Does Your Dog Have A Sensitive Stomach?

Does your dog have a sensitive stomach? This is a common problem that some dog owners face. In most cases, this can cause the dog to have health problems, such as throwing up or having diarrhea. We have faced this issue recently, but with dedication and some help from our vet, we got it under control quickly.

Around three months ago, we started using a different dog food, and Harley, our 3 year old Yorkie, started to get sick and have diarrhea. Naturally, we were concerned, for he only weighs 4 lbs., and he could lose weight or become dehydrated quickly. My husband contacted our vet's office to set up an appointment. Our vet examined him and concluded it was caused from having a sensitive stomach to certain foods. It came as a surprise to us when we found out Harley's stomach was sensitive because Petey, our Cairn Terrier, has an iron rod stomach and can almost eat anything with no problems. In fact, Harley's stomach is so sensitive that he gets sick if he eats anything other than specially selected dog food or healthy treats. Our vet discussed with us what actions to take to prevent this from happening again.

First, our vet told us to feed Harley a bland diet for a week to get his stomach feeling better. That included boiled chicken, vegetables and white rice. He, of course, loved every bit of that diet! During his "bland diet period, " our vet gathered some information on certain dog food brands that would work for sensitive stomachs and got back with us. That way, we got him on a healthy dog food as soon as possible. On our vet's suggestion, and the result of our own research, we decided to go with Blue Buffalo Basics.

Blue Buffalo Basics is a healthy, complete diet formulated with few ingredients to minimize sensitivities some dogs have with food, while maximizing the nutritional value. What sold us the most was it contains no corn, wheat, soy, dairy or eggs. These ingredients definitely played it's toll on Harley's poor little stomach. Plus, Blue Buffalo contains easily digestible carbohydrates and mix of veggies and fruits, which helps neutralize environmental toxins and build up his immune system. All in all, we felt very confident on feeding Harley this food.

So, the process began. We introduced Harley to his new food by gradually adding some of the Blue Buffalo to his bland diet, while decreasing the bland diet foods, until he was converted entirely to the new food. We switched his food in this manner because our vet mentioned the last thing you want to do is switch your dog's food in one quick motion. This could have a negative impact by upsetting your dog's stomach even more. By switching it gradually, it helps his system get used to the new food over a period of time.

Well, it's been over a month, and Harley is doing great! He has not been getting sick and has no diarrhea. In fact, he has gained some weight: he's up to 4.2 lbs! By meeting your dog's needs and making the right choice in a healthy and nutritional food, your dog will be healthy, and that makes everyone happy.

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