This article is sponsored content brought to you by Royal Canin.
by Dr Bronwen Slack, BVSc, Royal Canin Chief Health Officer ANZ
Appropriate nutritional support can have a profound effect on the short-term recovery and longer-term gastrointestinal management of patients with gastrointestinal disease, such as acute or chronic diarrhoea, gastritis, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, maldigestion, malabsorption, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, dysrexia, and re-feeding after surgery.
Historically, most cases of gastrointestinal disease were treated with a minimum of 24-48 hours of gastrointestinal rest. However a lack of food causes detrimental effects to the intestinal villi (Mohr et al., 2003). Awareness is growing about the gut microbiome’s role in overall health and the influence of nutrition on it.
Bacteria play a vital role in maintaining gut health by producing beneficial compounds (Suresh et al., 2024). Certain bacteria generate vitamins, while others metabolise dietary components like fibre, protein, and fat or convert host molecules such as bile acids into helpful metabolites. These include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), indoles, and secondary bile acids, which reduce inflammation, regulate motility, inhibit pathogens, strengthen the gut barrier, and enhance mucin production.
Impaired digestive function can prevent patients from properly absorbing nutrients, but the right diet can make a significant difference in supporting recovery. Here’s how ROYAL CANIN® Gastrointestinal supports your patients:
High Energy Density
High energy density and increased fat content provide more energy per gram than carbohydrates or proteins. This reduces meal volume and lowers the digestive workload, which is especially beneficial for animals with compromised gut function.
For patients requiring a low-fat option whilst still maintaining sufficient energy levels, such as those with pancreatitis, ROYAL CANIN® Gastrointestinal Low Fat is available.
High Digestibility
Highly digestible ingredients require less digestive effort and improve stool quality. Proteins with high digestibility minimise undigested material reaching the colon, thereby reducing fermentation, flatulence, and strong faecal odour. Undigested material fermenting in the colon may result in inflammation and toxin production. A diet rich in digestible nutrients ensures better nutrient absorption and improved overall digestive tolerance.
Essential Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, have demonstrated benefits in supporting the gastrointestinal mucosa and reducing inflammation in experimental models of colitis (Magisetty et al., 2023). Their anti-inflammatory properties make them a valuable component of a gastrointestinal support diet.
Prebiotics for a Healthy Microbiome
Prebiotics are non-digestible dietary carbohydrates that contribute to an adequately balanced bacterial population in the gastrointestinal tract (Perini et al., 2024). Prebiotics are added to ROYAL CANIN® formulas to promote healthy gut bacteria:
• Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria.
• Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) inhibit the colonisation of pathogenic bacteria and enhance gut immunity.
Palatability to Encourage Appetite
Pets with gastrointestinal disease often suffer from anorexia and weight loss. Highly palatable diets, like ROYAL CANIN® Gastrointestinal, encourage spontaneous food consumption, supporting recovery and maintaining body condition.
Fibre
Fibre helps to regulate gastrointestinal transit time, bulk the stool and stimulate peristalsis (Adam et al., 2022). For fibre-responsive conditions that require even higher fibre content, ROYAL CANIN® Gastrointestinal High Fibre is available. This precisely formulated diet features an optimal blend of fibres, predominantly insoluble, to regulate intestinal transit whilst maintaining calorie intake.
Nutritional management is key to caring for patients with gastrointestinal disease. The ROYAL CANIN® Gastrointestinal diet range addresses their unique needs with high digestibility, tailored energy, essential fatty acids, prebiotics, and enhanced palatability. With fibre-responsive options and low-fat alternatives, these diets provide veterinarians versatile tools to support recovery, promote gut health, and improve quality of life. Selecting appropriate nutrition allows veterinarians to make a profound difference in patient outcomes.
Learn more about Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Diets HERE
