Are you a dog owner planning to feed your dog probiotic dog food and wondering whether they are real or just a fancy marketing gimmick?
You’re at the right spot.
In this article, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details of the probiotics in dog food. In the end, you’ll be able to figure out if these probiotics are genuinely beneficial or just a pet food trend.
Let’s get started.
What Are Probiotics In Dog Food?
There are billions of friendly and troublesome microorganisms living in your dog’s gut. The friendly microbes are referred to as probiotics.
Below are some probiotics in your dog’s gut:
- Lactobacillus casei
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Enterococcus faecium
Probiotics are also known as the gut microbiome. Probiotics aid your dog in digestion, boosts immunity, make vitamins and nutrients, and help prevent stomach-related diseases.
Naturally, dogs can maintain a healthy balance of probiotics in their gut, but at times, they fluctuate depending on their eating habits, stress, and illness.
In such cases, you must provide probiotics through external sources like dog food, supplements, and probiotic-rich natural foods to restore balance.
Different dog foods contain various strains of probiotics. You can find the added probiotic strains in the ingredient section of some dog foods and others are present in the guaranteed analysis section of the dog food package.
Extra Information: Prebiotics are the fibers that nourish and promote the growth of probiotics in the gut. Check out the following article to find out how fibers support gut health.
How Do Probiotics In Dog Food Work?
Probiotic dog foods contain vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, fibers, and specific probiotics.
When your dog consumes food with probiotics, it is digested and broken down. The bacteria in the dog food are released into your dog’s intestinal tract, which helps restore the proper balance of probiotics.
In addition, it helps in the digestion of the additional vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the dog food.
Does Your Dog Need Probiotics?
As I mentioned, dogs can maintain the natural balance of probiotics in their guts when they are fit and healthy.
At certain times, when your dog is stressed, ill, or gets into unhealthy eating habits, the probiotic balances get disturbed, leading to stomach-related issues like vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Hence, you can feed your dog probiotics every day as a long-term healthcare solution.
Suppose you’re planning to shift locations or go on a vacation; your dog will have stressful days ahead. So, it’s better to start feeding probiotics a week before so that your dog’s gut bacteria are in perfect balance.
If your dog is having a gut-related issue, you must feed it the required type of probiotics to overcome the problem.
Remember, probiotics work differently for different dogs. The results differ for dogs with food sensitivity, senior dogs with medical conditions, dogs with illnesses, and dogs that received antibiotics recently.
Consult your vet for more information on this and to decide which probiotics are ideal for your dog.
Signs That Your Dog Needs Probiotics
Below are some signs that your dog’s gut microbiome is disturbed, and you must feed it probiotics.
- Irregular potty schedule: If your dog has constant constipation or on-and-off stools, it’s a sign of gut microbiome imbalance.
- Stomach noises: If you’re hearing noises in your dog’s stomach, like gas moving around the intestine, consider feeding it dog food with probiotics.
- Diarrhea: Diarrhea, cramping, or gas are signs of micro-organism imbalance in the gut. Probiotics can reduce diarrhea from seven to four days.
- Food allergies: Food allergies are common among dogs. Probiotics help to boost the immune system and thereby reduce the allergy-related symptoms.
- Yeast infection: When yeast overgrows in the gut, dogs face gastrointestinal issues and yeast infections in their ears. Probiotics stop yeast growth and restore the gut microbiome balance.
- Weight loss: Suppose your dog is losing weight rapidly, but there are no underlying conditions when you check up with the vet. This means your dog’s gut microbiome is disturbed.
When there’s an imbalance in the gut microbiome, the digestive enzymes are not released properly. It causes your dog to lose weight as the food it eats is not digested properly.
Benefits Of Probiotics In Dog Food
Here are the benefits of feeding dog food with probiotics to your dog.
Maintains A Healthy Digestive System
A healthy gut microbiome is important for your dog’s good health.
If it’s disturbed, your dog will face issues like diarrhea, obesity, bad breath, allergies, frequent vomiting, and gas. By feeding your dog probiotics-rich food, you can improve your dog’s digestion and keep it fit and healthy.
Boosts The Immune System
Probiotics improve your dog’s immune system.
It aids the immune cells that recognize and destroy foreign organisms in the body and the cells that produce antibodies to fight against illnesses.
Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Have you heard about the gut-brain axis? It’s a concept that states what goes into the gut is directly linked to the brain and vice versa.
Hence, gut health affects mood; an imbalance in the microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract can cause stress and anxiety. Probiotics reduce this effect by maintaining a healthy microbiome.
In the reverse, stress can cause upset stomach and gastrointestinal disorders in dogs. So, feeding probiotics ahead of any stressful situation, like shifting homes, would help your dog maintain a healthy digestive system.
Reduce Gassiness
Gas and bloating in dogs are signs of an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract. It often occurs when your dog consumes foods that are hard to digest or when scarfing too much air while swallowing food.
Even though your dog might feel relief after releasing the gas, it’s unpleasant and smells bad to people nearby, which you don’t want. Probiotics promote digestion and minimize gassiness in dogs.
Makes It Easy For You To Clean Up The Poop
When your dog’s gut microbiome is healthy, it produces consistent stool that’s not too messy, making it easy for you to clean up.
Additionally, probiotics promote regularity in defecation by controlling the transit time in the gut. This helps you to take your dog to the potty on time.
