Best Dog Food for Gut Health: Improve Digestion

Are you looking to help your dog with their digestive issues? Maybe you want to give their immune system a boost. Either way, you want to find the best dog food for gut health.

Since about 70% of your dog’s immune system is in their gut, making sure your pup has a healthy gut is about more than just the quality and quantity of poop you have to pick up.

Keep reading to learn more about why gut health is so important for dogs, how to tell if your pup is having digestive problems, how to find the best dog food for gut health, and much more.

The Importance of Gut Health in Dogs

You probably don’t feel good when you’re experiencing gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, and the same goes for your dog. But the importance of gut health in dogs goes far beyond how they feel on a daily basis.

The Immune System Gut Health Connection

With 70% of your dog’s immune system living in their intestinal tract, their gut health directly affects and reflects their overall health. Poor gut health could indicate or cause a weakened immune system, making your dog more susceptible to illness.

Your dog’s gut microbiome directly affects their gut health. The gut microbiome includes trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, many of which assist with digestion. When the diversity of gut bacteria takes a hit, your dog can have digestive issues that are difficult to resolve.

In fact, poor gut health can cause a variety of issues, including allergies, weight gain, skin or coat problems, and even mood or behavioral changes.

Understanding the Canine Digestive System

Here’s a brief overview of your dog’s digestive system, how it works, and why it shows that dogs are designed to thrive on a raw meat-based diet rather than a highly processed, carb-filled kibble diet.

Starting with the mouth, you will find pointy teeth and a jaw that only moves up and down. This indicates a mouth specialized for ripping and tearing meat rather than grinding up plant matter. Herbivores, by contrast, have jaws that move in a circular motion and flat molars for grinding food.

Additionally, herbivores and most omnivores have amylase in their saliva, a digestive enzyme that begins breaking down starches in the animal’s mouth. Dogs lack salivary amylase, suggesting that they aren’t meant to get much nutrition from starch ingredients.

A dog’s stomach is highly acidic to kill any bacteria consumed with raw meat and can expand significantly and hold on to food for a while since dogs’ wolf ancestors often go long periods between kills (and therefore meals).

Finally, the intestines are relatively short, perfect for quickly extracting nutrients from meat before expelling waste after a large meal.

Your dog’s entire digestive system is perfectly tailored to the same raw diet as wolves, showing they should eat a similar raw diet.

Symptoms Indicating Poor Gut Health

Any of the following symptoms can show that your dog has poor gut health and may warrant a trip to your veterinarian:

• •Excessive drooling (can indicate nausea)

• •Bad breath (may be coming from your dog’s stomach rather than their mouth)

• •Gastrointestinal problems like constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, or bloating

• •Unexplained weight gain or loss

• •Appetite changes

• •Mood or behavior changes

• •Allergies

• •Recurrent infections

• •Dull coat or skin problems

Signs of Good Gut Health in Dogs

If your dog has regular bowel movements with normal stool consistency, a good appetite, and no signs of gastrointestinal distress, they likely have good gut health.

What Causes Sensitive Stomachs in Dogs?

Some dogs are just born with a more sensitive digestive system than other dogs. Antibiotics, a poor diet, colitis, pancreatitis, a malabsorption disorder, or other health issues can also cause a sensitive stomach.

If your dog has only recently begun having gut problems, it may be worth a trip to the vet to rule out a potentially serious health condition.

Signs of Sensitive Stomachs in Dogs

How can you tell that your dog has a sensitive stomach and needs a dog food for gut health? Here are some signs to look out for.

Gas

While some dogs have gas because they swallow a lot of air when they eat, gas can also mean that your pup is struggling to digest their food properly. In addition to smelling or hearing your dog’s farts, you might also hear gurgling in your gassy dog’s gut, which is another indication that all is not right with your pup’s digestive system.

Loose Stool or Diarrhea

If your dog’s stool is often squishy or runny, especially after even relatively minor diet changes, they may have a problem with their gut health. All dogs have loose stool or diarrhea occasionally, and it may resolve itself, but more than occasional diarrhea should concern you.

