Why Your Pet’s Gut Health Is So Important

Gut health in pets is essential for wellness. The digestive system maintains important functions like energy levels, nutrition, bone and joint health, and stress levels. When the gut becomes imbalanced, one of the very first signs can be digestive upset. Pets that are experiencing gut problems will develop numerous short- or long-term health issues. 

To learn more about digestive problems in pets, check out “Common Gut Problems in Pets.” Read about issues like bloat in dogs, constipation in cats, causes of inflammatory bowel disease in both cats and dogs, and symptoms of parasitic infestation.

Gut problems can also appear spontaneously. During the holiday season, cats and dogs tend to consume foods that go against their dietary needs. Learn about the risks of high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar food groups and what types of problems they can cause for cats and dogs. Read “Why Holiday Food Is Dangerous for Your Pet.”

Our pet’s potty habits can offer a lot of insight into their health. Clear urine might mean that a pet is well-hydrated, but it can also point to more insidious health issues. Red urine, or urine that is tinged with blood, is commonly associated with a UTI or kidney stones. Foul-smelling urine can suggest issues like bacterial infection. Similarly, frequency and quantity of urine can provide clues about household habits, like whether a dog needs more potty breaks throughout the day. Read “What Your Pet’s Pee Says About Their Health” for more insights.

Lastly, poop holds major clues about what’s going on with your pet systemically. Watery stool is a strong indicator of major health issues like viruses, toxicity, intestinal blockages, foreign body, or parasites. Loose stool can occur without warning from a sudden change in diet, but might resolve after several days of bland meals. Hard stool is a key indicator of dehydration and constipation, and large quantities of stool might mean your pet is being overfed. To uncover more information about the different types of cat and dog poop, read “What Your Pet’s Poop Says About Their Health.”