Supporting Dog Digestive Health

Maintaining good digestive health is important for dogs because it directly impacts their overall well-being and quality of life. Just like people, dogs rely on their digestive system to break down food, absorb essential nutrients, and eliminate waste. Digestive issues can cause various symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea, as well as lead to more serious outcomes over time, such as nutritional deficiencies, dehydration and weight loss. This article covers common causes and symptoms of poor gut health in dogs, and natural ways dog parents can help improve their pup’s digestive health!

How Good Digestive Health Helps Your Dog Thrive

Your dog’s digestive health affects all aspects of their overall health, including:

• Strong immune system
• Shiny coat & healthy skin
• Good energy levels
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Efficient nutrient absorption

Proper digestion even has benefits for your dog’s mood and behavior! Because of the gut-brain connection, a healthy gut promotes mood regulation and helps reduce anxiety by regulating stress hormones. Of course, other factors such as exercise, socialization and training also play a significant role in supporting your dog’s mental health.

How Your Dog’s Digestive System Is Different from Yours

While dogs and humans both need a balanced and nutritious diet, there are some big differences in how dogs and people digest their food:

• Dogs have more acidic stomachs - this allows them to break down and digest raw meat and bones efficiently
• Dogs have shorter, faster intestines - food moves through their digestive tract much more quickly compared to humans
• Dogs have lower levels of an enzyme called amylase - this means they can’t digest complex carbohydrates as well as we can

A dog’s digestive tract is optimized to process animal proteins and move things along quickly. In general it only takes 8-10 hours for a dog to digest a meal, compared to 24-48 hours for humans.

Causes & Symptoms of Digestive Issues in Dogs

If you think your dog’s digestive health could be improved, you’re not alone. Digestive issues are relatively common in dogs, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe including:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss
• Increased gas
• Dehydration

There are many potential causes of digestive problems in dogs, including:

• Abrupt change in diet
• Food allergies/sensitivities
• Scavenging
• Stress/Anxiety
• Parasites
• Bacterial or viral infection
• Certain medications

Digestive issues can also be caused by underlying health conditions like pancreatitis or chronic gastrointestinal disease. If your dog is suffering from digestive issues, start by consulting your veterinarian to rule out serious illness.

Natural Ways to Help Improve Your Dog’s Digestion

There are several ways dog parents can support their dogs’ digestive health:

• Avoid sudden diet changes - if changing your dog’s diet, transition to the new dog food gradually
• Provide fresh water at all times - clean fresh water is essential for proper digestion and overall health
• Provide regular exercise - physical activity keeps things moving in more ways than one!
• Maintain a healthy weight - being overweight can impair physical mobility, reduce digestive efficiency, disrupt the gut microbiome and increase the risk of gastrointestinal disorders
• Manage anxiety - stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can increase inflammation and food sensitivity, affect appetite, lead to an upset stomach and compromise digestive function
• Keep up with wellness checks - regular check-ups are important for overall health, and a great opportunity to talk to your vet about any digestive issues
• Feed a balanced, nutritious diet - high-quality dog food is the cornerstone of good digestive health

You may also want to consider slow feeding methods such as a puzzle feeder. Dogs that wolf their food can be more prone to bloating and indigestion.

What to Feed Your Dog for Good Digestive Health

Stella & Chewy’s dog food supports intestinal health with high-quality ingredients, minimal processing, a variety of animal proteins (including single source protein meals) and added prebiotics, probiotics and fiber. Browse our digestive health dog foods and learn more about how each of our product lines is designed to promote optimal digestion:

Stella’s Solutions Digestive Support

Stella & Chewy’s Digestive Support probiotic dog food is a great place to start as this recipe can be easily added as a topper and mixed in with your dog’s current diet. These morsels are packed with prebiotics and probiotics, natural sources of fiber like coconut flour and pumpkin, along with other ingredients to aid in nutrient absorption and intestinal health. Simply scoop and add the recommended amount to your dog’s food (or serve alone as the complete and balanced meal for adults).

