Is Collagen Safe for Dogs?
Collagen is ‘generally recognised as safe’, a by-product of food fit for human consumption and usually very well tolerated. It plays a role in supporting connective tissue, skin, and overall joint health in dogs.
However, in a small number of cases you may find that when first introducing collagen to your dog it can can cause loose stools or even diarrhea.
Pawable has now served tens of thousands of customers and based on feedback we would suggest that dogs experiencing some form of upset stomach while transitioning to collagen are uncommon and less than half a percent.
How to Introduce Collagen to Your Dog’s Diet
Although you may be excited to use collagen for your dog as soon as possible, we suggest that you introduce it slowly, as you would for any dietary changes.
For your first serving, use just half a teaspoon.
Then build up the serving size slowly over the course of a couple of weeks. This gradual approach allows your dog to adjust to the collagen peptides without overwhelming their digestive system.
Signs of an Upset Stomach and What to Do
If your dog’s poo is just a little moist or soggy then this is often just the result of your dog acclimatising to the dietary change.
In this case:
- Reduce serving size a little and through observation find the ideal serving size for your dog.
- Offer a little more fibre in their diet (carrots, broccoli or psyllium husks)
- Some customers have suggested that introducing probiotics helps too
If your dog is showing diarrhoea then we suggest that you:
- Cease serving until stomach settles
- Offer plenty of water
- If you choose to retry then restart with a much reduced and slow re-introduction.
Most dogs will prove tolerant to collagen and the advice above should help you introduce Pawable without any unpleasantness, but remember if you do find that your dog is intolerant to collagen then we will accept a return and refund within 90 days.
Ongoing Research Into Collagen Sensitivity
As part of our process of continuous improvement we are now researching why collagen can cause diarrhea in a small percentage of dogs.
Working with a leading microbiologist who believes that collagen supports the gut biome and overall gut health, but that an upset stomach arises due to either:
- Collagen alters the firmicute/Bacteroidetes ratio for the better, however dogs who can’t tolerate the collagen may have an extremely low ratio to begin with and have a 'shedding' event of the Bacteroidetes.
- Or they have a high percent of enterococcus, collagen reduces these and may also cause a 'shedding' event.