If you’re struggling with potty training your dog, try out Good Dog Training. Check out the pros and cons of Good Dog Training in the Good Dog Reviews article.
Side Effects Of Probiotics
Does consuming dog food with probiotics have any side effects on your dog? Keep reading to find out.
Most dogs respond well to probiotics. Some may show side effects that are mild and short-lived.
Digestive discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and gas are some of them. These side effects occur due to dietary changes and will get better quickly.
If it doesn’t, you must stop feeding your dog the probiotics and take him to a veterinarian.
Start by feeding a small amount at the beginning and gradually increase the amount to help your dog get accustomed to the dietary change easily.
Some dogs can have allergic reactions to probiotics, causing swelling and itching, but it’s not a common side effect.
Types Of Probiotics In Dog Food
Dog food contains different types of probiotic bacteria. I’ve listed some of them below.
Lactobacillus acidophilus: This bacteria breaks down the nutrients in the intestine, producing lactic acid. Lactic acid creates a hostile environment for pathogens.
Lactobacillus casei: Lactobacillus casei is present in the mouth and intestine. It eliminates the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders.
Enterococcus faecium: Maintains colon and bowel health. Additionally, it fights against toxic bacteria like E.coli.
Bifidobacterium thermophilum: Bifidobacterium makes up the major part of the gut microbiome. They’re crucial for maintaining proper gut health.
Bifidobacterium longum: Helps to reduce anxiety and prevent allergy.
Bacillus Subtilis: Improves digestion, boosts the immune system, and stimulates enzyme production.
You can also feed your dog probiotics in the form of supplements. Probiotic supplements are available in various forms such as powders, capsules, and chews. Talk with the vet before using probiotic supplements.
Foods With Natural Probiotics
Below is a list of natural foods that contain probiotics.
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Cottage cheese
- Sauerkraut
- Kombucha
- Broccoli
- Sweet potato
- Banana
Yogurt and kefir may contain artificial sweeteners that are harmful to your dog. Hence, ensure you feed your dog food that does not contain artificial sweeteners.
If you’re feeding probiotic-rich food every day, you don’t have to go for supplements. Even then, there’s no harm in feeding dog food with probiotics. More probiotics will not harm your dog.
Can You Feed Human Probiotics To Dogs?
There’s no harm in feeding human probiotics to dogs.
However, the gut microbiomes of humans and dogs are different. Hence, human probiotics won’t be as effective as feeding species-specific probiotics designed specifically for dogs.
You must also feed the right quantity mentioned on the label for maximum benefit.
Tips To Choose The Right Probiotic For Your Dog
There are numerous dog foods with probiotics available on the market. You must choose a quality product for maximum benefit.
Below are some factors that you should check while buying:
- Number and variety of strains: As I mentioned above, probiotics are of different strains, and each strain gives specific benefits.
So, look at the types of strains added and see if they’re suitable for the specific gastrointestinal disorder your dog is facing. Choose a brand that uses live and active cultures.
- CFUs: Colony-forming units are the number of viable cells present in one dose. Higher CFU means a higher number of bacteria per serving, which is more effective. Generally, the CFU count must be 10-20 billion.
Note: Some dog food brands in the market claim to have probiotics, but in reality, they don’t. Hence, always choose brands that specify the strains and the CFU used.
- Digestive enzymes: Digestive enzymes maximize the impact of probiotics. Hence, choose dog food with digestive enzymes.
- Prebiotics: Prebiotics are important for the growth of probiotics. So, check if prebiotics are added to the dog food.
- Quality: Remember, probiotics are living bacteria. Temperature, air, and moisture affect its viability. Hence, ensure your dog food is of a quality brand and stored under the right conditions. Even after bringing it home from the store, follow the instructions on the label carefully.
- Expiration date: Probiotics in dog food lose their function after the expiration date mentioned. Therefore, ensure you use it before the date ends.
How To Include Probiotics In Your Dog’s Food?
Probiotics are available in various forms. Hence, it’s easy to include them in your dog’s meals. If you’re using dog food with probiotics, introduce them slowly to your dog’s diet.
First, add a small amount of probiotic dog food into the dog food you usually feed, and gradually increase the amount.
If you try to replace your dog’s meal with probiotic food at once, it might lead to stomach disorders.
Does Probiotic Dog Food Work?
Probiotics are the friendly microorganisms living in your dog’s gut. It helps in digestion, boosts the immune system, and reduces anxiety and stress in dogs.
Even though dogs can maintain their natural gut microbiome, at times, it might fluctuate. Feeding dog food with probiotics helps to maintain an ideal bacterial balance and overall digestive health.
Ensure you select a proper probiotic dog food and store it under the ideal conditions for maximum results.
FAQs
1. Can All Dogs Benefit From Probiotics?
Yes, probiotics help to maintain your dog’s overall digestive health and prevent gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhea, constipation, gas, etc.
2. How Do I Know If Dog Food Contains Effective Probiotics?
The brands that specify the strain of probiotic used, along with its CFC (Colony Forming Unit), are more likely to be effective.
3. Can I Give My Dog Probiotic Supplements Instead Of Probiotic-Fortified Food?
Yes, you can give probiotic supplements to your dog separately. Consult your vet to select the specific type of probiotic supplement and the dosage suitable for your dog.