Pet Probiotics – An Introduction

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They aren’t just for gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics can help with various health issues and can also help maintain the general well-being of healthy dogs and cats.

Supplements for dogs and cats are many and varied, but my customers ask me the most questions about probiotics. In fact, this is a rare consultation in which the subject of probiotics is not discussed. So it’s obvious that this particular supplement is of concern to pet owners. And for good reason. Let’s take a closer look at probiotics and why they are so important to the health of your dog or cat.

What exactly are probiotics?

Probiotics are dietary supplements with a variety of uses. The name probiotic literally means “for life”. Without probiotics, there literally can’t be life. Probiotics are made up of bacteria (usually) or yeast (less commonly) that keep people and pets healthy and alive, as opposed to pathogenic microorganisms (such as E. coli or Staph spp.) that cause disease and death.

All animals and people are born with a healthy microbiome, a collection of microorganisms that populate the gastrointestinal tract. There they reside, reproduce and maintain health by preventing the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and yeasts. Without probiotics in the gut, pathogenic microorganisms would populate the gastrointestinal tract and kill the animal or person. There are so many microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that keep us healthy that this microbiome, which influences the local lymphatic tissue in the walls of the gut (called GALT – gut-associated lymphoid tissue) works as the largest lymphatic organ in the body. Beneficial bacteria are important for a variety of essential functions, including digestion, the production and metabolization of vitamins, fatty acids and other trace elements, and the protection of the body against infections.

When might a probiotic supplement be needed?

By giving a dog or cat healthy good bacteria in the form of probiotics, we can help keep them healthy by supporting not only their gastrointestinal health, but also an important arm of their immune system.

Although we generally use probiotics for animals with gastrointestinal problems, they are also useful for many other problems. Here are some of the cases in which I might prescribe probiotics (to be honest, I recommend them to all of my clients because of their many health benefits).

  • An infection in the body or gastrointestinal tract
  • Stressful changes (boarding, moving, vaccination, surgery, etc.)
  • Sudden changes in the animal’s diet
  • Immune disorders
  • Young pets adjusting to a new home
  • Older pets with generally “weakened” immune systems
  • Pets taking medications, even for a few days, but especially if longer than a week, including antibiotics, antifungals, NSAIDs and steroids; many drugs destroy the normal bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal system; probiotics repopulate the system with normal, healthy bacteria
  • Pets with specific medical conditions that increase risk of infection, including diabetes and Cushing’s/adrenal disease
  • Gastrointestinal parasites
  • Cancer
  • allergies
  • IBD
  • Vomiting/diarrhea
  • Various inflammatory conditions (arthritis, dental disease, etc.)
  • Leaky gut syndrome (see box)
  • Hairballs – I usually use probiotics and enzymes to achieve ideal hairball control

Which species of probiotics are the best?

While various manufacturers claim that their supplements contain the “good” or “best” species of probiotic microorganisms, in reality we still don’t really know which is “best.” Manufacturers have done limited studies on their products showing benefits for specific conditions, although this has been done more broadly for human probiotics. One day we may discover that a certain strain of probiotic is best for treating a certain disease. For now, I prescribe quality supplements that contain viable organisms – I use a product that contains both probiotics and enzymes, to aid digestion.

Consider a combination product that provides both probiotics and enzymes, to provide additional gastrointestinal and anti-inflammatory support.

In general, probiotic supplements should contain at least one or more of the following strains of healthy bacterial species, as they are well known and have shown positive results in the few studies performed to date: Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus spp.., And Bifidobacterium animalis (strain AHC7). In my opinion, specific microorganisms may not be as important as making sure the animal is taking probiotics.

Probiotic products must contain live bacteria – ideally at least one billion beneficial bacteria per serving. They should not contain artificial ingredients.

Should “normal” animals take probiotics?

Yes! Pets and humans do not need to be sick to benefit from probiotic supplementation. And it may be that probiotics for healthy pets can prevent or minimize various ailments, especially gastrointestinal issues.

Probiotics are among the most important supplements you can give your dog or cat. In addition to supporting a healthy gastrointestinal system, they can provide immune support and are an important aspect in the treatment of various medical conditions.

A note on prebiotics

The term “prebiotic” is often used in conjunction with “probiotic” and is closely related to it. Prebiotics are basically food for probiotics. Prebiotics (“pre” means “before” and “biotic” means “life”) are therapeutic nutritional preparations used for gastrointestinal effects; they promote the growth of normal bacterial flora without promoting the growth of pathogenic organisms. Another definition I like is that a prebiotic is an indigestible, selectively fermented food ingredient that alters the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microflora, conferring health benefits on the host. In pets, these foods include inulin, fructooligosaccharides, mannooligosaccharides, and arabinogalactans.

leaky gut syndrome

Although conventional medicine does not recognize this common disorder, it is important to diagnose and treat leaky gut syndrome to maximize health and improve response to treatment in sick animals. Leaky gut occurs when the integrity of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is damaged, causing it to become leaky or “leaky”. Common causes include a variety of medications and any other toxin that enters the gastrointestinal tract. When increased permeability occurs, unwanted molecules (toxins, harmful bacteria) are allowed to pass through the gastrointestinal tract into the body.

Since the body recognizes these molecules as foreign, it attacks them, likely contributing to various autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroiditis. In addition to absorbing toxins, leaky gut also “leaks” beneficial proteins, including globulins, into the gastrointestinal tract and out of the body. In the long term, this can lead to death due to low levels of body protein. Finally, although leaky gut is not recognized by many mainstream doctors, it has been shown to be the cause of death in dogs that die from parvoviral infections.

Although prebiotics provide nutrition for probiotics, they also have their own positive health effects. For example, arabinogalactans have been shown to offer local GI immunomodulatory effects.



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