Allergies are one of
the most commonly diagnosed health issues in dogs. Conventional medicine
only looks at the dog’s symptoms. Researchers are studying something called the
microbiome and finding out why most conventional allergy treatments fail.
Good Health Starts in The Gut
The microbiome is a
colony of bacteria that live throughout your dog’s body and plays a
key role in your dog’s immune system function. Most allergy drugs, diets, and
treatments will not work in the long run – they all harm the delicate balance
in his microbiome, which makes him more likely to
suffer from allergies and other autoimmune diseases.
The Key Functions of Microbiome
The bacteria in
your dog’s microbiome help manufacture important nutrients, help with the
absorption of nutrients, regulate the immune system, and strengthen the gut
lining.
6 Causes of Microbiome Damage:
- Antibiotics - The problem with
antibiotics is that they indiscriminately kill both harmful and friendly
bacteria.
- NSAIDS, Drugs,
and Chemicals inhibit the growth of friendly bacteria.
- Steroids suppress the immune
system and can lead to a proliferation of harmful bacteria.
- Vaccines disrupt the immune
system and inhibit the growth of friendly bacteria.
- Stress will make him more
susceptible to an imbalanced microbiome.
- Diet - Dogs eating processed
diets or diets high in carbohydrates (and any kibble on the market will be
high in carbohydrates) will have unbalanced gut flora. Carbohydrates, feed harmful bacteria. Grains and carbohydrates will also cause an
overgrowth of fungus and yeast.
Leaky Gut: A New Epidemic
When the bacteria in
the microbe become unbalanced, the result is called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis can
create or worsen allergies through something called leaky gut. Leaky gut is
just what it sounds like – holes can develop in your dog’s gut lining, allowing
the intestinal contents to “leak” into the bloodstream.
The lining of the gut
becomes irritated and inflamed when dysbiosis occurs. This
inflammation causes the cells lining the intestines to separate. When this
happens, bacteria, fungus, and undigested food start to leak into the
bloodstream. Undigested proteins are not supposed to be in the bloodstream.
When they do enter it, the immune system ramps up and attacks and
neutralizes them and can cause the body to create antibodies against
itself, which is the cause of autoimmunity and allergies.
Leaky gut does not
just cause allergies, it is the root cause of a myriad of common health
issues including joint pain, thyroid disease, heart disease, nervous
system and eye disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, collapsing trachea and
laryngeal paralysis, liver, gallbladder, and pancreatic disorders, behavioral
issues (your dog’s gut and brain communicate via the endocrine system), and cancer.
Leaky gut is one of the most significant and preventable diseases in dogs.
Getting to the Root Cause
It never a good idea
to feed your dog prescription allergy diets because they’re loaded with
carbohydrates and preservatives, which will only harm the microbiome and worsen
the leaky gut. If you really want to rid your dog of his allergies for good,
stop treating his skin and immune system – and start treating his
gut!
10 Steps to Help Prevent and Repair Leaky Gut:
- Stop the drugs and medications: Find a good
holistic or homeopathic vet who can get your dog off the toxic flea meds
and drugs.
- Never give an unnecessary vaccine:
- Reduce your dog’s stress: If he is home alone, get
him a companion or take him to daycare.
- Stop feeding kibble: Kibbles require at least 30%
carbohydrate which fuel harmful bacteria.
- Stop feeding processed foods: Processed foods
contain preservatives, genetically modified ingredients (such as alfalfa,
soy, corn, and canola oil) and colors that harm the microbiome.
- Feed your dog organic foods: Organic vegetables
will be free of harmful pesticides and organic meats will be free of
antibiotics.
- Give your dog’s probiotics to help recolonize the
friendly bacteria. These can come from foods such as kefir and fermented
foods, and from store-bought probiotics.
- Give your dog prebiotics to feed probiotics.
- Give you dog digestive enzymes to help break food down
so its nutrients are absorbed. Leaky gut causes these enzymes to stop
working so they need to be added back into the diet. Grains and legumes
also inhibit digestive enzymes so remove those from your dog’s diet (and
stop feeding kibble because the enzymes in the food have all been killed
during the processing, making your dog enzyme deficient).
So, if you are
frustrated with your dog’s allergy treatments, start treating his gut
instead. As long as those undigested proteins and harmful bacteria leak
through your dog’s gut, his immune system will be kicked into overdrive and his
allergy symptoms will remain.
Those allergy drugs,
anti-itch creams and fancy allergy kibble do nothing but kick the beehive – so
treat your dog’s leaky gut today and fix his allergies at the source.