Feeding the correct diet is crucial for the nutritional support pets with digestive tract disorders. Everyone who comes into contact with your pet should realise the importance of feeding only the recommended diet. This means avoiding all treats or snacks.

Your Veterinary Surgeon will advise you when to begin to feed a highly digestible, low residue diet. Small, frequent meals will reduce the workload on the intestines by reducing the volume of food that they receive at any one time.

Many diseases and digestive disorders can cause a lack of interest in food. Because of this, a special diet must not only support health but taste good too. Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets are designed specifically with high palatability in mind. They are available only from your veterinary practice. These diets should be the sole source of food for your pet unless otherwise indicated by your Veterinary Surgeon.

The two most common signs associated with disturbances of the gastro intestinal tract are vomiting and diarrhoea. Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets are recommended for the nutritional support of animals with following conditions:

Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets are enriched in antioxidants (vitamin E, taurine and lutein) to help maintain health and vitality.

'Antioxidant' is a general term for nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and other components naturally present in many foods. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals produced during normal body metabolism that can cause damage to body cells. Free radical production increases when your pet is ill.

Key features of Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets are:

nHigh protein level

nHigh energy density

nHighly digestible fats

n Low fibre

n Prebiotics (FOS & MOS)

A pet's response to dietary management in each of these cases is unique however, so always follow the advice in feeding given by your veterinary practice.

Changing your pet s diet should always be carried out over several days. It is not uncommon for pets to refuse a new diet or to suffer from stomach or gut upsets if the change is not gradual. On day 1, begin by adding a small amount of the new diet to your pet s existing food. As each day passes, add more of the new diet to less of the original food, until eventually you are only feeding the new diet. This change should take around 5-7 days.

Royal Canin are leaders in palatability. So confident are we that your pet will enjoy their food that we offer a no quibble, money-back guarantee. Simply return the food to your veterinary practice for a full refund*.

* Terms and conditions apply

How does a Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diet meet the specific needs of my pet?

Nutritional support plays a key role in the management of pets with gastrointestinal disease. Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets are formulated to:

n Provide adequate nutrition despite reduced absorption of nutrients

n Reduce the severity of diarrhoea

n Provide nutrients essential for the regeneration and support of the gastro intestinal tract

To achieve this Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal contains highly digestible protein, fat and carbohydrate. The diets are also enriched with antioxidants.

My Veterinary Surgeon told me that my dog is affected by Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency . I would like to know more about this condition.

The pancreas lies close to the stomach and is important for the production of the hormone insulin (for glucose absorption) and pancreatic enzymes. Pancreatic enzymes are important for the

digestion of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates and fats. Some dogs are only able to produce small amounts of pancreatic enzymes and so suffer from a reduced ability to digest nutrients. Dogs with EPI are often underweight because of impaired nutrient digestion and absorption. Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diets provide specific nutrients that are highly digestible allowing complete provision of energy needs.

My pet is affected by acute diarrhoea . What does this mean?

Your pet is affected by acute diarrhoea when the normal digestive processes are disturbed. Water and nutrients are not being efficiently absorbed from the intestinal tract into the body; this results in frequent toileting habits of larger volumes with higher moisture content. Pets with severe diarrhoea are at risk of becoming dehydrated due to this loss of fluid. Vomiting, if present, results in even more fluid loss.

Your Veterinary Surgeon will advise you when to begin to feed a Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diet. These highly digestible, bland diets allow the intestine to easily digest and absorb the essential nutrients and energy needed by your pet.

What does lactose-free mean?

Lactose is a sugar commonly found in milk and intolerance to lactose is a common food intolerance which occurs in both dogs and cats. It usually results in diarrhoea. The levels of lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, fall after weaning. If milk is fed to adult dogs and cats, undigested lactose remaining within the small intestine can cause digestive disorders. Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal diet does not contain lactose, so avoiding this problem.

What is an enzyme?

Enzymes are chemical scissors which break down all nutrients eaten by the dog into particles small enough to be absorbed into the body and used for vital functions. Pancreatic enzymes, for example are needed for the breakdown and digestion of fats.

What should I feed after my pet has had an operation?

Following surgery, your Veterinary Surgeon may give you a Royal Canin Recovery Pack. These packs contain Gastro Intestinal, which provides the nutrients your pet needs for wound support and encourages a return to good health in a very easily digested format.

The recommended diet

Changing your pet s diet

Antioxidants

A specific diet for your pet

Key features

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

Gastro Intestinal kibble

(approximate size)

n Diarrhoea

n Inflammatory Bowel

Disease (IBD)

n Convalescence

n Maldigestion/ malabsorption

n Exocrine Pancreatic

Insufficiency (EPI)

n Colitis

n Bacterial overgrowth

n Anorexia