New Treatments Emerging for Dogs with IBS

IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is a medical condition where the intestinal muscles don’t function in the way they should, which causes constipation and diarrhea, and this condition is present in dogs around the world.

IBS is often categorized by repeated or chronic bouts of diarrhea that can be very painful, so research is progressing quickly to provide pain relief to dogs and an outcome for their owners. Recently, new treatments have been emerging for dogs with IBS that give hope for future cases, and this has caused a radical shakeup in how holistic therapy has started leading the way in this area.

Causes Of IBS In Dogs

As IBS in dogs is a motility disorder, meaning the intestinal muscles do not move in a typical way, the root cause of the illness is widely accepted to be based in food intolerance or stress. This suggests that a dog’s diet or daily routine could be some of the main causes of this condition. As dog breeders also increasingly breed dogs for profit, at the cost of potential health conditions in their litters, it is also more likely that these puppies will grow up into adult dogs who suffer with IBS.

However, despite this, it is clear that dogs in busier households, or those who are fed an incomplete or high sugar diet, may be worse affected by the symptoms of this condition. It is difficult, therefore, for vets to give a dog an IBS diagnosis, as these factors can trigger the same symptoms in other similar illnesses too. Diarrhea and constipation can also be caused by other diseases entirely, so IBS is diagnosed on an exclusionary basis, once other possibilities have been ruled out. Due to the influence of a dog’s routine on their symptoms and ultimate diagnosis, more and more vets are beginning to work holistically in their approach to recommending treatment, as changes to diet and day-to-day activities can play a huge part in their recovery.

Traditional Treatment

Traditional approaches to treating IBS in dogs have focused heavily on the established practices of veterinary medicine that are a result of how vets typically test for the condition. Testing often includes blood tests that can monitor the function of the pancreas, taking a feces sample to rule out bacterial infection, and an ultrasound of the abdomen. These checks can often result in a diagnosis of IBS but lend themselves to the treatment by traditional vets of prescribing medication and new foods that can lessen the symptoms of the disease.

Often these treatments include antidiarrheal medicines and diet changes to a food that is high in fiber. This higher fiber content reduces gut inflammation and stops diarrhea. While these subtle changes to a dog’s diet do come recommended by vets, they have remained consistent in their approach for a number of years, so research into this area has until now been fairly limited – research has typically focused on reducing the symptoms of IBS in dogs, such as diarrhea and constipation, without addressing the root cause of this condition.

Newly Emerging Treatments

Newly emerging treatments suggest that treating the actual condition of IBS in dogs directly, rather than prescribing medications or specific food to help lessen its symptoms, can be far more effective in the treatment of it and can leave dogs back to their bouncy, happy selves in no time. These holistic practices have grown in popularity in recent years, and provide a more compassionate alternative to traditional vets, with fluffy beds replacing stainless steel tables and natural remedies replacing typical medication.

For information on what to feed a dog with IBS, Native Pet’s guide offers a fantastic starting point, and their natural remedies have been changing the lives of dogs with IBS around the world. Their probiotic powder, for example, is a well-crafted blend of probiotics and organic prebiotics that is designed to promote good gut bacteria in dogs, relieving them of both acute and chronic diarrhea while creating a thriving environment for healthy flora.

New approaches like these from treatment providers who put finding the root cause of illness in dogs at the forefront, while highlighting the importance of leading the way with compassion, symbolize a changing shift in attitudes away from traditional veterinary medicine and towards holistic therapy. This is in turn promoting a culture that is frequently finding new treatments for dogs with IBS.

It is no surprise that dog owners around the globe are finding respite in the holistic therapies that are leaving their dogs happier and healthier following their IBS diagnosis. This condition can not only be debilitating to the dogs themselves, but also leave owners feeling helpless trying to find better treatments and cleaning up after a dog suffering with diarrhea can be time-consuming and stressful.

Through moving away from traditional veterinary treatments to addressing the root of an illness rather than its symptoms, holistic vets have made a huge amount of progress in a small time frame. This has led to great excitement for what’s to come by way of IBS treatment for dogs, and growing investment into this cause is now being seen around the world.

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