Raw Dog Food

Our minimally processed raw diets for dogs, including frozen raw and freeze-dried raw, offer several digestive health benefits:

• Raw dog food digests more gently and efficiently
• Recipes contain 90-95% meat, organs, and bone to mirror a dog’s ancestral diet and provide complete and balanced nutrition so you never need to supplement further
• All raw diet recipes contain natural sources of fiber, like pumpkin seed and raw ground bone, which aid in healthy digestion.
• Our raw diets also contain added probiotics to support proper gut flora (bacteria).
• Single-source protein recipes make it easy for dog parents dealing with food sensitivities or allergies
• Raw dog food has a high moisture content of 70% (as-fed frozen or when freeze-dried is rehydrated)

Many raw-fed dogs have smaller, firmer and less frequent stools. Raw meat also has natural enzymes that help break down food, which aids digestion.

Dry Dog Food

If you prefer the convenience of dry dog food, Stella & Chewy’s baked kibble recipes are a great option to support digestive health:

• High-protein kibble recipes are gently oven-baked
• Quality, highly digestible ingredient list with pure animal ingredients, healthy oils and fats , and certified organic fruits and vegetables
• Each piece of kibble is coated in our freeze-dried raw recipe, making for great palatability and including the benefits of raw in a sometimes more economical way.
• Added probiotics to support gut health
• Rich in omega fatty acids, which reduce inflammation, improve nutrient absorption and contribute to a healthy gut microbiome.

Our kibble recipes with and without grain contain responsibly sourced proteins that are grass-fed, cage-free, wild-caught, or farm-raised.
Whether grain-free or grain-inclusive dog food is easier to digest depends on the quality of the grains used in the recipe, and your dog’s unique needs. It’s best to ask your vet for a personalized recommendation for your dog, and learn about the differences between grain-free and grain-inclusive dog food.

Wholesome Grains Superblends Raw Blend

Our SuperBlends raw blend kibble is superfood-powered dog kibble, coated and blended with freeze-dried raw to support digestive health:

• Crafted with a blend of wholesome grains, superfoods, bone broth and probiotics
• Minimally processed and gently oven-baked in small batches
• Responsibly-sourced animal proteins
• Fiber, prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive health
• Omega-rich ingredients to support digestive health and a shiny coat

Grain-Free Raw Coated Kibble

Our grain-free raw coated kibble is gently baked and coated in raw goodness with added probiotics. Available in a variety of high-protein recipes including beef, chicken, duck, lamb, and whitefish with small breed and puppy options.

Raw Coated Kibble with Wholesome Grains

Our raw-coated kibble with wholesome grains is gently baked and coated in delicious freeze-dried raw. Guaranteed probiotics and pumpkin are added to promote gut health. Wholesome grains include pearled barley, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa. Available in beef, chicken, duck, lamb, salmon, and small breed recipes.

Grain-Free Raw Blend Kibble

Our grain-free raw blend recipes are raw-coated kibble with pieces of real freeze-dried raw. Each recipe contains added probiotics and a unique blend of high quality animal proteins for great taste, with red meat, poultry, and fish recipes available.

Raw Blend with Wholesome Grains

Our wholesome grains raw blend baked kibble is raw-coated kibble with pieces of real freeze-dried raw, with red meat and poultry recipes available. Guaranteed probiotics and pumpkin are added to promote gut health. Wholesome grains include pearled barley, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa. Each recipe contains added probiotics and a unique blend of high quality animal proteins for great taste.

Wet Dog Food

Wet dog food has a higher moisture content than dry dog food, which can help make digestion easier for dogs that don’t drink enough water on their own. Wet dog food also has lower overall carbohydrate content compared to kibble, which can help improve digestibility for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Whether wet food or dry food is easier to digest ultimately depends on the individual dog—the formulation and quality of ingredients are the most important things to look for in either format.

Our wet dog food products are wholesome and nutritious and made with high-quality ingredients:

• Stella’s Stew - human-grade dog food with whole muscle meat in nutrient-rich bone broth
• Stella’s Shredrs - shredded and diced muscle meat in broth boosted with vitamins and minerals
• Gourmet Pâté - smooth pâté made from whole muscle meat with chunks of meat mixed in
• FreshMade - gently cooked and frozen, made from fresh, human-grade ingredients

Our wet food recipes can be served as a complete meal or mixed with kibble to add hydration to your dog’s diet.

Learn more about supporting your dog’s digestive health through diet:

• Choosing the right protein for your dog
• Benefits of pumpkin for dogs