How To Check Your Beagle’s Digestive Health
Your beagle’s digestive health is as important as his/her overall health. You should know what to look out for and when to take your dog to the vet if something isn’t right. Here’s How To Check Your Beagle’s Digestive Health.
Your beagle will eat almost anything you put in front of him, whether it’s good food or scraps from the table! Beagles love their food and they’re always hungry. They’ll also eat until they make themselves sick; this is why you need to make sure that what they eat is healthy and nutritious.
Beagles can enjoy a variety of ‘human’ foods too – but like any other dog, only offer them a few special treats! Some people give their dogs everything they’d like (including things such as spaghetti bolognese), which is not good for their health or digestive system.
The most important thing to remember if you want your beagle’s digestive system to work efficiently and help him to stay healthy is that he needs a balanced diet and plenty of exercise! The more active he is, the better his blood circulation will be and the more nutrients and enzymes there’ll be throughout his body.
Why is Supporting Your Beagle’s Digestive Health Important?
The Benefits of a Healthy Digestive System / Microbiome
Scientists and veterinarians are constantly finding new ways that our microbiome affects us. So far the most researched area is the weight loss and obesity effect of a healthier digestive system. But what does this have to do with your beagle’s digestion?
Well for one, his weight is very important when it comes to keeping him healthy. If he’s overweight or obese it can cause so many health issues, including heart disease and diabetes. It will also shorten his life as well as limit all other aspects such as play time and exercise.
Some of the benefits regarding supporting your dog’s digestion include:
Optimal Digestion & Nutrient Absorption
Your dog’s microbiome requires sufficient food to support healthy digestive function. You should be aware of what, when, and how much you feed your dog.
Beagles are a smaller breed of dog but they have a very high metabolism which means they’ll burn up all their food quickly – especially if they’re active. If he gets too much food he may end up eating more than necessary because it’ll go to waste anyway, or else his body will store the extra energy as fat!
Improved immunity
Because 80% of their immune system cells are found in their gut; which makes sense since their digestive tract is an entrance to their body! This is why when your dog’s sick, you might see them vomiting and with diarrhea (or both).
Decreases allergies
If they’re allergic to certain foods or environments; having a balanced microbiome can help support their body to not overreact when it senses something that causes an allergy.
Improved mood
According to recent studies about 90% of serotonin (which affects our moods) is produced in the gut. So what does that have to do with your beagle’s digestive system? Well, if his microbiome is out of whack then he may be more likely to have depression or anxiety. It’s just another reason why supporting your dog’s digestive health is so important!
Vitamin Production
The bacteria in the microbiome help to produce vitamins including B vitamins B12, thiamine and riboflavin, and Vitamin K which all work as micronutrient cofactors. In simple terms, this means they help to metabolize the food so your dog gets the most out of it!
The intestinal microbiome can also absorb nutrients from food and supplements that may not be available to a dog if its microbiome is compromised. In other words, supporting digestive health = better nutrient absorption.
Healthy Skin and Coat
Keeping the microbiome in a healthy balance can support your dog’s immune system and in turn, healthier skin. This is due to the fact that 70% of our body’s immunity involves the gut, so when it doesn’t work properly, problems can arise all over the body including the skin.
Easier weight loss for overweight dogs
If you’re looking to help your beagle lose some weight then having a healthy microbiome will make this easier for him since he’ll gain more nutrients from his food! And less waste (since excess food won’t be stored as fat). It may not happen immediately but with time and patience he’ll slim down in no time!
A healthy digestive system also makes for happier travel
More energy throughout the day
Vitality and Energy
With optimized nutrient absorption, a dog easily digest what he’s fed and the energy is then used to fuel his body. This means more energy for playing and exercising (exactly what we want from our energetic beagles)
The microbiome also supports efficient detoxification processes in the body, which makes it much easier for your dog to get rid of toxins when they come in.
Better quality sleep
Many dogs struggle with getting enough sleep due to digestive issues and health problems. Balancing your dog’s microbiome can help to reduce his stress levels and improve both physical and emotional wellbeing; resulting in a better sleep pattern!
What are Some Signs My Beagle’s Digestive System Isn’t Working Properly?
Your dog will tell you when something isn’t right with him/her. They’ll show symptoms by being lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence and even picky eaters! You should also keep an eye on their stool since that can tell you if they’re not absorbing nutrients properly – this could happen due to disease or parasites.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut:
• Loose stools
• Increased flatulence
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Certain food intolerances
• Skin upsets & allergies
• Problems absorbing essential nutrients from their food
How do I find a highly digestible recipe?
There are numerous factors that can cause a dog’s food to be low in quality and difficult to digest. When analyzing your dog’s diet we would look at the following:
• Low protein, high carbohydrate diets is one of the most common problems when it comes to pet foods with 72% of all dry kibble having this problem (1). This causes fermentation in the gut which leads to increased gas and poor nutrient absorption.
• High-fiber diets or anything that includes plant material such as whole grains, legumes & vegetables – these carbohydrates cannot be broken down by dogs and end up fermenting in their large intestine (2).
• Processed meats and proteins – commercial manufacturers use chemical preservatives which are hard for your dog to digest and can lead to decreased nutrient absorption (3).
• GMOs – about 90% of all corn and soy is GMO. If you’re using a commercial brand food, chances are it contains some form of either corn or soy which has been genetically modified; this is one of the most common gastrointestinal irritants and causes food allergies (4).
• Low moisture content in kibble – if your beagle’s kibble is low in moisture then they need more water for their stool to be perfect, so remember to add lots of extra! This also means they’ll need more energy from their diet since they won’t get much energy from dry foods.
Using a highly digestible recipe such as IFD’s will help give your dog the most of their nutrients, vitamins and minerals for a better digestive system. Highly digestible diet options contain up to 90% animal-sourced ingredients which make them very easy to digest.
But remember, not all recipes are made equal! Some brands include non-digestible fillers such as potatoes or apples, these won’t provide any benefits to your pet at all and can cause bloating and gas! Make sure you look out for any filler content when choosing a new food – if in doubt click here for some great online resources that rank highly digestible foods by protein percentage.
Thank you for checking out this article and I hope you learned how to check your dog’s digestive health.
