05/01/2020
The Benefits of Probiotics
All dogs can benefit from probiotics which aid in digestion and modulate the immune system. They also inhibit the growth and activity of harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens, as well as providing other benefits to the intestines, certain strains in treating diarrhea, irritable bowel, and intestinal inflammation. Probiotics may help prevent urinary tract infections and can even reduce allergic reactions by decreasing intestinal permeability and controlling inflammation. Probiotic are safe for dogs and humans alike and can help with the health of your gut. Probiotics can help fight yeast infections in dogs which may cause skin and ear problems, boost immunity, and help your dog's body absorb nutrients.
The intestines contain billions of bacteria collectively called the microbiome. When there’s an imbalance in the microbiome, symptoms like excess gas and loose stool may occur. Probiotics are live, good bacteria that promote balance in the intestines. They decrease the pH in the gut and that helps the dog’s own good gut bacteria thrive. Probiotic bacteria can also attach to the intestinal cells and release substances, which helps promote the growth of good bacteria.
When to Give Your Dog Probiotics:
A variety of circumstances can cause an imbalance in intestinal health. These can include stress from boarding, moving and other changes in environment.
Puppies and senior dogs may be more susceptible to these imbalances, as are dogs taking antibiotics. If your dog is experiencing digestive upset, probiotics may help. I recommend probiotics daily and the most common reason is for digestive upset. In addition to probiotics for specific needs, I also recommend a good diet. Additionally, studies have found that a relaxed intestinal track can also lead to a more relaxed pet.
How Long Does it Take Probiotics to Work?
Some probiotics work faster than others. It also varies by the issue being managed with the probiotics.
When using a probiotics it sometimes takes as little as a few days to a week or as long as 2 weeks.
For immune health, your pet should experience a positive impact in a few weeks.
Probiotics Aren’t a Cure-All:
Although there are many benefits of probiotics for dogs, they aren’t appropriate for every dog or every situation. There are other conditions where probiotics might not be recommended, such as in dogs with a significantly compromised GI tract or those undergoing treatments like chemotherapy, in which case the decision to start probiotics should be made with the veterinarian’s advice. If your pet is not feeling well, you should always consult with your veterinarian.
There are many issues we don’t have a probiotic option for that we manage in other ways. Hopefully we’ll have an expanding knowledge of what probiotics can do and have other products in the future for well pets and for use in veterinary medicine.
Can Dogs Have Human Probiotics?
Just because a probiotic is safe and effective for humans doesn’t mean it’s also safe and effective for dogs. Although yogurts are commonly used as probiotics, there have not been studies proving its effectiveness in dogs and cats. More importantly, yogurt contains other ingredients, like dairy, and dogs can be intolerant to that level of dairy. With the exception of a few products out there, most yogurts do not guarantee live bacteria numbers. It’s important to use a product that has in some way shown you that it has an effective number of probiotic bacteria, and that they also remain alive on the shelf and can survive to the lower gastrointestinal tract where they are most useful.
Are Probiotics Costly?
After years of recommending the a Probiotics we carry we find that a 50 # to 60 # dog can show improvement on 1 capsule per day. In turn,a 30 day supply would run approximately $14.99. Not only very effective but also very inexpensive to try.
