Healing Your Dog’s Gut Protocol

1. REMOVE

Eliminate all potential triggers by identifying problem foods:

Elimination Diet:

• Remove all proteins, carbohydrates, and fats your dog has consumed in the past six months.
• Maintain this elimination diet for 2-3 months (timing varies based on symptom severity).

Food Sensitivity Testing:

• Identify specific foods that may be causing an adverse reaction.
• Best if used as a general roadmap, rather than a definitive result as false-positive and false-negative results are common.

Foods to Eliminate:

• Common food sensitivities in dogs are chicken, beef, dairy, and wheat. True food allergies only affect about 3.5% of dogs.
• Histamine-releasing foods, such as fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, and canned fish, can trigger inflammation in your dog’s body.

3. REINOCULATE

Introduce beneficial bacteria to support gut health.

Probiotics: Beneficial organisms that strengthen the gut’s microbial community and create conditions where existing healthy bacteria can flourish.

Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT):

• A treatment that transfers stool from healthy dog donors to restore gut balance in dogs with digestive issues.
• FMT capsules introduce a diverse community of beneficial bacteria and replenish your dog’s microbiome with the right bacteria in the right proportions.

2. REPLACE

Introduce healthier alternatives and establish a strategic eating pattern.

Developing a Rotation Diet:

• Work with a professional to create three distinct diets with different protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources to feed in rotation.
• Ensure all diets exclude identified allergens/sensitivities.
• Continue diet rotation for 3-6 weeks (up to 12 weeks in severe cases).

Diet Recommendations:

• Nutritionally complete homemade meals are preferred for complete ingredient control.
• Cook foods slowly at low temperatures to prevent advanced glycation end products (AGEs) created by high-temperature cooking methods.
• Limit treats to ingredients included in the day’s rotation diet.

Monitoring Progress:

• Keep a detailed food journal to track reactions. Sensitivities may take up to 3 days to appear.

4. REPAIR

Support gut healing by gradually introducing supplements.

Key Supplements:

• Saccharomyces boulardii: Controls diarrhea, stimulates secretory IgA production to help immune system, regulates microbiome and gut motility  (the movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract).
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Reduces inflammation and regulates microbiome.
• L-glutamine and zinc carnosine: Support gut healing.
• Herbal combinations: Slippery elm powder, marshmallow root powder, and licorice root.