To understand a leaky gut better, we will explain here exactly what it is. Some people confuse a leaky gut by thinking holes form in the gut lining, but this isn’t true. A leaky gut is when the tight junctions of the gut lining stay open more frequently than they should. The tight junctions of the gut lining usually open and close during digestion. The opening of the junctions are important to allow vital nutrients to pass through into the bloodstream. Science has discovered that a hormone called Zonulin can cause these tight junctions to stay open more frequently allowing for harmful toxins to pass from the gut into the bloodstream. 

Too much Zonulin also causes inflammation, so it’s important to reduce Zonulin levels and tackle the inflammation issue also.

There are several actions you can take to reverse a leaky gut in your dog. Here are our suggestions to help support you.

1. Reduce the inflammation of your dog’s digestive system. Bone broth is perfect for this. The amino acids found in bone broth help to reduce inflammation, therefore getting your pup onto regular servings of broth can really help to restore their digestive health.
2. Avoid giving your dog carbohydrates and gluten. These two food types have been linked to an increase in the hormone Zonulin, so focusing on reducing these in your dog’s diet will help to support their recovery from leaky gut.
3. Support your dog’s diet with probiotics. You can either buy our kefir water for pets, which is a natural probiotic, or you can find a supplement. Do speak to your vet about what is best for your dog, particularly when buying supplements.
4. Make sure your dog is getting plenty of exercise. Exercise helps to increase your dog’s metabolism and will support their weight, particularly if you have found your dog has gained weight.
5. Do not give your dog any of your food. Sometimes it can be tempting to give your dog some of your own treats, but it’s always best to stick to giving your dog specific treats made for dog’s.

Always remember that dog’s process food differently to humans. Whilst we have a very similar anatomy, dog’s use fat as their main source of energy whereas humans use sugars as our main source of energy. Giving your dog any sugars, or a diet high in carbohydrates can lead to all sorts of digestive health problems, including leaky gut as outlined above.

It’s always best to discuss issues with your vet before you start to change their diet or offer added.