their stomach capacity is large and their digestive tracts are relatively short. . Food begins to be digested in the stomach, but most of the food remains in the intestines. Dogs have thicker intestinal walls and greater absorptive capacity.

Dogs eat foods that cause gastrointestinal discomfort

Although dogs have gradually adapted to human living habits after living together with humans for a long time, some foods are still harmful to dogs. It is not suitable to eat, and parents should understand this.

1. Eating shrimp, crab, cuttlefish, octopus, jellyfish, etc. can easily cause indigestion for dogs.

2. Do not feed chicken bones to dogs. Chicken bones are relatively brittle and turn into small pieces after being chewed. The tips of the small pieces are particularly sharp and can easily scratch the stomach and intestines if the dog swallows them.

3. Cauliflower is a food that can cause diarrhea in dogs.

4. Peas, broad beans, soybeans, etc. contain alkaloids and are prone to flatulence after eating.

5. Almonds, melon seeds, sesame seeds, and nuts are not easy for dogs to digest.

6. Coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. contain neurotoxic, gastrointestinal toxins.

7. Excessive use of almonds, peaches, wild mold, bitter melon, plums, prunes, and mushrooms can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and lower abdominal pain.

8. High fat: It will increase the workload of the digestive system. Some special breeds, such as Schnauzers and Dachshunds, can easily induce pancreatitis due to high fat foods.

Causes of gastrointestinal discomfort in dogs

1. Eating too much

Dogs are very hungry animals, so if you eat too much, it can cause discomfort and vomiting. When a dog vomits, you should look at the state of the vomiting. If there is foam and stickiness, it is mostly an esophageal problem. If necessary, we can send some samples to the hospital for testing.

2. Rumination

Dogs also ruminate. That is because dogs usually eat by swallowing and do not chew carefully. So he will spit out the food he has eaten and then eat it back immediately. This kind of vomiting is physiological vomiting, and the dog is fine. Parents need not panic!

3. Acute gastritis

If a dog's vomiting is transparent and white after vomiting, it means that the vomited gastric juice is gastric juice. This type of vomiting is the most common case of acute gastritis. However, if the dog has no other symptoms after vomiting, there is no need to worry. Fasting 12 hours is enough. If there are other reactions, you should go to the hospital for a comprehensive test.

4. Gastrointestinal ulcer

If dog vomit is yellow-green, it represents bile. It's time to see a doctor. Vomiting bile has many problems that are indistinguishable from the surface. In addition to problems with the liver, kidneys and pancreas, it is also a problem with ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract.

5. Diet

Dog gastrointestinal problems are definitely related to diet. If you eat too much meat or greasy food, your dog's poop will be loose and soft; if you eat bones, your poop will be dry and hard; fruits and vegetables will easily cause your dog to have loose stools. A diet based on dog food is healthier for dogs. However, there are many types of dog food, and some have poor nutritional content. If you only eat this type of dog food for a long time, it may cause the dog to be deficient in certain nutrients. It is recommended that you buy better dog food for your dog and give it regularly. It changes brands. When changing dog food, don’t change it all at once. Gradually increase the amount of new dog food with each meal so that the dog’s stomach can slowly adapt.

6. Bleeding

If your dog vomits bright red stuff, don’t hesitate. Send to the hospital for treatment immediately, this is a symptom of acute bleeding!

Common symptoms and treatments of gastrointestinal discomfort

The specific manifestations of gastrointestinal discomfort in dogs are: diarrhea, vomiting, digestive disorders, food intolerance, anorexia, digestive system disorders, etc. These are all common symptoms. The most common symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea, and these two symptoms happen to be easily ignored by parents. Because some parents do not know enough about the early symptoms of the disease, the dog's condition worsens, leading to weight loss, bloody stools, and even life-threatening situations.

1. Diarrhea and vomiting are common in dogs. Diarrhea is caused by accelerated intestinal peristalsis and increased intestinal mucosal secretion and absorption. Common in intestinal diseases. Diarrhea is characterized by the excretion of amorphous or liquid stool and is a symptom of many diseases. Diarrhea often leads to death from dehydration, so the disease should be treated as soon as possible.

2. Dogs are animals that are prone to vomiting, especially in babies. Dogs will vomit when they eat too much or eat something with an irritating smell. Vomiting is also a dog's self-protection phenomenon. Sometimes They will consciously go out to find weeds to devour, prompting them to vomit out the contents of their stomachs. For vomiting and diarrhea, in addition to general treatment methods such as supplementing normal saline and antibiotic treatment, you should also pay special attention to the dog's diet and eat small and frequent meals of easily digestible food.

3. There are many factors that cause gastrointestinal discomfort in dogs. For example, when dogs go out for walks and games, they often have the opportunity to accidentally ingest insect eggs exposed in the environment. These eggs will parasitize in dogs. Gastrointestinal discomfort may occur in the body, or if the dog mistakenly eats moldy or rotten food, accidentally swallows foreign objects, long-term use of antibiotics, imbalance of intestinal flora, increase of harmful bacteria, intestinal infection or malnutrition.

4. It’s important for dogs to eat small, frequent meals. Eating too much at one time willIncrease the burden on the dog's stomach and easily lead to indigestion and vomiting. If conditions permit, adult dogs should be fed twice a day and three times a day before five months of age. If the dog cannot be fed regularly, the amount of food should be controlled each time. It is better for a dog to be hungry than to have a full stomach. Parents are concerned about eating as little hard food as possible, which is difficult for dogs with weak stomachs to digest.

Finally, a reminder:

The weather is humid, and dog food is prone to fermentation and deterioration, causing food poisoning. They should be fed fresh food at every meal, in an appropriate amount, with no leftovers. Food that has been fermented and spoiled must be thrown away resolutely and cannot be kept for fear of waste. Because spoiled food may contain bacterial toxins, it can cause food poisoning if your dog eats it.