What Is The Best Dog Food for Colitis?
This food review gives you a definitive guide to some of the best dog food for colitis that you can find on the market.
What is Colitis in Dogs?
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon, which can result in diarrhea, pain, and discomfort while defecating.
As a veterinarian, I see several dogs with colitis every week, and as a result I devote a significant amount of time to learning about dietary therapies that may assist my patients’ recoveries.
The diet I select to give my patient is frequently determined by what is causing the colitis; the type of dog food I’d use for a food allergy would be different from that used for infection.
VIDEO: Understanding Colitis in Dogs
What Not To Feed Dogs With Colitis
It’s best to avoid foods that are high in fat, high in salt, and rich even though your dog may find them most appetizing. These are going to irritate the gut, so we shouldn’t use them
How Long Do Dogs With Colitis Live?
Generally, colitis is a one-time problem, and dogs should be able to recover within a few days after treatment. Despite chronic colitis taking quite a while to resolve, it can be managed very well with ongoing treatmen
Table of Contents
What Do Vets Give Dogs Colitis?
Best Probiotic for Dogs
Did you know that a dog’s gut health has a significant influence on its overall health?
A recent scientific study reports that 70% to 80% of all illness begins in the gastrointestinal tract!
Discover why this supplement is vital for your dog’s immune system and overall health – read our blog on: The Best Probiotic for Dogs.
“Once the formula got out there, other veterinarians began to tell us this was exactly what they had been looking for and it has become their ‘go to’ product,”
What Can I Give My Dog for Colitis?
The following are some of the most essential aspects to consider when selecting food for your dog with colitis.:
- Low In Fat Content – The foods we suggest for Colitis has a fat content as low as 7% which makes them a great choice for dogs suffering from the condition.
- Perfect Amount Of Protein – Protein intake needs to be controlled for dogs suffering from this condition to get the best results, with a protein level of 20% – 30%. This is what Vets advise.
- Highly Digestible & High In Fibre Foods – This is another must for dogs suffering from Colitis.
If your dog is displaying symptoms of colitis, it is important to visit a veterinarian immediately.
The Best Dog Food For Colitis
Whether you go dry or wet food, one of the easiest ways for you to determine good dog food is by reading the label and looking out for the AAFCO Statement.
All of the dog foods on this list are in accordance with the AAFCO nutrient profile recommendations for dogs.
Best High Fiber Dog Food for Colitis
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal High Fiber Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat, Powdered Cellulose, Corn
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of acute or chronic colitis.
This Royal Canin veterinary diet is ideal for those dogs suffering from acute colitis.
It contains moderately low levels of fat and moderate levels of readily digestible chicken protein.
It is also fairly high in fiber a significant portion of which is readily fermentable by the gut bacteria. Fermentable fiber promotes healthy gut microbiome proliferation and helps the inflamed digestive tract with the recovery process.
This diet contains Psyllium seed husk which is well known for being rich in fermentable fiber.
The diet also contains a good amount of omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect and are thought to have a soothing effect on the inflamed gi tract such as in these cases. [1]
This diet also has a wet food alternative.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Wheat, Barley, Natural Flavors
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of acute or chronic colitis.
This is another diet by Royal Canin that aims to help your dog relieve gut inflammation and have an easier time digesting food.
It aims to do so by having low-fat content. Fat content makes food more palatable. However, it is also relatively hard to digest and results in the food taking longer to pass through the digestive system. This could increase gut inflammation in some cases.
Like the High Fiber variety, this food also benefits from the inclusion of psyllium seed husk which contains a wealth of readily fermentable fiber that helps foster a healthy gut microbiome.
This diet also contains omega 3 fatty acids to help modulate the inflammatory processes happening in the large intestine during colitis.
This diet also comes as canned food.
Best Digestive Support Dog Food for Colitis
Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Corn, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Egg Product
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of moderate or chronic colitis.
This Hill’s prescription diet would be ideal for those cases of colitis that do not become worse when moderate amounts of protein and fat are incorporated into their diet.
The protein in this diet is highly digestible and has a high biological value. This is particularly true for the protein found in egg products.
Like the diets above this dog food contains psyllium seed husk and omega 3 fatty acids to help regenerate a healthy gut microbiome and modulate the inflammatory processes of the digestive system respectively.
This diet also has a wet food alternative.
Best Dry Dog Food for Chronic Colitis
Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care Low Fat Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of acute or chronic colitis.
This dog food contains a moderate amount of easily digestible protein, a moderately low-fat content, and a generous amount of fiber. This diet would be good for dogs suffering from acute colitis.
