Digestive problems in animals can be both messy and distressing, but as an owner, there are plenty of steps you can take to help relieve the symptoms and care for your pet. Diagnosing the cause of the issues is obviously important, but these tips will help provide some relief in the meantime.

Eliminating the cause

First and foremost, the cause of the problem should be identified and eliminated where possible to prevent any further upset. This might include checking for food allergies, checking for and eradicating parasites, clearing up infections or alleviating stress. Of course, this may not be an option where long-term or serious conditions that are causing gastrointestinal issues.

Relieving gastrointestinal symptoms

When your dog or cat develops digestive problems, they may experience a number of different symptoms, which will all require different treatments. Diarrhea may be helped with a low-fiber but digestible diet such as chicken breast with white rice, while pets with constipation may require additional fiber in their diet, or switching from dry to wet food. In serious cases, there are medications available to treat diarrhea and constipation, but these should always be cleared with your vet, and you should never give human medication to your dog or cat. In cases where gastrointestinal problems have created a blockage in the digestive tract, medical intervention may be necessary.

Replacing vital fluids

If your pet has been suffering from vomiting or diarrhea, they will be losing more fluids and be at risk or dehydration. Always make sure they have plenty of clean water available. Drinking more water may also help animals with constipation. In cases where your pet has not been able to keep water down, they may need medical intervention to replace fluids and electrolytes.

Pain relief

While the most important thing is making sure that the gastrointestinal issues are under control, you also want to make sure your pet is not suffering unnecessarily. You vet will be able to advise on the best option for your fur baby, though you will need to ensure that the pain killers do not mask a more serious problem.

Supporting healthy digestion

To aid in your pet’s digestive system, you may wish to consider dietary supplements. These can be given regularly as a preventative measure, or to restore balance after a bout of gastrointestinal distress. Supplements include vitamins and minerals that aid digestion and increase intestinal permeability, or prebiotics and probiotics to increase good gut flora.