{"id":191679,"date":"2023-08-24T22:45:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T19:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fendaf.ee\/uncategorized-et-en\/seedeprobleemid-lemmikul\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T00:01:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T22:01:31","slug":"dog-digestive-problems-food-or-enzymes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fendaf.ee\/en\/health\/dog-digestive-problems-food-or-enzymes\/","title":{"rendered":"Digestive problems in pets: is the cause in the food or in the enzymes?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dogs with digestive problems come to our showroom quite often. Some owners have tried one food after another, yet their dog still has loose stools, gas or unpleasant-smelling faeces. Others describe an almost overnight improvement after changing food. One small visitor’s owner told us that Winner Plus Salmon Mini Holistic suited their dog’s previously sensitive digestion. It is a welcome experience, but it does not mean the same food will solve every animal’s digestive problems.<\/p>\n

Irene once noticed something else with Peku. After she changed his food, the amount of faeces changed noticeably. When she tried another recipe later, it decreased further. Such observations are useful because they show how an individual animal responds. However, a smaller stool volume does not, by itself, prove that a food is better. Moisture, fibre, calorie intake and the composition of the food all matter.<\/p>\n

The question is therefore not only what to feed. We first need to understand why digestion is disturbed: is it the food’s composition, the body’s ability to break it down, or something entirely different?<\/p>\n

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Digestion does not begin with a supplement jar<\/h2>\n

Food travels from the stomach into the small intestine in several stages. In the stomach, acidity and pepsin start breaking down proteins. In the small intestine, pancreatic proteases, lipase and amylase are involved, while bile helps with fat digestion. These processes must work together with the intestinal lining and microbiome. None operates in isolation.<\/p>\n

That is why stools that look similar may have very different causes. Soft stools and gas may follow a sudden diet change, food intolerance, parasites, infection, certain medicines, chronic intestinal disease or impaired pancreatic function. Stress and eating behaviour also play a role. “Sensitive digestion” describes a problem, not a diagnosis.<\/p>\n

When is a lack of digestive enzymes a real problem?<\/h2>\n

One important example is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI. With EPI, the pancreas does not produce enough enzymes to break down food. A typical combination is weight loss despite a good or even increased appetite, together with large amounts of soft, sometimes particularly smelly stool. Some animals also develop vitamin B12 deficiency. EPI cannot be diagnosed by looking at the stool alone: dogs are tested with a blood test for trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI), and cobalamin levels may also be checked.<\/p>\n

EPI is a case in which enzyme supplementation is an essential part of treatment, not a fashionable extra. Under veterinary guidance, pancreatic enzymes are given with meals, and the diet and B12 status are adjusted when necessary. In contrast, it has not been demonstrated that routinely giving enzymes to every healthy dog improves long-term health or prevents organ disease. The claim that all dogs need supplements because modern food “overworks the pancreas” goes beyond the evidence.<\/p>\n

What about natural enzymes in food?<\/h2>\n

Fresh foods naturally contain enzymes, and heating can reduce their activity. But it is a leap to assume that the presence of food enzymes necessarily improves digestion. Many protein-based enzymes in food are broken down in the stomach or do not reach their intended site of action in an active form. Choosing raw or cold-pressed food alone does not mean the animal no longer needs to make its own enzymes.<\/p>\n

Karen Becker’s integrative approach places value on minimally processed food, a digestion-supporting diet and, when appropriate, animal-derived enzymes. The useful question is what the whole organism needs. Still, a hypothesis must be distinguished from proven treatment: the idea of universally “sparing” an animal’s own enzyme production and thereby improving health has not been adequately demonstrated.<\/p>\n

In some cases, carefully handled pancreatic tissue can be used in EPI treatment. That is not the same as offering any raw organ to every dog. Microbial risks, dosage and efficacy require veterinary guidance.<\/p>\n

If the problem continues, what should you investigate?<\/h2>\n

Start with an observation diary. For a few days, record foods and treats, quantities, stool consistency, vomiting, gas, body weight, medication and possible stressful situations. To see whether a particular diet is more suitable, change as few factors as possible at once. Constant rapid switching can make the picture harder to interpret. And do not expect a food to work miracles in a couple of days.<\/p>\n

For dogs with chronic intestinal problems, a diet trial is often a sensible first treatment step. The evidence-based 2026 ACVIM consensus recommends therapeutic diets tailored to the condition and enough time for each dietary trial. That does not mean all dogs need the same food or that diet changes should be feared. It means trials should be deliberate and their results monitored.<\/p>\n

If digestive problems come with weight loss, blood in the stool, repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain, lethargy or signs of dehydration, do not wait until the next bag of food. Puppies, older animals and those already ill may need particularly prompt care. Not every digestive disorder can be resolved with nutritional advice.<\/p>\n

FendaF’s practical question<\/h2>\n

When a dog improves after a food change, ask two things: what exactly changed, and what stayed the same? Was it the protein source, fat content, fibre, portion size or treats? That is how a change in diet becomes useful evidence rather than a miracle attributed by chance.<\/p>\n

For me, the underlying cause remains the priority. Enzymes, probiotics and other supplements may help in certain situations, but they should not replace the question of why the animal is unwell. When a warning light comes on in a car, covering it up does not fix the fault. Digestion is much the same, except that we need to work out which system actually needs attention before attempting a “repair”.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/h2>\n