Fish can help sensitive stomachs, claims pet nutritionist

A fish-based diet could help pets with a sensitive stomach, a pet nutritionist advises.

A sensitive stomach is not a disease but a symptom of underlying cause – often triggered by poor diet or external factors, claims David Southey Bsc in his latest video for Fish4Dogs.

Fish also benefits from having well-balanced amino acid profile which are the building blocks for protein.

“There are tens of thousands of different proteins in our body, each one consisting of a combination of amino acids – some made from a few, whilst others consist of many thousands. When you consume protein in your diet, this protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids and then pieced back together to create the range of proteins your body needs,” explains David.

“A well-balanced protein such as fish, has amino acids in the proportion that your body will need. With poorly balanced proteins there are excess amino acids that the body doesn’t need and so these will be excreted via the urine and the faeces however, this process of excretion has a negative effect on good bacteria in the gut.

“With well-balanced protein, such as fish, the makeup of amino acids closely matches the body’s needs meaning there is less excess to excrete.

“As well as bacterial disturbance, another cause of digestive upset is disruption to the natural rhythmic motion of the gut. In a healthy dog there is a peristaltic motion that is a contraction and relaxation of muscles that gently pumps the food through the intestines with a rhythm that allows the body time to digest and absorb the nutrients.”

The video can be seen on Fish4Dogs YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9e0_SWZFw