THE IMPORTANCE OF GUT HEALTH FOR YOUR DOG

By Dr. Emma Bradbury PhD | Courtesy Cobber

What is gut health?

For dogs, just like humans their gut plays a major role in their immune system and good digestion. A healthy gut also helps maintain your dog’s overall health such as skin and coat, promote healthy weight and avoid smelly stools.

When we talk about gut health we are referring mainly to the small and large intestine of the dog. The reason that gut health is so important is because 70% of the body’s immune cells reside in the gut.

What is your dog’s microbiome?

Inside of your dogs’ gut there are trillions of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, yeast and protozoans that live there naturally. Collectively they make up the gut microbiome, a vital component of the body, that helps digest food, stop toxins and pathogens and boost their immune system to name a few. A healthy microbiome is crucial for your dog’s overall health

How gut health impacts on your dog’s overall health?

There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to gut health and the full impact that the gut microbiome has on your dog’s health, but early studies are promising and have some surprising benefits; to support the immune system and help your dog digest food and provide nutrients

How to look after your dog’s gut health?

Fortunately, there are a number of functional ingredients that can be included in your dog’s diet to keep their gut healthy and fighting fit.

Probiotics these are live bacteria, that when ingested can shift the bacterial population in the gut to increase the levels of good bacteria. As probiotics are a living organism it is very difficult to add these into manufactured kibble and are more commonly available as supplements.

Prebiotics these are specific types of fibres that can be fermented in the colon and create short chain fatty acids which acts as feed for the beneficial bacteria. Beet pulp and inulin or chicory and particular types of yeast are all examples of prebiotic fibres commonly found in dog food.

The Cobber range contains two types of prebiotic fibre; beet pulp and inulin to support your dogs gut health and are included in the diet at levels which are proven to be effective.

Cobber Working Dog and Cobber Complete Puppy are the only working dog feeds to exclusively contain Diamond V XPC®, a proprietary strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Diamond V XPC® provides unique bioactive compounds that have been shown to improve nutrient digestibility, support gut health and the immune system.