Moro’s Carrot Soup: An Ancient Recipe for Modern Canine Health

Who would have thought that there was so much good in the little carrot? Especially in cases of diarrhoea, it is often necessary to act quickly to counteract dehydration. This is exactly where the carrot is a true all-rounder. Carrots contain a high level of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid and gives carrots their fresh orange colour. The dog's metabolism is now able to produce the vitamin A necessary for the organism itself from this pro-vitamin (1 mg beta-carotene = 833 IU vitamin A). The vital vitamin A fulfils important tasks within the processes of the eye and vision.

But that is by no means all. Vitamin A also plays an important role in growth, bone structure and skin health. It is also a protective vitamin for the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, the digestive tract, the urinary tract and the reproductive organs. A vitamin A deficiency can lead to pigmentation disorders, dehydration, keratinisation and discolouration of the mucous membranes. A chronic deficiency can also lead to impaired vision.

In addition to a high ß-carotene content, carrots also contain high amounts of the important minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as the valuable trace elements iron and zinc. Crunchy carrots are therefore real nutrient bombs. They came to medical attention thanks to Professor Moro, who used carrots as a "Moro-style soup" to stop diarrhoea in small children. Very successfully.

Diarrhoea in children and dogs is usually caused by an infection with intestinal bacteria, protozoa or viruses. Classically, these include coli bacteria, salmonella or rotaviruses. These colonise the digestive tract, displace the "good gastrointestinal flora" and attach themselves to the surface structures of the intestinal wall and anchor themselves there. In this way, bacteria and viruses quickly colonise the entire digestive tract and subsequently release toxins. The toxic substances in turn lead to the symptoms of an intestinal infection and diarrhoea occurs.

The approach to treating intestinal diseases, both in infants and dogs, is therefore to prevent the pathogens from attaching to the intestinal wall in the first place. In this way, diarrhoea can be prevented or alleviated in acute cases. A major advantage is that the use of antibiotics can be reduced or, in some cases, is even completely unnecessary. This is conducive to long-term intestinal health, as frequent antibiotic administration not only harbours the risk of resistance, but also destroys the normal environment of the gastrointestinal flora. An imbalance within the "good gut bacteria" can also lead to further irregularities in feed utilisation.