Improving Canine Gut Health With Proper Nutrition

About 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates – the Father of Modern Medicine – was said to have claimed that all disease begins in the gut. In much more recent history, the gut has become a focus of overall health as well as disease prevention and treatment for humans, but what about for dogs?

Research shows that a dog’s gut is just as important to the animal as it is to humans. In a recent article published in “Frontiers of Veterinary Science,” researchers Rachel Pilla and Jan S. Suchodolski of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University, wrote: “The gut microbiome contributes to host metabolism, protects against pathogens, educates the immune system, and, through these basic functions, affects directly or indirectly most physiologic functions of its host.”

In other words, the hundreds of different types of beneficial bacteria and microbes in a dog’s gastrointestinal tract are critical to the dog’s overall health.

As pet food companies consistently strive to improve the quality of ingredients in their products to improve the health of customers’ beloved pets, many are focusing their efforts on gut health for obvious reasons.

NutriSource Pet Foods is one such company.

The company’s Good 4 Life mineral, prebiotic and probiotic supplement system focuses on the gut with the goal of improved digestion, nutrition utilization, cognitive and brain function, and skin and coat health.

“Good 4 Life supports proper absorption of the nutrients that matter to assure the pet’s body is adequately prepared to defend itself against infection and disease. Gut health and proper immune function are inextricably linked,” said Darren Fujii, CGO/National Sales Manager of NutriSource Pet Foods. “Disease begins in the gut. Conversely, so does good health. Good 4 Life works from the inside out to provide perfect results.”

This month the company is taking nutrition and health to the next level with the introduction of its new high-animal protein Element Series line for dogs. Element comes in four animal-protein packed recipes each containing at least 83 percent animal protein in response to consumers’ desire for a high quality, high animal protein option, while still maintaining the company’s focus on gut health with Good 4 Life Plus.

Fujii said the Element Series offers an advanced diet for canine companions, adding that it allows the brand to “bring together the best elements of nature’s intention with cutting-edge nutritional concepts. It’s all part of our mission to provide your pet with unsurpassed gut health and support whole-body health.”

To further support digestion and nutrient utilization in this new line, Element is introducing Good 4 Life Plus, developed specifically for high animal protein diets. Good 4 Life Plus features Alltech Animal Nutrition’s NVGEN, a proprietary blend which includes prebiotics specifically formulated to feed the gut microbiome. It combines mannan rich fractions, yucca schidigera and yeast extracts designed to optimize the microbiome necessary for full utilization of a high animal protein diet.

According to Alltech’s Global Pet Director Dr. Juan Gomez, “These bio-active compounds derived from specific fractions of yeast cells contribute to a more diverse and healthy microbial population, positively affecting the pet’s physiology.”

With nutrients that positively influencing the gut microbiome, the high quality food provided by NutriSource’s Element Series can be a cornerstone for a dog’s overall health.