The gut plays a unique role in our dog’s body by digesting the food they eat so their body can adequately absorb the nutrients that help sustain life. It’s where beneficial bacteria reside, having enough of which guarantees the function of the rest of their organs and aids in a healthy digestive and immune system. Therefore, a balanced, gut-focused diet filled with pre-, pro, and postbiotics is a lesser-known key to a long, healthy and joyful life.

The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of tiny organisms (microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that live in the gastrointestinal tract and help carry out many extraordinary and essential bodily processes. In dogs, having a flourishing gut microbiome filled with healthy bacteria helps ensure the rest of the body functions properly. It is essential for beneficial immune and digestive support, not to mention a healthy and long life.

The gut is connected to other organs throughout a dog’s body including the brain, immune and nervous systems. Therefore, the benefits of a healthy gut are vast, including better nutrient absorption from foods, increased digestion, improved mood and behavior, and, most notably, increased vitality and joyful moments.

Gelatinization is the cooking of dietary starch. Dogs cannot effectively digest raw starch, which in turn makes their stool runny. In the process of gelatinization, starch is converted to its more digestible form so dogs can digest and absorb nutrients. We can thus consider gelatinization the measure of starch digestibility.

Antibiotics are sometimes necessary to fight off harmful bacteria and should always be used as directed by your vet. It's important to be aware, though, that they will negatively affect microbiome balance in your dog's gut. This just means it's important to re-establish that balance after use with pre, pro, and postbiotics.

You can support your dog's gut health by feeding them a diet rich in pre, pro, and post biotics. This will ensure a thriving microbiome, which is the key to your dog’s gut health and overall wellness routine.

You can support your dog's gut health by engaging in regular exercise that improves digestion, and avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, which can destroy the gut flora, and only using them when prescribed by a vet.

Get Joy optimizes all of their products for digestion, and our Fresh Freeze Dried Meals are specially formulated with pre, pro, and postbiotics to ensure the very best gut health for our dogs.

At Get Joy we have a 99% gelatinization, meaning our starches are 99% digestible to a dog. Other leading dog food brands have starch gelatinization values in the 80% range or lower.

Although antibiotics are sometimes necessary when there is harmful bacteria in a dog's gut, they shouldn't be used alone. They can destroy the good bacteria with the bad. This is why it's so important to re-establish the balance of bacteria by incorporating pre, pro and postbiotics into your dog's diet after use.