PON Digestive Dilemma ?
| Regardless of what Auntie Wendy claims, she does NOT have
perfect PONS and her PONS as well as your PONS and the PONS of your online
friend's have gone through this dilemma at least once in life. Depending
on individual relationships, you may or may not mention it, but you will
never forget dealing with a double coated, long fur dog who has this sort
of problem. What in the heck causes this unpleasant digestive upset
? How can you prevent it from taking place again ?
The underlying causes of PON digestive upsets include: * A diet too high in fat and/or starch ( please read those dog food labels) * Lack of sufficient exercise * A gut reaction to foods which don't agree with your PON * Lack of liquids (make sure your PON always has access to water) * Ingested fur during high pollen days when your PON chews and swallows his own fur * Lack of enough dietary fiber (add pumpkin on a daily basis) * Not being able to go out during bad weather days or being left alone for long periods of time, being nervous during storms, etc. Emotional issues ! * Hormonal changes (oncoming heat, heat cycles, new PON moms) * Intestinal tumor/foreign bodies (including bones) * Adverse effects of prescription drugs * Poor functioning thyroid gland This list can go on and on, but these are the major causes of digestive upsets. What are the best methods of prevention ? First, make sure that your PON is on an appropriate diet which meets his/her individual needs. Avoid being influenced by others in this matter. If you have noticed that your PON has difficulties in digestion after consuming a too high protein-fat diet, don't wait. Switch to another dog food. Do your own research and consider joining PONS Diet and Nutrition Yahoo group and exchange advice with other PON owners. Click on the link to this group which is listed on the front page of this site. If you work full time and need to leave your PON home alone for several hours a day, make sure that your PON has access to water. After your arrival, be sure to walk your PON every day on a regular basis. Increase the amount of fiber to your PON's diet by supplementing with pumpkin and adding other veggies, such as green beans. Consider consulting with your vet for additional advice and testing if your PON continues to experience digestive upsets. You may also wish to add raw organic apple cider vinegar, which assists digestion, in addition to either yogurt/kefir, which provide good bacteria to your PON's digestive system. PON lovers who are in the middle of this dilemma, may have their hand on their phones or on the keyboard of their computers in order to contact us about remedies. Immediately, increase fiber (pumpkin - pure pumpkin with no sugar added), green beans, wild rice (also a good option) and sprinkle raw organic apple cider vinegar over your PON's food. Reduce the amount of protein/fat content/starch content in your PON's diet. You may need to switch to another dog food or consider home feeding . Seek the advice of your veterinarian who may need to do additional testing to determine if there is a foreign body (for example, a bone, small object, etc.) in your PON or thyroid or other hidden health issues. Don't wait for digestive upsets to take place. Make sure that you observe your PON'S bowel movements, remove small objects around the house and avoid diets which are too high in protein-fat. Common sense will help you raise healthy, happy PONS. |