As a dog owner, it is important to be aware of the state of your dog's gut health. By doing so, you can be proactive in preventing bad gut health and take action as soon as you notice that something might be wrong, rather than visiting the vet when your dog has already developed an issue.

Here is a list of symptoms and changes in the behaviour of your dog that might indicate bad gut health:

Frequent vomiting (especially in the morning):

Repetitive, forceful vomiting usually indicates an issue with the stomach or partially digested food coming back up into the esophagus; if your dog vomits once and then stops, that often is normal. If, however, they vomit more than once in a row and cannot stop themselves, this is probably a problem with the stomach and the food there. Upsetting your dog's stomach too often can also cause bad gut health in the form of diarrhoea or even constipation.

Diarrhoea 

Have you noticed that your dog's stool contains blood, mucus or undigested food? This usually indicates that there is something wrong with the digestion process. Having one instance of this isn't usually anything to worry about; however, if it happens repeatedly, then there might be a problem with their gut health.

Constipation

Does your dog's stool seem hard and dry, or have a very low frequency? This might indicate that your dog is constipated. Constipation can be caused by dehydration, being overweight, not enough exercise, some medications and bad gut health.

Changes in weight or loss of weight

Has your dog lost weight? Weight loss can occur even if you feed your dog according to the recommended guidelines. Weight loss can be caused by a number of things, and it is possible that your dog might experience problems with the digestive tract, meaning that they cannot absorb all the nutrients in their food.

Abdominal pain

Symptoms of abdominal pain can be pawing at the belly, whining while resting on the side, avoiding physical activity, being relatively quiet, not jumping up to greet you as usual or having a lack of interest in food or treats. Abdominal pain may indicate many things, but it is usually the first symptom of issues with one's gut health. 

Now that you know what to look for, it's time to discuss the question of what you can do to make sure that your dog doesn't have bad gut health or at least how to treat it. If your dog is showing these symptoms, it might have bad gut health and you should visit the veterinarian for a check-up.

To read more about how you can help improve your dog's gut health, read our blog here.

Note: This information is not meant to substitute the advice of a veterinarian. If you suspect your dog may be ill consult with your vet before treating it in the case that it's something more serious.