The Dog’s Digestive System: Watch What Your Dog Eats!

I am constantly amazed at what a dog will ingest as most dogs are pretty indiscriminate about what they will eat. It is not unusual for puppies or adults to “snack” on sticks, bones, aluminum foil, dead animals, stools, Kleenex, bugs, holiday decorations, and garbage. They seem to relish those bad-smelling things that would repulse you and me. Those pets with a “cast iron” stomach appear unaffected, while other dogs will develop gastritis and/or enteritis from eating garbage, especially if they consume a few flavored indigestible ingredients along with the edibles.

A dog’s digestive system is an amazing mechanism that takes in food, then mechanically and ezymatically breaks down the food into simple nutrients that can be absorbed and used for energy or as building blocks for growth and repair. In its role as one of the key protective systems of a dog, the digestive lining must act as a defensive barrier against harmful bacterium and ingested toxins. Therefore maintaining a healthy digestive tract is paramount to your dogs overall health. And that includes keeping your dog away from dangerous but delicious (to him) snacks.

Dietary indiscretion, “garbage can” enteritis, or “garbage gut” are terms we use to describe the illness associated with “eating something they shouldn’t have.“ The symptoms of dietary indiscretion including attempts to vomit up the offending agent and/or diarrhea, both of which can be a way of clearing the intestines of the disagreeable item. Fortunately most cases are mild and of little concern; however, some dogs experience a serious life-threatening systemic illness.

Indiscriminate chewing and swallowing of non-dietary items falls into two categories. First are the solid objects called “foreign bodies” such as sticks, bones, rocks, and aluminum foil that cause physical damage and irritation to the stomach and intestinal linings. In rare cases the object can actually perforate the intestines or create a critical blockage requiring surgical removal.

The second type of dietary indiscretion involves the ingestion of spoiled, rancid, or contaminated foods, usually a dairy product, meat, or portion of a dead animal. The source of offending foods usually involves a trash can, compost pile or finding a juicy morsel during a walk. These offending cuisines contain harmful bacterium (Clostridium, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, Salmonellae and Bacillus) and/or potent toxins that can result in a case of food poisoning that can range from mild to fatal.

Raiding the garbage can for “snacks” has long been the past time of many dogs and is a common source for “Garbage Gut.” However, there is a growing incidence of serious compost pile associated illness. Inexperienced composters inadvertently put meat, dairy products and fat in their compost pile. The fermentation of the meat or dairy products in compost piles produces several toxins that can be very harmful to pets when ingested. The more serious cases are seen during periods of hot weather, which increases the microbiological flora/toxins in the food scraps. Unfortunately, some owners foolishly will feed their dog the bad-smelling meat from the refrigerator or freezer or the outdated milk.

Preventing “Garbage Gut”

Dietary indiscretion is a common problem and easily avoidable in most dogs.

• Keep a lid on the garbage can.
• Take special care to dispose of meat scraps and bones.
• Do not compost meat scraps. Also, “animal-proof” the compost pile.
• Do not feed bones of any type, especially pork chop or chicken bones. These bones can splinter.
• My rule of thumb is “If you would not eat it, don’t feed it to your pet!”
• Vomiting or diarrhea associated with “garbage gut” can be signs of a very serious problem, so always contact your veterinarian for professional advice.

Maintaining a healthy digestive system means more than just keeping your dog out of the trash, however. Here are some easy things you can do to keep the digestive system as healthy as possible:

Maintaining Digestive System Health

• Keep your pet free in intestinal parasites (worms) with routine fecal examinations.
• Feed a high quality, highly digestible diet.
• If giving snacks or treats, make sure they are not more than 5% of the total diet measured in calories.
• Avoid feeding fatty snacks that can upset the digestive system.
• Select your pets chew toys carefully; you don’t want anything small enough that it can fit entirely in your dog’s mouth, or that has small pieces that can break or be chewed off.
• Don’t tempt your pet by placing “goodies” (especially chocolate) in easily accessible areas of the house during the holidays.