We all know that there are people with celiac disease, who have gluten intolerance, an ingredient present in many foods, especially in flours and products with carbohydrates. However, there are very few people who know that there can be celiac dogs, who also have this intolerance, so they suffer from stomach problems when eating foods that contain gluten.
Many dogs have allergies to some ingredients and food intolerances. The celiac dog It is something rare and has a genetic component, so if we know that the parents have this problem, our dog may have it too. Although we do not always know what pathologies the parents of our dogs had, which makes it more difficult for us to identify the problem.
First signs of celiac disease
A celiac dog can have certain symptoms that are very general and therefore can be confused with many other diseases or problems. The dog will have a hair with little shine or that even falls if the problem lasts in time, since it does not ingest the nutrients it needs. In addition, celiac dogs that eat gluten can have stomach pains, diarrhea, or vomiting. You will end up with weight loss and apathy from weakness. These symptoms are of many other problems, from gastritis to a virus. That is why on many occasions the way to conclude that it is a celiac dog is by ruling out other more common diseases.
It is essential in this problem to detect it in time. The celiac dog does not absorb nutrients well because gluten damages stomach villi and prevents nutrients from leaking out of food. That is why the dog can lose weight and end up tired and with little energy. It is necessary to know if you have this intolerance or another problem because in the long run you will end up having a great problem of malnutrition that will lead to other health problems.
Other symptoms that may occur in the celiac dog is itchy anus. The dog will lick and scratch against the ground to relieve dryness and itchiness in this area. It is an activity that they usually do if they have worms, hence everything can be confused and the intervention of a professional is necessary. These dogs can also have inflamed nostrils and have breathing problems.
Dog diagnosis
It is important to take the dog to a veterinarian if we see these symptoms, because the longer we take to start treatment, the weaker the dog will be due to the lack of nutrients. Stomach viruses or problems such as gastritis will be ruled out at the vet. In addition, once we have described the symptoms, it is usual for the vet to do some blood, stool, and urine tests to determine what the problem is. Sometimes they may even do an abdominal X-ray to rule out other problems.
Treatment of the celiac dog
In general, when there are stomach problems, veterinarians recommend a specific diet for the dog recover. If they suspect that he may be celiac, he will prescribe a specific gluten-free diet for at least a month so that we can see the evolution of the dog. It is usual that we are giving prepared feed to the dog, since it is usually the easiest way to feed them. In veterinarians there are high quality feed for specific problems, so we can ask the veterinarian to recommend a feed.
On the other hand, if we give natural foods to the dog, we must avoid some that can do a lot of harm to them. Foods with wheat flour, barley, oats, rye, soybeans, food starches, cold cuts, pasta, semolina or pickles. There are many foods that can contain gluten, so in principle it is best to buy formulated feed for dogs with this problem. With natural food you have to be more careful, since gluten is in many foods. To make some food for dogs, you can always go to the sections of supermarkets where gluten-free foods are sold, in which this quality is indicated. Today this is a common disease in many people, so many foods already indicate whether or not they have gluten. In this way we have easier to avoid them and develop a suitable diet for our dog.
Breeds prone to celiac disease
There are some breeds that can develop this disease more easily because they have a genetic predisposition. In each breed there are some diseases that have been passed from generation to generation and that is why dogs are more prone. Before having a breed, we can look for the most common diseases to be aware of possible symptoms. This does not mean that they cannot have other diseases, only that they are more likely to suffer from some. In this case, the dogs that tend to be celiac are the Irish Setter and Samoyed. If we have either of these two races we must be attentive to stomach and skin problems. Given the symptoms described, you have to go to the vet and describe in detail all the symptoms that the dog suffers.
Feed the dog
If the dog has become a malnourished dog because we have been slow to find the problem, we must always be careful with their diet. Feeding a malnourished dog is tricky, because his stomach will still have a hard time assimilating food. A good recommendation is to feed the dog in small doses during the day. Avoid food holdups, as it will be much more difficult for your stomach to digest large amounts of food. This way, the dog will gradually regain its weight and with the new diet the nutrients will be prevented from being discarded as they did when having gluten intolerance. This diet in the celiac dog must be carried for life, so you have to get used to the idea that you will not be able to give any food or treat even if you ask us, because it can hurt the stomach.