Are Probiotics Beneficial for Your Dog?
Have you noticed your dog has gas? Does your furry friend have diarrhea? Has your dog been given antibiotics and you noticed he/she is starting to have digestive problems? Probiotics most often help with digestive problems but can also help with mood, fur, skin, dental health and overall immunity.
The word probiotics means “life promoting” so they play a big role in improving and maintaining health. Probiotics are a class of bacteria that live inside of animals and can have positive effects on a dog’s body. There are many types of probiotics and each one has a specific role and effects on a dog.
Quality pet probiotics can:
- Help maintain a healthy intestinal tract
- Help support proper digestion and bowel health
- Aid in reducing occasional loose stools due to environmental stress or changes in diet
- Help maintain proper gut flora
- Helps maintain proper gut pH
When Should You Give Your Dog Probiotics?
They help maintain good gut health and your pet’s health at peak but can also be used at specific times when your pet’s system needs extra help.
If your dog tends to have gastrointestinal issues when they are stressed out it might be a good idea to give them probiotics during stressful times to reduce digestive problems. You can give them probiotics when your dog needs to be boarded, if you need to leave them at daycare or if they have a vet or groom visit coming up.
You might also give your pet probiotics if their diet has recently changed, and they seem to have problems adjusting to it.
Moreover, if your dog is taking antibiotics, probiotics will help restore and maintain healthy balance in the digestive system by providing good bacteria – antibiotics kill bacteria causing the infection, but they cannot tell bad and good bacteria apart, so they kill the good bacteria too and the absence of them causes digestive problems.
How to Choose Right Probiotics for Your Dog?
You might be familiar with your pet’s taste and preferences – you can choose based on the flavor and shape. For example, if your dog refuses to take pills, try POINTPET soft chew probiotics which are very easy to administer, and your dog will love the taste.
Be sure to store probiotics properly as they should be kept in a cool place so that microorganisms in probiotics don’t die.
