When our Cavoodle, Harry, started having recurring gut and bowel problems as a young dog, we were at a loss. His diet was carefully managed and he was otherwise healthy, but the stomach issues just wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t until we looked beyond food that the real culprit became clear: our own garden.
Harry’s struggles
Harry suffered from persistent gut and bowel upsets that seemed to flare for no obvious reason. Along with our vet, we suspected food, but nothing explained the pattern. We put Harry on a sensitive stomach diet, yet every month or so the problem would flare again. Midnight runs outside became our norm.
The clue
Our house had black-coloured pine bark mulch in the garden. When we moved to a new house, Harry’s gut issues eased almost immediately. At first we assumed that, as he got older, his stomach was becoming less sensitive.
But we always had a nagging suspicion that the garden might be to blame.
The test
We ran Paw Print’s Complete Intolerance Analysis on Harry. The results were eye-opening:
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Severe intolerance to carbon black (the common dye used to darken bark).
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High reactivity to iron oxides and other synthetic dyes.
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Sensitivity to pine (the main material in New Zealand garden bark).
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Strong responses to multiple mould and fungal species that thrive in damp bark.
The correlation
Black pine bark contains exactly the substances Harry reacted to. Between the wood base, the dyes, and the fungal growth, it was no surprise his gut couldn’t cope. Once removed from the environment, his issues resolved.
The takeaway
If we’d known then what we know now, three years of constant stomach and bowel issues could have been avoided.
Not every dog will react to garden bark. But Harry’s story is a reminder that your dog’s triggers might not be the obvious ones. If your dog is struggling with unexplained gut or skin issues, don’t just look at their food bowl — think about their environment too. Sometimes the answer is right under their paws.
👉 You can uncover your dog’s hidden sensitivities with our Complete Intolerance Analysis
