The gastrointestinal system is truly where robust health originates.

by Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD

Digestion involves the balanced interaction of several biodynamic systems. A healthy animal ingests raw materials (food), changes these raw materials into usable nutrients, extracts from these nutrients the essentials for life and vitality, and excretes (in the form of feces) those substances that have not been digested or that weren’t utilized.

The dog’s GI system converts food to energy and nutrients that power the body. It also acts as an immune sentinel, on alert for foreign substances.

The entire process of digestion is the result of many organs and systems, but for this article we will concentrate on the digestive tract, beginning with the mouth and esophagus, proceeding downward through the stomach, then through the intestines, and finally passing out through the rectum. …

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