Does your dog have a rumbly tummy after eating certain foods?

It happens more often than you would think. Your dog may like to eat everything you offer, but these foods might not agree with his stomach. How do you know if your dog has a sensitive stomach? Signs include loose stools, bad gas, and occasional vomiting. They’re not just a pain for you, but for your dog as well. A change in diet can often help dogs with sensitive stomachs. But not so fast! Keep these tips in mind when you’re changing the diet of your pooch with a touchy tummy.

Go Slow

Changing your four-legged friend’s diet has to be done gradually. Otherwise, you’ll just cause even more digestive distress. Instead, transition to the new food by replacing a small portion of his current food with the new. Over the next few weeks, slowly increase the amount until he’s completely switched over to his new diet. It may take a couple of weeks on the new food before you see an improvement.

Back to Basics

Switch to a high quality dog food that uses minimal ingredients, like The Honest Kitchen's Dehydrated Limited Ingredient line. It offers your dog a complete, balanced diet, without any of the fillers and additives that can wreak havoc on a sensitive stomach. With just six ingredients per recipe, your pooch is getting all the good stuff to keep him healthy, and nothing that will upset his stomach.

Eliminate Allergens

A common cause of a sensitive stomach is a food allergy or sensitivity. Changing to a more hypoallergenic diet could cure your dog’s symptoms. Dogs commonly show a sensitivity to wheat, gluten, soy, and corn. There are a number of dog foods that leave out ingredients, so you’ll have plenty of choices. Of course, your dog still needs carbohydrates in his diet, so look for alternative carbohydrates in the ingredients, such as quinoa, sweet potato, oatmeal, and rice.

Plenty of Fiber

Fiber is one of the key nutrients for keeping your dog’s stomach quiet. Add a couple of spoonfuls of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) to your dog’s food to help regulate digestive issues. Or try a supplement, such as Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form. It has papaya leaf, plantain leaf, slippery elm, organic pumpkin seed, pectin, papain, and fennel, all of which are great for gastrointestinal upset.

Fat Content

Too much fat could be the reason behind your dog’s digestive problems. Check the nutritional information of his dog food; it should contain about 15 percent fat. Dogs need some fats in their diet to stay healthy, but excess fat isn’t good for a pup with a sensitive stomach.