10.18.11
Posted in probiotics for pets at 1:52 pm by jansmith2786
With so many probiotics to choose from, who can tell which to actually use? Well, in truth, not enough research has been done to tell us just yet. Many of the studies made are of course sponsored by manufacturers, and it is always difficult to tell just how much any recovery is due to a particular product, or simply time.
One interesting article I found here does suggest that we should be looking for products that contain micro-organisms that are actually found naturally in the gut of the animal being treated. This was something I had not really thought about previously, but it does make perfect sense. After all if we give our dog or cat lots of great bacteria that aren’t naturally found in their own systems, might they simply get digested themselves? It seems we should be using organisms that are actually able to colonise the gut itself.
The problem is that this is far easier said than done. I have looked into well respected products such as Fortiflora for cats and Animal Essentials but have found nothing that states categorically that the organisms used would occur naturally in the animals to be treated.
One thing I think is very important when choosing a probiotic formula is to go with a reputable brand, that state their ingredients and stick to it. There is so little regulation that it is easy for formulas to vary hugely, and consistency is key if you want to see results time and time again.
Customer reviews are quite useful to trawl through when picking a brand. Stores like amazon have lots of supplements on offer, and lots of reviews from pet owners which may help you make a decision.
Don’t forget natural yogurt! On my search for information regarding pet probiotics I stumbled across something about live yogurt. Well, since I had a puppy with loose stools, and a fridge containing natural yogurt, my first step was to give some of this. I cut down her food intake by about half to reduce the stress on her system, and gave her a spoon of yogurt mixed in plenty of water (to ensure she didn’t dehydrate) about 4 times a day. She wasn’t cured overnight. But the improvement was very quick, and in a few days everything was back to normal (and a lot less stinky to clean up!). It may have been a co-incidence, but now I will always reach for the natural yogurt as a quick home remedy to help restore some balance to my pet’s digestion!
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Posted in probiotics for pets at 12:56 pm by jansmith2786
Now we know what pet probiotics are, do we need to worry about them? Should we be giving them to our pets on a regular basis?
Probiotics and Healthy Cats & Dogs
For most animals, and for most of the time, the answer is no! But, there can be times when using such products could help benefit the health of your pet.
The important thing to remember is that for much of the time your dog or cat’s digestive tract will be teaming with bacteria and enzymes, both good and bad. But, the balance of all those micro-organisms will be just right allowing your pet to digest their food, and deal with any nasty organisms digested easily.
For such a healthy animal adding a probiotic formula to their daily diet is unlikely to achieve much. Think about it, if your digestive system is in balance, why bother adding more good organisms, when you have enough already! Now of course the makers of such products would prefer owners to use them regularly to keep profits up. In truth it won’t hurt if you do give a canine probiotic or feline supplement whether needed or not. But it could well be a waste of your time and money to do so.
When Probiotics Can Help Cats & Dogs
The key is to understand that an additional boost of good bacteria is only likely to be of any use when the body is lacking in these organisms. As they are closely related to the immune system, the time when probiotics for dogs or cats are likely to be most useful, are when the immune system is under pressure, or not working correctly:
Stress
Stress is a key factor in weakening the immune system. When we’re stressed we’re more likely to come down with a virus or bug, and it is the same for our pets. So when moving house, bringing new pets into the family, or simply changing your animal’s food routine pro-biotics might be useful. If your pet displays signs of diarrhea following any such stressful times, offering a supplement will help the digestive system return to its normal balanced situation.
Antibiotics
Antibiotic medication is extremely useful but it is not able to tell good from bad when it comes to bacteria. So as well as removing dangerous microbes, it can also destroy beneficial ones such as those used in the digestive system. If your pet is taking a course of anti-biotics a probiotic supplement can be a simple way to restore balance to the system.
Weak Immune System
If the immune system is weak, the digestive system can become over-run with harmful bacteria. Adding a supplement can help restore balance in the digestive tract. Most healthy animals will not need such help. But there are times when the immune system can fail to deal with attacks from micro-organisms. It is very common for puppies to experience soft stools. They are continually coming into contact with bacteria in the environment and their immune systems are not fully developed enough to fight them off. Likewise elderly animals will often suffer from a failing immune system making them less able to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the system.
In all 3 cases some probiotic supplement may well improve systems of diarrhea brought on by the primary factor (stress, use of antibiotics, weakened immune system).
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Posted in probiotics for pets at 12:30 pm by jansmith2786
I guess the most obvious place to start is with “what on earth are pet probiotics“! Well, they are simply supplements containing bacteria beneficial to digestive health. In simple terms, those are “good” bacteria that your pet’s should have present in their digestive system already. They help break down food and help fight any nasty bacteria picked up from the environment (how do dogs manage to eat so many nasty things? 
Most probiotics for dogs and cats are supplied in granular form that can be sprinkled onto food. They tend to be meat or fish flavored to encourage pets to take them without trouble. But for the fussiest eaters simply mix with a wet food or treat such as tuna to convince them to eat it all up.
Restoring balance into the digestive system, between good bacteria and bad, should ensure bugs are dealt with and diarrhea is not an issue for your pet.
But, do we really need them? More on that next time!
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