Vomiting

Dogs with digestive problems may vomit after a diet change, after eating too many treats, after going too long between meals, or many other problems. Dogs with healthy guts rarely vomit unless they are ill.

Change in Appetite

A lack of appetite may be caused by something as simple as a dog not wanting to eat because their food makes them feel unwell, but it can also be caused by some potentially serious medical problems, like an intestinal blockage, so contact your vet right away if your pup experiences a sudden, drastic change in their appetite.

How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs

No single food is best for all dogs with sensitive stomachs, so here are some things to look out for when you’re searching for the best dog food for gut health.

Protein Source

There are two reasons to pay attention to a food’s protein source: dogs should get the bulk of their protein from meat rather than plants, and some of the most common dog food allergies involve proteins like chicken and beef.

To address the first point, be on the lookout for dog foods with sneaky amounts of plant proteins high in the ingredient list, including peas, lentils, and chickpeas. Note that these ingredients are commonly found in grain-free kibble formulations, so these foods may contain less animal protein than grain-inclusive kibble or a raw diet.

The most common dog food allergens include chicken, chicken eggs, beef, dairy, soy, and wheat gluten. If you suspect your dog’s digestion issues may be due to a food allergy, choose a food that doesn’t contain any of those common allergens.

Quality of Ingredients

Did you know that generic “meat meal” can legally be made using road kill, euthanized pets, dead zoo animals, and animals that arrived at a slaughterhouse diseased, dying, disabled, or already dead? Known colloquially as “4D” meat, these low-quality ingredients can lead to dog food being recalled due to pentobarbital contamination, Salmonella outbreaks, and untold other problems.

When searching for food to help with gut health for dogs, choose named meats (like “chicken meal” rather than “poultry meal” or “beef” rather than “meat meal”).

Also, try to avoid foods packed with low-quality filler ingredients such as corn, wheat, barley, and dried beet pulp.

Life Stage Consideration

Some foods are specifically formulated for senior dogs, small-breed puppies, or large-breed puppies, while others meet the nutritional requirements for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large-breed puppies. Make sure the food you buy covers your dog’s current life stage.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help improve your dog’s gut health. While yogurt contains probiotics, the small amounts of yogurt that are safe to share with your dog aren’t enough to help with their digestion. A probiotic supplement designed for dogs, however, can be a great addition to your dog’s diet.

Prebiotics are soluble fibers that feed healthy gut bacteria, helping them thrive in your dog’s gut. 

Best Practices for Introducing New Foods to Dogs with Gut Health Issues

Any time you introduce a new food to a dog with gut problems, you should transition slowly from their old diet to their new diet. Start by feeding as little as 10% of their new diet with 90% of their old diet and see how their stomach handles that small amount of new food, then gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food every few days.

While dogs without sensitive stomachs should take about 10 days to transition to a new diet, dogs with gut health issues may need several weeks to make the transition slowly enough not to upset their delicate digestive system.

Canned pumpkin puree may help soothe digestive issues that may arise during the transition.

Comparing Commercial and Homemade Diets for Gut Health in Dogs

If you feel like you’ve tried every kibble on the market and your dog still has stomach problems, you may be tempted to start cooking for your dog yourself. If you decide to do this, you need to consult with an animal nutritionist to get a recipe that will provide your dog with all the nutrients they need.

Alternatively, you could try a complete and balanced raw diet like We Feed Raw. Our species-appropriate raw food is nutritionally complete for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large-breed puppies.

Our food is easy to digest because it’s what dogs are still designed to eat. The high moisture levels in our food also benefit gut health compared to dry kibble. And you don’t have to worry about your dog getting sick because we use a cold-pressure process to inactivate any potential pathogens, making our food safe.

Adding even some raw to your dog’s diet could greatly improve their digestive health.

The Role of Hydration in Supporting Gut Health in Dogs

Did you know that dogs should drink about one ounce of water per pound of their body weight each day? Kibble averages about 10% moisture, forcing dogs to get their water needs met by drinking from their bowl. On the other hand, We Feed Raw contains about 70% moisture, naturally helping your dog get more water in their diet (and into their digestive system) to help support a healthy gut.

