Probiotics are beneficial bacteria for your dog that live in the intestines and help in the control of yeasts and other harmful bacteria. They also help with digestion and intestinal health. When some of the good bacteria are depleted from the body, whether through diarrhea and or another illness, a supplement of a probiotic powder can help your dog get back to a healthy state.
-
Significance
-
According to Dogaware.com, dogs have friendly bacteria living within their large and small intestines. These “good bacteria” work to maintain resistance against disease by influencing the immune system, as well as assisting in the digestion and assimilation of food. Probiotic powder supplements help to restore, maintain and support the continual growth of the good bacteria.
Uses
-
Probiotic literally means “for life," and the probiotic powder has the ability to help your dog with long- and short-term conditions such as diarrhea, colitis, digestion, malabsorption and other general health issues.
Ingredients
-
As stated by natural pet product manufacturer Denes, most probiotic powder supplements contains various strains of bacteria that are freeze-dried for freshness and combined with other ingredients, such as pectin, allin, agrimony, licorice and marshmallow. The ingredients may vary, depending on the brand of product. The combination of ingredients also helps to aid the metabolism and supports the large intestine while protecting the bowel from undesirable and potentially pathogenic bacteria. Agrimony stimulates the liver and tones the lining of the bowel while the licorice prevents colic and works with the marshmallow to coat and soothe the lining of the bowel and stomach.
Dosage
-
Probiotic powder supplements are generally added to your dog’s food. The dose recommended may be from ¼ tsp. per meal for a toy breed of dog to 1 tbsp. per meal for a large breed of dog, as recommended on the bottle of probiotic powder that you choose to use. For more specifics, confer with your veterinarian for his professional advice.
When to Use
-
Any time your dog is going through a stressful situation, it may be beneficial to supplement his food with the probiotic powder. When your dog is on antibiotic therapy, all bad and good bacteria are killed while your dog is healing from an illness. Probiotic powder will help to replenish these bacteria, resulting in a quicker return to a balanced intestinal microflora. The benefits of probiotic powder can alleviate diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and flatulence. It can also ward off bloat, which is a life-threatening condition.
Warning/Tips
-
Avoid supplementing your dog with the probiotic powder while he is still on antibiotic therapy. You can use the probiotic powder as a preventative measure; your dog can only benefit with larger numbers of good bacteria to ward off the growth of any bad bacteria.
-