Certified Veterinary Homeopathy by Dr. Glen Dupree

In the last article we talked about the importance of a species appropriate diet based on a variety of fresh foods in the preservation and maintenance of health. However, this approach to diet can provide the pet with optimal nutrients but maybe not with optimal nutrition.

Maintaining a proper plane of nutrition depends on two factors - proper nutrients supplied to the individual and the individual's ability to assimilate the nutrients.

The individual's ability to assimilate the nutrients depends in turn on the efficiency of the organs of digestion - starting with the mouth, teeth, and salivary glands through the stomach and intestines, with the aid of the accessory organs of digestion like the liver and pancreas. The efficiency of the organs of digestion depends in part on the actions of the lowly bacteria in the gut.

Yes, for all the high tech razzle dazzle of modern medicine, one of the most important factors in the maintenance of health is the simple bacteria of the digestive tract. This is also one of the most overlooked parts of a proper health maintenance program.

Inadequate populations of the proper bacteria, colonization of the gut by improper varieties of bacteria, yeast overgrowths, and/or the subsequent inflammation of the semi-permeable basement membrane in the intestines can lead to a condition known as dysbiosis/Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Dysbiosis has been a favorite topic in the alternative fields of human medicine for years. The effect of dysbiosis in the pet population is every bit as dramatic and devastating as it is in the human population.

A quick search of the literature implicates dysbiosis as a contributing factor in many diverse health issues, in both the human and the non-human populations. Among the syndromes/diseases thought to be influenced directly or indirectly by dysbiosis are learning disorders/hyperactivity (and if you don't think this exists in the pet population, spend a little time with a chocolate lab or a Jack Russell puppy - and if you like those two breeds don't feel slighted, I could have named several others who tend to be just as hyperactive), immune deficiencies, behavioural anomalies, joint pain/arthritis, nutritional deficiencies, a myriad of stomach and intestinal disorders, allergies (itchy skin), autoimmune diseases, seizure disorders, asthma/respiratory difficulties, breast and colon cancer, liver disorders, cardiovascular disease, cystitis/bladder inflammation, dry eyes, weight gain or loss, periodontal disease, body odors, and bad breath.

The causes of dysbiosis can be as diverse as the results of dysbiosis. The primary named factor is the use of antibiotics which kill the beneficial as well as the pathogenic bacteria in the body. Other equally common factors include the use of corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), over processed foods, food colorings and preservatives, stress, endotoxemia from colic, ingestion of extraneous and toxic chemicals, and parasitism.

A brief (and simplified) review of the properly working digestive tract may explain how easily things can go awry. Ingested food is immediately prepared for digestion by chewing (more or less depending on the species) and by the reactions with the enzymes in saliva. In the stomach, the food is exposed to an acid environment and to the digestive enzymes of the accessory organs of digestion. This chemical digestion continues in the small intestine where it is aided by bacterial degradation. Once the food is adequately digested, the basement membrane of the intestinal mucousa selectively filters the ingesta and absorbs the smaller, simpler components. The remainder is either further digested and absorbed or is eliminated through the large intestine.

If the environment of the digestive tract is altered by any of the above named causes of dysbiosis (or any other cause not listed), the process of digestion is altered. The pH will change, the bacteria responsible for the proper digestion of the ingesta will change, there will be an increase in the non-beneficial bacteria and in yeast colonies, the basement membrane will become inflamed, and it will begin leak so that larger and more complex substances are absorbed into the blood stream.

These large complex substances are antigenic and/or allergenic and set the stage for the diverse array of symptom complexes named above.

So what does this mean for the average pet? It means that very commonly early in life the pet is treated with antibiotics (either topically or systemically) for minor rashes or topical infections. Corticosteriods or the NSAIDs are commonly used in conjunction with antibiotics. (Think back - have you ever had a puppy with an ear "infection" or a skin rash? How was it treated?).

Now combine this with the feeding of over processed commercial foods - foods which come with a whole alphabet soup of preservatives and colorings. These foods also contain complex proteins. The simple proteins of raw meat have been altered by cooking, pressure treatment, and being combined with plant proteins, all of which increase their size and complexity

This sets the stage very early in life for many of the common ailments we see in our mature to aged pet population.

I watch this play out daily in practice. My days are filled with dogs and cats suffering from chronic debilitating disease which has either been caused by or potentiated by their diet and gut dysfunction.

The recognition of the effects of dysbiosis means that we can often intervene more quickly to prevent the onset or progression of debilitating symptom complexes by using probiotics (live cultures of beneficial bacteria innocula) and other digestive aids/normalizers in our pets who are receiving medicines. We can also help by removing processed, chemical laced foods from their diets.

It also means that we can treat many so called diseases at the level of their cause, and not just at the level of the result. The first step in treating many, if not most, chronic debilitating disease complexes is to correct gut function - repopulate with the proper bacteria, calm the inflammation, overcome the yeast overgrowths, remove the endotoxins produced by the incorrect bacteria, and support the accessory organs. Then remove processed foods from the diet and feed a species appropriate diet of simple fresh foods.

Approached from this level, many symptoms will disappear and the patient will feel better without having to resort to more heavy handed medicines. And for the patients who still display some symptoms, their complaints are generally much easier to manage than if they were being fueled by the toxins of dysbiosis.

Normalizing gut function may not be very high tech or very flashy, but it is the best initial therapy for most of our sick pets.

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