Understanding the Carnivorous Gastrointestinal Tract
“To find out what an animal is supposed to eat, just look at their teeth” (a quote from my husband). Most biologists would also recommend closely examining the GI tract to assess appropriate foods for a particular animal. The carnivorous mouth contains sharp, interlocking teeth for tearing. The incisors, used to grasp vegetation, are so reduced in cats that for some people, they are difficult to see.
The carnivorous GI tract is unique for several reasons. First, the stomach acid is amazingly strong. Cats and dogs were designed to handle raw meats and some fur. Dogs, by nature, are scavengers. They were designed to handle raw meats and decaying substances. Predators consume food and don’t give it another thought; their stomach acid kills the bacteria and the very fast GI transit rate and very short GI tract means the food is processed and the waste expelled in a very timely manner. Get it in, get it out. Dogs and cats were not designed to hold and process the raw, contaminated food in their GI tracts for several days. Cows and horses do not consume the bacterial loads of carnivorous animals. Instead, they were designed to ferment and ruminate grains for days. Our pets were never meant to graze or ingest and ferment grains, but that’s the main ingredient in commercial pet foods! This imbalance is the root of many of our pets’ ailments today. When the GI tract is made to work excessively, processing foreign foods for an unnatural length of time, dis-ease occurs.
- The gastrointestinal system must be healthy to avoid most diseases.
- The GI tract is the body’s #1 barrier to diseases and disease processes.
The GI tract has three functions: digestion, absorption and the prevention of toxins from entering the body. The GI tract is essentially an unsterile tube from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract is the largest immune reactive surface in a pet’s body. It is exposed daily to pathogens, viruses, bacteria, food particles. What is fed to an animal can dramatically alter the defense mechanisms of the gut mucosa, producing or eliminating inflammatory responses and increasing or decreasing permeability.
Intestinal permeability, or the body’s ability to selectively absorb and prevent certain substances from entering the body, is critical for health. A healthy GI tract allows for the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, but prevents pathogenic (disease-causing) substances from entering the body. Increased indiscriminant intestinal permeability (or microscopic holes) of the gut lining allows for the abnormal absorption of certain toxic substances such as improperly-digested food particles, bacteria, viruses and metabolic byproducts.
top of pageDysbiosis, or “Leaking Gut” syndrome
All mammals have “good” bacteria in their GI tracts. Billions of the “right” bacteria naturally occur in the small and large intestines. When GI bacteria (flora) are the correct type and in balance, good things happen, for instance:
- vitamins are made
- vegetable fiber is fermented
- harmful bacteria are inhibited
- toxins are broken down.
Living in balance with the correct amount of GI flora is called symbiosis, Greek for “living together.” Dys-bi-osis is living with intestinal flora that has harmful effects.
To protect against dysbiosis is to protect the permeability of the intestinal wall.
A healthy gut is selective about what is absorbed.
In healthy systems, nutrients and a small amount of environmental samplings that strengthen the immune system are absorbed through the GI tract and into the bloodstream. It is estimated that the number of bacteria in the human bowel outnumbers the number of cells in our bodies (hundred trillion). This powerful chemical factory not only makes vitamins and destroys toxins but can destroy vitamins and make toxins (a quote from Dr. Galland).
Immune reactions provoked by intestinal flora may be harmful rather than helpful. Inflammatory conditions and several types of arthritis have been linked to abnormal GI responses(5). Intestinal bacteria contain proteins that look to the immune system very much like human proteins. Fragments of the dead bacteria may be absorbed in the bloodstream because intestinal permeability has been breached. The debris, which circulates in the blood stream, can settle out in joints, starting an immune response to stimulate the removal of this debris (Power Healing, Leo Galland, M.D.). In people, the link between dysbiosis and atopic eczema, dermatitis, chronic pancreatitis and rheumatoid arthritis has already been established.
top of pageThere is clear evidence that small amounts of intact peptides and proteins do enter the circulation under normal digestion. Intact protein absorption is a normal physiological process in humans and animals, but enhancement of absorption of intact proteins into the circulation may result in excessive immune stimulation. Intestinal permeability is increased in a wide range of diseases. When excessive amounts of antigens (small reactive proteins) are absorbed, allergies can occur.
top of pageWhat disrupts the good bacteria and increases permeability?
- Incorrect foods. Eating foods that are reactive to the gut causes increased permeability and negative physiologic responses. Abnormal gut fermentation of excessive complex carbohydrates causes a proliferation of yeast and unfriendly bacteria. It also has adverse effects on vitamin absorption, including the B vitamins, zinc and magnesium. Unsoluable fiber (filler) causes a physiologic barrier to nutrient absorption by inhibiting nutrients from coming in contact with the mucosal surface.
- Antibiotics. Antibiotics remove all bacteria, not just the bacteria in the ear or in the bladder (the goal of the intended prescription). Antibiotics decimate the good bacteria and increase the risk of subsequent intestinal infection and yeast overgrowth.
- Parasites. Many parasites colonize the absorptive surface of the small intestine, causing nutrient absorption to be hindered. Parasites also utilize the nutrition intended for the pet. Some parasitic infections elicit an inflammatory response in the intestine, causing increased permeability and susceptibility to other diseases. Likewise, continually deworming pets (most monthly flea preventives also contain a dewormer) can cause disruption of the normal environment. Parasites are always attracted to the weakest of the species. The likelihood of parasitic infection is directly related to how healthy the animal is. When an animal is weak (from excessive drug use, poor diet or genetic factors) parasites are more likely to gain a foothold.
- Steroids. Steroids inhibit several normal GI processes and also suppress the immune system, allowing opportunistic pathogens to colonize the luminal surface.
Good bacteria, like acidophilus and bifidus, should be replaced when destroyed by any of the above factors. The good bacteria not only prevent the proliferation of the bad bacteria, they keep the mucosal surface healthy. When the intestinal lining is unhealthy it becomes more permeable to pathogens. Some side effects of dysbiosis are obvious; gas, bloating and diarrhea. But effects can be as diverse as immune dysfunction, autoimmune disease, food allergies, behavioral disorders, joint pain and nutritional deficiencies.
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Visit her website: DrKarenBecker.com