Probiotics for Your Dog’s Health
I have been giving my dogs supplements ever since Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes and acute pancreatitis. Soon after Lucy’s diagnosis I learned of diabetic cataracts so I started her on eye supplements. She also got joint supplements, taurine, digestive, enzymes, hip and joint supplement and methyl B12. The more I learned the healthier all three of our dogs became. Lucy lived to almost 16 years old and I attribute her good health to learning all I could about canine diabetes, testing blood glucose levels and beneficial supplements.
We have two dogs, Frank and Hannah. Frank is a senior with CCL (canine cruciate ligament) tears, so he gets a lot of hip and joint supplements. Our little rescue Hannah had anal gland issues, so I added fiber to her meals to help with that. A friend suggested adding probiotics to her diet, so I researched and found a good probiotic for her. Knock on wood, she has not had any problems in 1.3 years. Frank started having some GI issues, this included lack of appetite and loose stools ever so often. I decided to add psyllium husk powder and probiotics to his regimen as well and he has done incredibly well. He's now back to eating every meal consistently.
The more I've researched probiotics, the more I've learned what all the health benefits are. That they have. Let's go over probiotics, what they are beneficial to and several recommended brands.
Grab a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage and let's get to it!
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are good bacteria that live in your dog’s gastrointestinal tract (the stomach, intestines and colon) and are part of the microbiome. Probiotics fight off bad bacteria and have many health benefits for the body. Some of the benefits of probiotics are they crowd out bad bacteria, support the immune system, support a healthy microbiome, produce vitamins, help with GI issues like diarrhea and IBS, can help with allergies, anxiety, mood and skin disorders.
Let’s go over some probiotics that are commonly given to dogs, they are broken down by genus, species and strain. I will mention specific strains of probiotics that have key benefits.
(Click on table to enlarge)
Scientists have discovered benefits for specific strains of probiotics. If your dog is anxious you can add BL999 to their diet, it can take up to six weeks to work but studies have shown that it helps!
Saccharomyces boulardii can be given with antibiotics as they cannot be killed by antibiotics and can help with diarrhea due to antibiotics.
The recommended dose for probiotics is 1 – 10 billion CFUs (colony forming units) per day.
Prebiotics are typically added to probiotics since they feed probiotics. FOS (fructooligosaccharides) is commonly added to probiotics and are a prebiotic. You can also add psyllium husk powder to meals as a prebiotic.
Here are a couple probiotics that are diabetic friendly:
Vetriscience Vetri Mega Probiotic for Dogs and Cats
Coco and Luna Probiotics for Dogs – chewable tablets
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Calming Care – helps with anxiety. Please note that this product has maltodextrin in it, it is a simple carb and will elevate blood glucose levels. The pros and cons need to be weighed when choosing whether or not to give to your diabetic dog.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora – for diarrhea, to be given temporarily.
I hope today’s blog has helped you understand how important probiotics are for your dog! I am currently waiting for my Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements Calming Care order to be delivered because Hannah is an anxious dog and the Fourth of July is quickly approaching. I will report back to let you know if it helps. My bff gives it to her boy and she said that it has helped him so much!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
For a printable version of this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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