Unlike the diets mentioned above, this dog food does not contain any psyllium in its ingredient list.
However, the beta-glucan fibers found in oats and barley are also fermentable and are more than adequate to promote a healthy gut biome proliferation.
This dog food also contains a good amount of essential omega 3 fatty acids that help calm down the inflammation of the gut.
This diet also comes as canned food.
Low Fat dog Food for Colitis
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Low Fat EN Gastroenteric Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Brewers rice, barley, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, animal digest
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of acute or chronic colitis.
This low-fat dog food is also one of the best dog foods to help with colitis. It works in a similar way to the low-fat diets previously mentioned in this list.
However, unlike the diets previously mentioned, Purina doesn’t use psyllium in their product.
This is however replaced by inulin which is another non-digestible fiber, oligosaccharide that promotes colonic bacterial fermentation.
This leads to the proliferation of healthy gut flora resulting in the alleviation of symptoms of colitis and prevention of its future recurrence.
This diet also has a wet food alternative.
Best veterinary Diet Dog Food for Colitis
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed Formula Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Isolate, Vegetable Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Partially Hydrogenated Canola Oil (Preserved with TBHQ)
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of mild or chronic colitis stemming from food sensitivities.
This hydrolyzed protein dog food is easily digestible and eliminates a number of food allergens.
This makes it one of the best dog foods for colitis in those dogs suffering from certain food sensitivities.
This dog food is also quite low in fat. As previously mentioned, this reduces the time the food takes to pass through the digestive system. This is beneficial as it makes it less demanding on the gut.
This diet also comes as canned food
Veterinary Diet Dog Food for Colitis
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein Adult HP Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Brewers Rice, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Long-term management of chronic colitis stemming from food sensitivities.
This Royal Canin veterinary diet uses hydrolyzed soy protein as its main protein source. This makes dog food more digestible and less likely to cause adverse reactions.
This dog food, however, contains a high amount of fat. This makes it better suited to prevent future episodes of colitis caused by food sensitivities rather than to treat acute cases.
The fibers found in dried beet pulp and the prebiotic properties of fructooligosaccharides promote healthy gut microbe proliferation. This is an important step in preventing future episodes.
This diet also comes as canned food
Hills Dog Food for Colitis
Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil, Calcium Carbonate
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Long-term management of chronic colitis stemming from food sensitivities.
This is good dog food for those dogs prone to recurrent cases of colitis. This product is low in protein and average in fat.
The bulk of the protein content comes from hydrolyzed chicken liver. The hydrolyzation process makes the chicken liver protein more digestible and less likely to cause colitis.
The diet also contains a good amount of essential fatty acids that help with regulating the inflammatory processes in the gut.
This diet also comes as canned food.
Best Digestive Care dog Food for Colitis
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet GI Gastrointestinal Support Low Fat Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned Whitefish, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein, Potatoes, Tapioca Starch
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of acute colitis.
Blue Buffalo’s Low Fat Gastrointestinal diet is a good choice for those cases where the colitis is not caused by food sensitivity.
The protein sources used in this diet are not novel (chicken being a common food allergen) and these could cause reactions due to food sensitivities.
The diet is low in fat and has an adequate composition to manage cases of acute colitis.
The diet is rich in essential fatty acids, soluble fiber, and other prebiotic components. These ingredients help with the management of inflammation and the re-establishment of a healthy gut microbiome.
This diet also comes as wet food.
Best Hypoallergenic Dog food for Colitis
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet NP Novel Protein Alligator Grain-Free Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned Alligator, Peas, Pea Starch, Alligator meal, Pea Protein
- Type of product: Veterinary Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of chronic colitis due to food sensitivities.
This dog food is ideal for those dogs whose colitis stems from food sensitivity. The diet contains alligator meat as its only animal protein source.
Alligator is not commonly used in dog food and has a lower chance of causing allergies.
This diet is not ideal for those dogs going through an episode of colitis. This food has an average fat content which makes it a challenge to digest to an already compromised intestinal system.
This also makes it hard to settle down the irritated intestine despite its essential fatty acid and fermentable fiber content.
This diet also comes as wet food.
Best Non Prescription Dog Food for Colitis
Jiminy’s Good Grub Dry Dog Food
- First 5 ingredients: Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Oats, Potato Protein, Dried Sweet Potato, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
- Type of product: Commercial Diet
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Management of chronic colitis due to food sensitivities for environmentally aware owners.
