What causes bacterial overgrowth in dogs? Essential Tips

What are the common clinical signs of malabsorption?

The principal sign is weight loss with chronic diarrhea. Most dogs will have a normal or increased appetite but continue to lose weight.

Symptoms of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Dogs

The symptoms of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) as probably just what you might expect (for the most part) but also there are symptoms on this list which might surprise you:

  • Gas
  • Diarrhea – more chronic, lasting weeks or months
  • Weight loss despite ravenous appetite
  • Constant hunger or anorexia
  • In young dogs, stunted growth and failure to thrive, despite increased appetite
  • Vomiting – chronic in nature as a rule
  • SIBO doesn’t always present with all of these symptoms but the ones being exhibited by your pet will likely be more chronic than sudden or sporadic.

    Types

    Small intestine bacterial overgrowth in dogs is considered one of several types of malabsorption syndromes found in small animals. Malabsorption is defined as a “defective uptake” of dietary nutrients due to interference or other interruption in the digestive and absorption process or as a result of disease of the small intestine. Here are three types (or categories) of malabsorption syndrome mechanisms:

  • Luminal – Caused by a lack of pancreatic enzymes
  • Mucosal – Caused by mucosal damage, inflammation, lactase deficiency – this is the category into which SIBO falls
  • Postmucosal – Caused by lymphatic deficiency and obstruction with impaired delivery of enzymes and other organisms
  • Why Antibiotics Don’t Work For SIBO

    So, after reading the paragraph above, you won’t be surprised to learn that the way many vets treat SIBO is with antibiotics. And they’re not even very effective. One problem is that antibiotics need to be given for a long time to get rid of SIBO. And even then, it often comes back.

    The main antibiotic vets use for SIBO symptoms is oxytetracycline, which is often used for respiratory infections or tick-borne diseases. But oxytetracycline can damage the kidneys, affect bone and tooth development … and cause intestinal problems.

    Your vet may also prescribe a drug likeMetronidazole (flagyl) or Tylosin/Tylan. These are antibiotics that treat diarrhea. Vets often use them long-term for chronic diarrhea … or SIBO. Even with short term use, these drugs have known side effects … including, ironically, chronic diarrhea! But giving them long term is especially foolish. Here are a few reasons why.

  • Don’t ever use antibiotics when you have other options. And with SIBO, you do (keep reading).
  • Even after long term treatment, SIBO often reappears when you stop the drugs. So your dog could be on antibiotics for months or even years. Think about the long term damage to his gut!
  • Treating GI problems with antibiotics is reckless. We all know that antibiotics cause gut issues. Antibiotics might eventually get rid of the bacteria overgrowth in your dog’s small intestine … but they’ll damage his overall gut health in the process.
  • With antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the rise, antibiotics are risky … not just for your dog, but for all of us. Especially when there are safer solutions.
  • Make a rule that you’ll only use antibiotics when nothing else will do. Save antibiotics to save your dog’s life … not to manage chronic health issues. For SIBO there are better, safe options. So how can you recognize SIBO and treat it naturally and safely?

    Holistic veterinarian Dr Odette Suter observes most dogs, cats and humans these days have some degree of SIBO. Like other gut health issues this starts with a poor microbiome transferred from mom. Then they get a poor diet and toxic environment, plus damage from deworming, antibiotics, vaccines and stress.

    This creates an overgrowth of some bacteria, and “undergrowth” of others … usually combined with lack of microbe diversity. So Dr Suter views SIBO as part of a general microbial imbalance in the entire GI tract. The dog’s symptoms will usually allow her to diagnose the problem. However, she does do some microbiome testing for more specifics on how “off” the microbiome is … and that allows her to customize treatment.

    Dr Dee Blanco takes a similar approach. She doesn’t view SIBO as a separate diagnosis in dogs like it is in humans. In part, shorter small intestines in dogs may be less prone to invasion by pathogenic bacteria. Dogs’ high hydrochloric acid may also help reduce SIBO risk.

    To Dr Blanco, small intestinal bacteria are part of the overall gut health picture. They can lead to inflammation and leaky gut … but may not cause the “human” SIBO symptoms of GERD or burping. And Dr Blanco agrees diagnosis is difficult. She jokingly commented, “I haven’t been able to get one dog to blow ito the bag to test their methane levels. Try as I might!”

    This broader approach makes sense to holistic veterinarians. They treat the “whole patient” … not just one “disease” or set of symptoms. And because they’re not using antibiotics, they don’t have to pin down a specific disease as the culprit. Holistic treatment options for SIBO are safe! So the good news is … if you suspect SIBO in your dog, you can do several things at home to manage it.

    Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and diarrhoea in dogs

    While it’s true that certain bacteria must be present in the gut for digestion and absorption of nutrients to take place, if bacterial growth gets out of control, trouble ensues. That trouble is called, quite simply, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO. The disease can occur for a variety of reasons and it can affect any dog. Gas and diarrhea are the major symptoms. Antibiotics can help quell bacteria overgrowth while underlying causes are treated accordingly.