Proactive Paws

12/16/2025

Check Your Probiotic Label for Enterococcus Faecium!🦠

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest health threats in the world. It happens when bacteria learn how to survive antibiotics, making infections harder, or sometimes impossible, to treat. This problem affects people, animals, and the environment, which is why it is called a One Health issue.

While Enterococcus faecium SF68 itself is often characterized as safe, genomic safety evaluations of SF68 indicate that it has not acquired the important resistance determinants that are most problematic in clinical antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus strains. However, Enterococcus faecium as a species is known to be capable of acquiring and carrying antibiotic-resistance genes, especially on mobile elements like plasmids and transposons that can spread between bacteria.

Because of this, scientists are looking for ways to reduce antibiotic use. Probiotics are often suggested as one option because they can support gut health and may reduce the need for antibiotics. However, there is an important concern. Some probiotics may carry antibiotic resistance genes that bacteria can pass to one another.

Researchers in a new p*er-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, tested 10 popular probiotic products for dogs and cats. They examined whether the bacteria in these products resisted common antibiotics and whether they carried genes that cause antibiotic resistance. A total of 19 different antibiotic resistance genes were found across the products. Bacteria in a pet’s gut can share these resistance genes with harmful bacteria, which can make future infections in pets, and potentially in people, harder to treat.

Enterococcus faecium, a strain clinically proven to treat diarrhea, was the most frequently used probiotic species in pet products. It also carried the highest number of resistance genes and showed a higher potential risk. Some products tested showed resistance to antibiotics used in both veterinary and human medicine.

The bottom line is that probiotics are not automatically safe just because they are natural. This is one reason it may be important to rotate between different probiotic products and strains, and to avoid long-term use of strains like enterococcus faecium to help reduce the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance genes.

The researchers recommend stronger testing requirements for pet probiotics similar to those used for livestock, screening probiotic strains before they reach the market, and avoiding strains that carry resistance genes, especially those that can spread easily.

12/13/2025

Today’s dogs face challenges their wild ancestors never did:

• Frequent antibiotics and medications that disrupt the gut
• Urban living and constant exposure to environmental pollutants
• Highly processed diets
• Chronic, low-grade inflammation
• Reduced microbial diversity from indoor lifestyles

That’s why we created PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™ : a science-driven approach to restoring the canine microbiome using strains sourced from wild canids, healthy dogs, and living soil, the microbes dogs evolved alongside.

PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™ may help support:
• Puppies building a strong gut from day one
• Dogs with diarrhea, soft stools, or gas
• Recovery after antibiotics, illness, stress, or medications
• Dogs with anxiety, reactivity, or sleep issues
• Immune, digestive, and cognitive health

The wait is over.
‘s Primitive Probiotics™ is here.

Comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send the link straight to your DMs.

12/11/2025

New p*er-reviewed study published in Journal of Small Animal Practice shows veterinarians are often prescribing the drug metronidazole to dogs and cats for reasons other than treating infections and many of these uses don’t follow current antibiotic guidelines.

The study surveyed veterinarians who used metronidazole in pets. Surprisingly, in 42% of cases, the drug was given only for non-antibiotic reasons, most often for acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, or giardia, even though experts say antibiotics are almost never needed for routine diarrhea.

Many vets said they used metronidazole because they believed it had anti-inflammatory or immune-calming effects, not because the pet had a bacterial infection. Other reasons included:
• thinking it might help diarrhea
• past positive experiences
• owner expectations
• or concern about possible infections

Researchers warn this is a problem because unnecessary antibiotic use contributes to antimicrobial resistance and can harm the gut microbiome.

12/09/2025

We all want to prevent unwanted litters. Hysterectomies and vasectomies offer early, safe sterilization, starting at 8 weeks, while preserving the natural hormones dogs need.

New Peer-reviewed study shows s*x hormones (like estrogen and testosterone) help the spine and discs develop properly. Removing these hormones from dogs too early can affect bone growth and disc strength, making the spine more vulnerable.

Spaying/neutering early (before 12 months) greatly increased the risk of slipped discs in French Bulldogs.

• For males:
o Early-neutered males were almost twice as likely to develop IVDH compared to intact males.
o Neutering after 12 months actually lowered their risk.

• For females:
o The effect was even stronger.
o Spayed females were about 5 times more likely to have IVDH than intact females.
o If spayed before 12 months, they were almost 10 times more likely to develop the problem.

