STEP B: Assist With Nutritional Diet Plan Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and ulcerative colitis, are an inflammation of the intestines. These diseases cause the intestines to form ulcers and become inflamed, scarred and easy to bleed. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, acute abdominal pain, cramping, fever and fatigue. Diet and nutrition is very important in IBD management to prevent malnutrition and extreme weight loss. Once we have obtained your blood test back from the lab and receive your PNS Veterinary Prescriptive Nutrition form our animal nutritionists will select the proper recipes for your pet’s diet plan. You will receive these recipes to make for yourself or have our commercial kitchen make and ship to you. Feed a high fiber diet when IBD is under control and a low residue diet during flare ups to give the bowel a rest and minimize symptoms. It is very important to continue nourishing your body even during a flare-up. Try small frequent ground meat meals. Eating a high protein diet with lean meats, fish and eggs, may help relieve symptoms of IBD. A low fat diet will also help to decrease
contractions
of
the
intestines. Your
PNS
consultant
may
recommend liquid vitamins to give your pet's bowel a rest and replenish lost nutrients so that their body can repair itself .Some of our patients find peppermint helpful. Peppermint is a natural anti-spasmodic that relaxes smooth muscles in the intestines. Some lean ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey (cooked or raw) added to a high quality commercial diet is a worthy compromise. In addition, try adding some finely chopped or pulverized fruits and vegetables. Spinach, and blueberries all have anti-inflammatory properties to help with skin issues. Serving the fruits and vegetables raw with their nutrients and enzymes in tact is the best for skin health.