Advertorial: Hill's Pet Nutrition
If your dog or cat has ongoing digestive issues, it’s so important to take him to see your veterinarian so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. Your vet will then be able to advise you on the best treatment options available. One option is that your vet may recommend that you change your pet’s food to one specially formulated to help with long term digestive upsets as well as their overall health and well-being. I will tell you about this new, first-of-its kind food soon but first, let’s talk about some exciting new science.
What is the Microbiome?
Have you been wondering why the word ‘microbiome’ has been an increasingly popular topic? It’s become the new health buzz word. This is because we now know that the bacteria and other microscopic organisms living on and in the body are not just a random cluster of germs that can make an individual sick. Think of the microbiome as a mini-ecosystem in your pet’s gut that plays a significant role in balancing not only digestive health, but also promoting the overall health of your pet. The microbiome contains billions of bacteria and is unique to your dog or cat. The balance between the good and potentially bad bacteria influences health, as well as gastrointestinal and other diseases.
How can nutrition impact the microbiome?
If your dog or cat is suffering from diarrhoea or constipation, there can be a disruption in this delicate gut microbial balance. When this happens, we want to nourish his microbiome to help restore that balance. If we use the analogy of a rainforest ecosystem, we’d want to feed the plants and animals to restore the health of the ecosystem. This is what Hills’s revolutionary, new food called Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome (or GI Biome for short) can do!
GI Biome is a complete and balanced food specifically designed to nourish and support each pet’s unique gut microbiome. It can rapidly restore gut health to support regular, healthy stools. Dogs and cats have to eat every day so feeding GI Biome is a practical and long-lasting strategy to have a positive impact on the balance of gut microbes and deliver overall health benefits. You can feed your dog or cat and their microbiome with every mouthful!
Five ways Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome can help your dog or cat:
- It contains prebiotic fibres which provide food to encourage the growth of good bacteria.
- These good bacteria then in turn produce compounds that nourish and heal the gut, and others that help reduce inflammation in the gut as well as throughout the whole body.
- Other fibre sources, such as psyllium and pumpkin, promote bowel regularity and help improve stool quality so your dog or cat’s stools won’t be too hard or too soft.
- Added omega-3 fatty acids help soothe the digestive tract.
- Contains appropriate levels of high quality protein and moderate amounts of fat for easy digestion.
So if your dog or cat suffers from digestive issues, such as repeat bouts of diarrhoea or constipation ask your vet if Hill’s GI Biome is right for your pet.
By Dr Delisa Appleton BVSc (Hons) PhD
Professional Consulting Veterinarian
Hill’s Pet Nutrition Australia