The age you choose to spay or neuter a French Bulldog can have a major impact on their long-term spine health.

Looking for the most up-to-date, evidence-based review on spay/neuter health effects? This exclusive 2025 guide brings together the latest research to support informed, science-driven decisions for dogs.

Comment FixFacts below and we’ll send you the free PDF.

12/05/2025

Peer-reviewed study shows dogs given probiotics with the species Lactobacillus Rhamnosus early in life can have long-lasting protective effects against allergies, even years later & even after stopping them. Puppies given probiotics grew up to have milder skin (including ears) and allergy reactions, showing probiotics could offer long-term protection.

Want to explore a science-backed probiotic with a Lactobacillus Rhamnosus 🦠 option for your dog, comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send a link your way.

11/29/2025

Dog Aging Project Peer-Reviewed Study - “Dogs with consistent CBD💧 use showed a decline in the intensity of aggressive behaviors over time compared to a more steady trend among non-use dogs. […] The decline in the intensity of aggressive behaviors suggests the potential use of CBD in dog training. Further studies are needed to advance our understanding of this novel supplement at the mechanistic, clinical, and population levels.”

CBD has shown real promise in supporting dogs with anxiety, reactivity, and aggression. However, access to high-quality CBD is limited in many regions, and regulations vary widely across the U.S. and globally. For families who cannot access CBD or want a more standardized, long-term solution, GABA-producing calming probiotics offer a powerful, fully legal alternative with growing scientific support for dogs.

A 2025 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial found that dogs given a patented GABA-producing probiotic strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP815™) experienced significant reductions in aggression and anxiety, along with improved sleep stability and faster post-separation calming. No serious adverse effects were reported across more than 1,100 doses, making it a safe option for extended daily use.

Want to explore a science-backed probiotic🦠 option for your dog comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send you more info.

11/21/2025

“These findings show the systemic influence of Oral daily probiotic and postbiotic supplementation in shaping microbial communities across both sites and support its use to promote overall canine health. Collectively, our results offer robust evidence for the dual benefits of daily oral ODPPS on both skin and gut microbiota.“

Want to explore a science-backed probiotic🦠 option for your dog, comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send a link your way.

11/21/2025

The Future of Pet Probiotics Starts Here…

Most pet probiotics🦠 on the market are human strains, never adapted to the metabolic, immune, or thermal environment of dogs. They’re not designed to survive the journey through a carnivore’s GI tract and accomplish a specific purpose. And many lack evidence of efficacy in the species they’re sold for.

That’s why I developed PRIMITIVE PROBIOTICS™, a radically different, science-driven approach to rebuilding and maintaining your dog’s microbiome using the very strains nature intended: from wild canids, healthy domestic dogs, and living soil.

The wait is over… / Dr. Karen Becker’s Primitive Probiotic is here!🥳 Comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll send a link straight to your DMs.

11/06/2025

What the colour of your p**p means.

10/27/2025

*Preventing unwanted litters is a goal we all share—but it's time to rethink the surgical approach. Hysterectomies and vasectomies, which preserve hormonal balance, can safely be performed as early as 8 weeks of age, making dogs sterile without disrupting their natural hormones.

New p*er-reviewed study published in Nature:

How a dog’s lifetime exposure to his own hormones (before being neutered) affects how well he handles aging and frailty later in life.

Study Background

• Frailty = when older dogs (and people) become weaker, less resilient, and more prone to illness and death.
• Most research looks at how to prevent frailty — this study looked at what makes some dogs bounce back better after frailty sets in.
• The focus was on the HPG axis — the hormonal system that produces testosterone and controls reproduction.

Key Findings

• Dogs neutered very young (before 2 years old) had:

o A much higher risk of death once they became frail.
o About 16% higher mortality for every small increase in frailty.

• Dogs kept intact longer (more than ~10 years) showed:
o No increase in mortality linked to frailty.
o Their hormones seemed to “buffer” the negative effects of aging.

• Each extra year of natural hormone exposure reduced frailty-related death risk by ~1%.

What It Means

• Hormones from the te**es may protect against the worst effects of aging later in life.
• Removing them too early could make dogs less resilient to age-related decline.
• Frailty isn’t just about getting old — it’s also shaped by early-life events like the timing of neutering.
• This supports a “life course” view: what happens early in life affects health decades later.

Why It Matters

• The study suggests timing of neutering might influence how well dogs age.

10/25/2025

10/22/2025

Special Announcement!