Managing Acute Gastrointestinal Upsets in Dogs

Even dogs who don’t normally have digestive problems can have loose stools, diarrhea, or vomiting from time to time. If your pup experiences mild-to-moderate symptoms, you can try withholding all food and treats for 12-24 hours, then feeding a mixture of boiled turkey and 100% pure canned pumpkin puree.

Often, this is enough to clear up diarrhea within a day or two. If this bland diet doesn’t help within two or three days, or if your dog has other symptoms or severe intestinal distress, you should take them to the vet for emergency care.

We Feed Raw Is the Best Dog Food for Gut Health

Studies have shown that frozen raw dog food is easier to digest than any other type of food for dogs. That’s because looking at their digestive system shows that dogs are still designed to thrive on a raw meat diet rather than the carb-filled, highly processed kibble we’ve been giving them for less than 100 years.

We Feed Raw is nutritionally complete and balanced for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large-breed puppies (those that will weigh 70 pounds or more as adults). Additionally, we use a cold-pressure process to inactivate any potential pathogens, making our food safe for even the most sensitive stomachs.

Not sure raw is right for your pup? Check out these real reviews from We Feed Raw customers on Trustpilot:

“My dog was going down the path of prescription diets and an ever-growing amount of supplements and medications. We decided to try We Feed Raw, and after seeing that the food is formulated by a PhD animal nutritionist, his vet agreed. The first day after the switch, my dog's GI issues went away, and about a day in he stopped itching and shaking his head. About 4 days in, we noticed his coat was nicer and he had way more energy.” -Josh

“We have gone through a couple of different companies to find the right food to feed our 2 growing puppies. This food has made a big difference in them; they no longer have runny stools, they no longer itch or get ear infections, their coats are shiny, and their energy levels have improved. I recommend this food to anyone looking to transition, or switch their dogs to a healthier food.” -Kris

“My puppies LOVE this food. It has solved a host of tummy issues that even the vet couldn’t figure out. I am also so impressed with the customer service and support. They are here for whatever I need!” -Lori

To learn more about why We Feed Raw is the best dog food for gut health, click here. To take our quiz and start your dog on the life-changing benefits of raw, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What can improve dog gut health if my pet has a sensitive stomach?

Some things that can improve dog gut health include adding prebiotics and probiotics to their diet, giving your dog pumpkin puree daily for added fiber, and switching your dog to a raw diet.

Since dogs are biologically designed to process and extract nutrients from raw meat, it’s much easier for them to digest than highly processed kibble. In fact, a recent study showed that frozen raw dog food is easier to digest than freeze-dried raw, lightly cooked food, and kibble.

How does diet influence dogs' gut health?

A healthy gut is dependent upon a thriving gut microbiome, and highly processed kibble does nothing beneficial for the variety and abundance of healthy bacteria in your dog’s intestinal tract. Additionally, kibble is high in carbs, which are difficult for dogs to digest.

On the other hand, a raw diet is much more digestible than kibble. While We Feed Raw uses high-pressure processing (HPP) to inactivate potentially harmful pathogens, evidence suggests that some beneficial bacteria survive HPP and help improve your dog’s microbiome.

What are some common indicators of compromised gut health dogs might show?

Signs of compromised gut health dogs might show include:

• •Excessive drooling

• •Bad breath 

• •Constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, or bloating

• •Unexplained weight gain or loss

• •Appetite changes

• •Mood or behavior changes

• •Allergies

• •Recurrent infections

• •Dull coat or skin problems

Are there specific foods recommended for gut health for dogs with sensitive stomachs?

The best food for gut health for dogs with sensitive stomachs is a complete and balanced raw diet that uses high-pressure processing to inactivate potentially harmful pathogens.

Raw dog food is easier to digest than kibble because it’s what dogs are biologically designed to eat. They aren’t meant to eat carb-filled kibble that’s been cooked at high temperatures, which is why so many kibble-fed dogs struggle with their gut health.

What factors should pet owners consider when addressing gut health in dogs with diet changes?

When addressing gut health in dogs with diet changes, pet owners should determine whether their dog is dealing with a food allergy, consider giving their pup a probiotic supplement, and switch their dog to an easy-to-digest raw diet.