46 Fortifying the Gut – Against Bacterial Onslaught

Fortifying the Gut – Against Bacterial Onslaught

Learning Objectives

• Gain a basic understanding of the digestive system
• Understanding how probiotics work 
• Understanding what is diarrhea
• Understanding why probiotics should be used for diarrhea

Intended Grade Levels

The authors expect the lesson to be completed with success and comprehension for students grades 6-8.

Introduction

Our digestive system helps us break down food and get nutrients from our food. We need a healthy digestive system to stay healthy ourselves. Some of our food gets broken down by “good” bacteria and microorganisms in our gut and they are very important for digestion. While we normally think of bacteria as bad, these bacteria are very helpful. When we have issues like diarrhea this system is not properly fortified and prepared for food because these microorganisms have been destroyed. This extends to our pets who can get diarrhea if they eat something funky or get sick. To help their digestive tract, veterinarians may give them a probiotic to help fortify the digestive system so they can get better sooner and absorb the nutrients they need! In this lesson, you will learn how probiotics work and how they can help resolve diarrhea.

The Digestive System

The GI tract of a dog is similar in structures and organs as it is to our own. They have an esophagus to transport food to the stomach for mechanical and chemical breakdown. From here, the food moves out of the stomach into the small intestine. Here, digestive enzymes are dumped in by the pancreas to help release nutrients from the food for absorption. The food continues through the small intestine into the large intestine where final portion of resorption and fermentation occurs so the dog can get the most nutrients out of its food. Then, it travels through the rectum which is the last part of the large intestine before passing through the anus for elimination.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are foods or supplements (like vitamins and pills) that contain live microorganisms. This is supposed to add to the “good” bacteria of the digestive tract and improve health. Probiotics add more to the existing community of microbes, when they have usually low numbers. This is often caused by sickness. The new bacteria are able to help the body fight off less friendly bacteria and keep people healthy.

Diarrhea and how probiotics can help

Diarrhea is a loose, watery stool that can be often seen with frequent bowel movements. This can happen when not enough water is absorbed as the fecal mass moves too quickly through the intestines. This can also happen when the body produces extra fluids that are eliminated with a bowel movement. Typically, there is a loss of water, salt, minerals, and nutrients with diarrhea. Diarrhea can occur from eating contaminated food, viruses like the flu, chronic diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or even from antibiotics that attack and kill off the healthy gut flora that help us digest our food! Probiotics can help diarrhea by restoring the imbalance of gut flora that help us digest our food.

Bad bacteria can attack our gut (better termed large intestine) and destroy the natural defenses our healthy microflora put up. This healthy microflora is used to ferment food, stop bad bacteria/other pathogens from growing, and can even produce vitamins to name a few functions! When the bad bacteria is winning more space in the large intestine, we can get diarrhea. This is why we need to introduce probiotics!

Probiotics are our repairmen. Probiotics contain the good bacteria we want in the large intestine. By introducing a probiotic, we get more good bacteria to out compete the bad bacteria that is growing that can help stop the diarrhea sooner.

Probiotic foods

Many food we eat regularly have probiotics. Look and some listed below to get a better idea of what foods have probiotics!

Activity

As probiotics can help restore the gut flora, choose one human food that act as a probiotic to use as a supplement and explain why you chose it. Ensure it is something that is not toxic to dogs.