It is normal for the level of acid in your stomach to decline as you get older.
Therefore people with low stomach acid typically experience bloating and indigestion after eating foods like red meat, fish, eggs and poultry.
The acid specifically helps to digest protein rich foods, by activating protein digesting enzymes called proteases. Your stomach produces hydrochloric acid as soon as some food enters it. By lowering the amount of acid in your stomach, they can put you at risk of stomach and intestinal infections, raising your risk of food poisoning and gastroenteritis. What Are The Symptoms Of Insufficient Stomach AcidĮach of the symptoms below may give you clues that your stomach is not producing enough acid:Īntacid medication does provide relief from heartburn and reflux but it can worsen all the other symptoms. Note that sometimes this can cause loose stools if your dog is not accustomed to it, so do any diet changes gradually to give the dog’s digestive system enough time to adjust. Add more liver into your pet’s diet because it is much richer in nutrients than muscle meat. If you chose a raw diet, then increase the amount of organ meat you’re feeding. These vitamins can be found in blueberries, apples, melon, spinach, celery, green beans, peas, carrots and pumpkin, all of which dogs can eat in moderation. You can add more fresh veggies and fruits to your dog’s diet that are rich in antioxidants like vitamins A, E and C and carotenoids. If you feed your dog commercial kibble or wet food, ensure that it is of the highest quality and vet recommended.
Familiarize yourself with these diets and how to do them properly to avoid malnutrition. If you’re suspicious of the commercial foods, try feeding the pupper more fresh foods, either homemade diet or raw. Processed foods can cause damage to the dog’s liver. This, in my opinion, is worth its weight in gold. If everything comes back normal, then you get peace of mind from normal blood work results. And if your dog is older than 5, have his bloodwork checked annually during his wellness visit. The bottom line is, if your dog has any of the above signs, then ask your veterinarian to run a blood chemistry panel. These can range from starting a liver protectant supplement and rechecking the ALT levels after a specified amount of time in otherwise apparently healthy animals, to recommending further testing in dogs that have additional signs of liver disease, such as jaundice, weight loss, lack of appetite, a large liver or vomiting. If elevated ALT is noted, then your veterinarian will make treatment recommendations for you. The more severe the damage, the higher the ALT levels rise in the blood, and these changes can be seen on routine lab work. When liver cells are damaged, they secrete a substance called alanine aminotransferase, ALT for short, into the blood. One of the best ways to monitor your dogs liver health is to have his blood tested once or twice a year. Once an individual has a healthy liver, the capillaries in the lungs will revert to their original size allowing the blood in the lungs to oxygenate, eliminating associated symptoms and curing the individual of HPS.įor more information on Hepatopulmonary Syndrome (HPS) please visit smoking cause hair loss? Secondary hair loss causeīecause the signs of liver failure in dogs can be missed so easily, it is recommended to have your dog monitored annually with a physical exam and routine bloodwork. The ultimate cure for HPS is a liver transplant. A common treatment option for HPS is supplemental oxygen. Most common symptoms of HPS include shortness of breath and difficulty breathing that is relieved when lying down. Low levels of oxygen in the blood have a major impact on the body. As a result of the dilated capillaries, the lungs are not able to provide the body with adequate amounts of oxygen, resulting in a condition known as hypoxemia. When the liver is severely damaged, the capillaries in the lungs become dilated, affecting the absorption of oxygen by the red blood cells. In the lungs, capillaries (small blood vessels that can be found throughout the body) play a crucial role in the oxygenation of the blood. Hepatopulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a condition that affects the lungs of people diagnosed with chronic liver disease.