Who said that you can’t take care of your dog’s sensitive tummy and take care of the planet at the same time?
While this food is primarily formulated to tackle pet food sustainability concerns, its main protein source comes from black soldier fly larvae and makes it a great alternative for those dogs experiencing colitis due to food allergies after eating most commercial diets.
The diet contains around 12% of fat which makes it not ideal for those dogs suffering from an acute bout of colitis. However, this dog food should be adequate to maintain recovering dogs and to avoid future episodes.
What Triggers Colitis in Dogs?
Just like humans, colitis in dogs can be caused by a variety of things. One of the most prevalent causes of canine colitis is anxiety.
Although stress isn’t a direct cause of colitis, it can put added strain on a dog’s immune system, making him more prone to inflammation.
Other causes of Colitis include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Intestinal worms or parasites
- Food allergies
- Algae or fungal infections
- Gastro-intestinal infections
- Injury or damage to the colon
- Eating things that are not intended for dogs or poor eating habits
Colitis can be acute or chronic, depending on its source. An infection of the colon can induce an acute form of colitis that can be cured.
However, other reasons may include Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), food allergies, and immunological diseases that might cause recurring bouts if not properly treated.
In my experience, many dogs with colitis have worm infections. It’s usually best to rule out a worm infestation before considering other possibilities.
Are there any Breeds Prone to Colitis?
Colitis is a debilitating condition that affects many different dog breeds.
Boxers, Basenjis, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, French Bulldogs, Doberman Pinschers, Mastiffs, and Alaskan Malamutes are all prone to develop the more chronic forms of the condition. [2]
Despite this, I have found that colitis can affect any breed and is especially common in dogs fed a raw diet (due to parasites) as well as those who frequently rummage through the trash.
What are the Symptoms of Colitis in Dogs?
The symptoms of colitis are determined by the intensity, duration, and frequency that it was allowed to grow.
Diarrhea is a common sign of colitis in the early or mild stages, in more severe situations, diarrhea is accompanied by some clear mucus, which can also be associated with a variety of quantities of red, fresh-looking blood.
When a dog’s abdomen is compressed, it will experience abdominal discomfort. They are flatulent and attempt to pass stools frequently and in little amounts.
Because constant fluid loss causes dehydration, if your dog’s colitis goes on for too long, he or she may become dehydrated.
When essential, blood tests may be used to determine the severity of dehydration and if they require fluid therapy.
What is the Best Food for Dogs With Colitis?
The diets listed above are appropriate for feeding in this situation. You’ll need the assistance of a veterinarian, however, to decide which one is the ideal diet for your dog.
Several ingredients can help with the management of colitis. [5] These are:
- The B vitamins (mainly cobalamin and folate)
- Essential fatty acids (Omega 3s and Omega 6s)
- Soluble, fermentable fiber.
According to some studies, animals with chronic colitis and other intestinal illnesses often have a shortage of B vitamins.
The compromised gut does not absorb these vitamins well, but a diet high in these vitamins can help increase absorption. The benefits that B vitamin supplementation can give in these cases are limited, though veterinarians often administer B vitamins as an injectable to bypass this bottleneck. [6]
Essential fatty acids can aid in the reduction of inflammation by way of their anti-inflammatory properties. Omega 3, in particular, was shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Many dietary studies have suggested that high intake is associated with a reduced risk of various disorders.[7, 8]
The addition of these essential fatty acids to a dog’s diet is not thought to be a cure, but it is believed to aid in the reduction and prevention of gut inflammation.
Soluble, fermentable fiber has been shown in dogs with chronic colitis to benefit them.
It feeds the beneficial gut bacteria and aids in the retention of water within the stool, lowering the risk of diarrhea.
This kind of fiber, in addition to insoluble and mixed fibers, stimulates the gut wall and helps to keep it healthy.[9]
The bottom line
There are several dietary alternatives for dogs suffering from colitis. This is because dog colitis can have a variety of causes, each of which must be addressed before your pet can fully heal.
Prescription diets for dogs with colitis aim to relax the intestines, promote colon health, and restore normal bowel movement.
It might be difficult for pet owners to figure out what is causing their dog’s colitis. The symptoms of parasitic colitis are extremely similar to those of inflammatory bowel disease, making it difficult for most pet owners to tell the difference.
If your dog’s stools are loose or he or she is straining to pass small amounts of soft feces, it’s critical that you take him or her to the doctor. Your veterinarian will be able to assist you in diagnosis, treatment, and food selection for your pet’s bowel issue.
