The Importance of Healthy Pet Digestion by Steven A Johnson

Have you ever wondered the process that your pet’s digestion takes in order to digest food? To your amazement there are many similarities and only a few differences between your and your pet’s digestive system! Canines have the capability to consume large amounts of food at once. They often will do this so they can rest in between meals, a process known in the wild as “gorging.” Their teeth are very different to human teeth because they are designed for ripping, tearing, shearing and crushing meat and bone. On the other hand, ours are flat molars mainly designed for grinding. Canines also tend to be very fast eaters, as they have inherited this behavior from their wild ancestors. The smell of food for a canine has far more importance than its taste. This behavior can be justified because canines have 80-220 million smell-sensitive cells compared to a humans 2-10 million.

In order for canine’s digestive system to work properly, it relies on its extraordinary, powerful function of the mouth, stomach, small and large intestines, aided by the liver and pancreas. The digestion process all begins in the mouth, where saliva aides the food that is consumed down to the esophagus. There is one important fluid called Chyme which easily flows to the small intestine where the pancreas and liver will assist in providing additional digestive enzymes. Those enzymes will then begin to assist in digesting protein, carbohydrate, and fat cells in your canine’s body. The small intestine eventually will absorb and transport nutrients into their bloodstream. After the nutrients have been taken and processed from the food it then moves into the large intestine to prepare for excretion from the rectum.

Canine’s have a very short digestive tract which helps them digest animal flesh and fat easily. This means they are often incapable of digesting large amounts of vegetation, grains and fibers. It is unfortunate that canine’s lack the Amylase Enzyme which causes carbohydrates to stick to their teeth leading to tartar build up. However they do have a very important chemical present in their saliva, lysozyme, that will destroy pathogenic bacteria. Another distinction between the two is that canines have a stronger acid in their stomach to help fight off bacteria. Another huge contrast between you and your canine is the need for Vitamin C. A canine has an advantage because of their capability of synthesizing Vitamin C in their liver.

Now that you are familiar with the complete cycle of pet digestion, you begin to realize how vital each step is when consuming foods properly. Carbohydrates are the main contributors for your source of energy. On the other hand your canine friend relies heavily on fats and proteins for energy. Pet digestion health products may be very beneficial in improving your pet’s overall health. Healthy Digestion for pets contains natural fiber which helps with digestion and assists with nutrient absorption from food. This product also helps promotes healthy weight management and healthy anal glands.