How do your dog's gut neurons affect its health !
I'm sure that you've heard many times that our guts are our second brains; I know I have!
But did you realise that this is not an image, but rather a literal statement?
Aside from being a canine nutritionist, I'm a science nerd, and since 2021, I've been avidly educating myself on the critical role of the gut microbiome in canine health, how almost every disease a dog can develop, and how the diet we feed our dogs makes or breaks their gut symbiosis (the balance of healthy and harmful bacteria, fungus, and viruses that make up your dog's gut microbiome).
My obsession with scientific data and my research led me to find that not only is the gut microbiota the foundation of our dogs' health, but that dogs have almost as many neurons in their intestinal tract as they do in their brain, around 500 million.
By comparison, dogs have 530 million neurons in their brains.
By improving the quality and quantity of the bacteria, and raising the level of healthy bacteria in your dog's gut (most dogs and humans have very high levels of harmful bacteria and too little healthy bacteria in their gut due to poor diet, consumption of processed foods, proximity to environmental pollutants..), you will improve many aspects of your dog's health, including the health of their brain!
What is the function of your dog's gut neurons?
The complex structure of neurons that layer your dog's digestive system serves a variety of vital functions in your dog's body.
The gut neurons are in permanent communication with brain neurons via the gut-brain axis, which serves as a communication channel between the brain and the gut.
The vagus nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the colon, is an essential component of your dog's central nervous system.
The vagus nerve regulates internal organ activities like digestion, heart rate, and respiration, as well as vasomotor activity and reflex responses like coughing, sneezing, swallowing, and vomiting.
The gut neurons and vagus nerve are in charge of your dog's digestive system, which regulates nutrient absorption and controls digestion from swallowing to enzyme release and waste removal.
Gut neurons communicate with your dog's brain via the vagus nerve, sending essential information through the neurotransmitters, for example, the feelings of hunger, satiety, and cravings.
If your dog's appetite is inconsistent, their gut is most likely to take the blame.
Your dog's gut also contributes in a very important manner to your dog's brain functions, and damage to the gut microbiome causes neurodegenerative diseases in dogs and humans. (study).
Your dog's gut microbiome produces or helps produce many of the chemical neurotransmitters that convey messages between their gut and brain.
And what about obesity ?
Recent studies have highlighted "the gut microbiome and bacteria-derived metabolites as key components in obesity and metabolic health.".
Most significantly, your dog's vagus nerve regulates the immune system's response.
Gut health and mental health in dogs
Have you ever wondered why so many dogs experience anxiety, often without an obvious external cause?
Well, there's a very interesting explanation.
We know that our dogs nutrition determines the health and diversity of their gut microbiome.
Nutrition can have a negative impact on how their gut and brain communicate, resulting in anxiety, aggression, compulsive behaviour, separation anxiety, phobias, depression, and many other mental and psychologic disorders in dogs, as well as behavioural problems. (study).
Yes, negative changes in your dog's gut microbiome have a direct influence on its behaviour and mood. (study)
Isn't it crazy that an unbalanced, diminished, or less diverse gut microbiome lies at the root of aggression and aggressive behaviour in dogs! (study).
How can you take care of your dog's gut microbiome ?
There are a few habits you can implant to take care of your dog's gut microbiome,
Feeding your dog prebiotic food allows you to support healthy and beneficial bacteria growth in your dog's gut by feeding them the healthy bacteria foods they enjoy. Prebiotic foods include garlic, bananas, green vegetables, barley, and legumes.
Prefer a fresh plant-based diet over processed foods (kibble or canned); even occasional use of processed foods alters the composition of your dog's gut microbiome, causing an overgrowth of hazardous bacteria, viruses, and fungi and triggering ongoing gut microinflammation.
Watch out for pollutants; your dog's gut is extremely vulnerable to chemicals like pesticides and herbicides, which are known to cause serious imbalance and damage to the gut. Be cautious not to use such compounds on your lawn or garden, or to walk your dog in an area where such substances are being utilised.
Take cautious when administering antibiotics. Antibiotics are fantastic and life-saving medicines; unfortunately, overuse of antibiotics is well known in veterinary medicine, and they are frequently recommended in cases when they are not necessary. Antibiotics cause detrimental changes in your dog's gut microbiome, resulting in a decline in immunological responses, putting your dog at risk for future infection and illness.
One key point is that the more balanced and diversified your dog's gut is, the better their health.
If your dog is currently suffering from a health problem, whether it is allergies or cancer, its gut microbiome is, by definition, damaged and unbalanced.
Important notice:
My investigation and written work are based on over 1,000 scientific studies that I have read, analyzed, and synthesized.
You will find some studies included that you can read to begin your own research or delve deeper into the information provided; however, it would be impossible to share every single study that led to my conclusion as a canine nutrition professional, as well as the informative content I provide through my website, blog, and social media channels.
If you wish to go deeper into some of the topics I teach, I encourage you to conduct your own research.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct veterinary advice from your veterinarian or other qualified canine health professional.
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