Integrating Custom Recipes into Medical Programs for Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)- AKA, Chronic Enteropathy (CE):

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What We Know About IBD

At any age, inflammatory bowel disease or chronic enteropathy, mysteriously, causes the body’s immune system to attack the lining of the stomach, intestines, and/ or the colon as if the cells were foreign invaders.

The weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhea in these dogs can be quite distressing.

Which Ingredients Matter   

Decreasing the fat content of the diet reduces inflammation and helps relieve the distressing symptoms.

Our dog food recipes have a calorie distribution of - Protein 47%; Fat 15%; Carbohydrates 38%, which is considered favorable for inflammatory bowel disease patients. These percentages mean the recipes have fewer calories from fats, helping to reduce the symptoms listed above.

Because of the restricted ingredients, low fat recipes should NOT be fed to normal adult dogs or puppies.

A Caution

Many IBD/CE patients are diagnosed with an eosinophilic/ plasmacytic type of disease that veterinary specialists attribute to sensitivity to certain meat proteins (chicken, beef, etc.) and recommend diets using “novel proteins” (lamb, duck, venison, etc.). Unfortunately, all novel meats are too high in fat to formulate a quality homemade dog food recipe.

Research has shown that low-fat content is more important than novelty for successful management of chronic enteropathy, no matter the type.

More Than Just Diet

Your dog’s diet is only one tool for IBD/CE management, it is not a substitute for a comprehensive veterinary treatment plan. To maintain weight and appetite, IBD/CE patients may still require:

·        Famotidine

·        Budesonide

·        Prednisone

·        Vitamin B-12 therapy

·        Prebiotic and probiotic supplementation

Veterinary supervision is also necessary for successful management as IBD/CE is a progressive condition and may need more medical intervention with time.

What to Expect

No matter what the management program or diet, IBD/CE patients may still experience “treatment breakthroughs” (vomiting/diarrhea) especially during times associated with stress.

A veterinarian can recommend “rescue medications” for these instances.

Don’t Use this Recipe If 

If your dog has other conditions needing conflicting dietary restrictions (kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, urinary crystals and stones, diabetes, or cancer) Healthier Homemade recipes for IBD may not be appropriate.

What You Can Do

Over time, dogs on these diets may lose the luster and softness of their fur due to the low-fat content of the diet to manage their disease.

We encourage owners of IBD patients to work with their veterinarians to supplement diets (every other to every 3 days) with extra amounts of the soybean oil that is included in the Healthier Homemade program.

Soybean oil is the richest oil in the bioavailable essential fatty acids necessary for coat, fur, and immune health with the least amount of total fat.

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Is it Balanced and Complete? 

Please be assured that all Personalized Healthier Homemade Dog Food diets for Inflammatory Bowel Disease exceed AAFCO and NRC for all nutrients and meets the NRC minimum requirements for total fat and essential fatty acids.

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Each Healthier Homemade Starter Kit includes a nutrition data fact sheet, so you and your veterinarian can see that all of the required 42 daily essential nutrients are present in meals prepared with our recipes when used as directed.

Commercial prescription diets, especially kibble, may be unappealing. Freshly cooked meals make a difference!

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Click here to learn about recipe programs that are available for dogs suffering from IBD.