Is your pet’s gut happy? How probiotics can help

In my 50 years in the industry, the biggest improvements in pet health that I’ve seen have come from moving from ultra-processed dry pet foods to clean, fresh foods.

We can make other adjustments to our pets’ nutrition that have huge benefits. I’ve discussed Omega 3s and green-lipped mussels, and our clients all rave about those supplements. Another supplement all pets will benefit from are probiotics.

Every living creature needs to digest food. Probiotics ensure that we can get the most out of our foods, and that we aren’t fighting the foods we eat. Having the right gut biome can help prevent bad bugs and yeasts from multiplying. There are even probiotics designed to help with allergies.

Up to 70 per cent of our immune system is in our gut. Making sure we have the right bugs growing in our gut means our bodies can concentrate on keeping us healthy. This is just as important for pets and, in some cases, even more important.

Many products make claims about having “prebiotics’ and, while these are important for gut health, they are not probiotics. Prebiotics are basically fibre, which is a good growing medium for probiotics. On their own, they are good, but when matched with a good probiotic, you get maximum effect.

Probiotics come in many forms. Fermented foods such as fermented goat milk or kefir are great, but try to avoid commercial, cow’s-milk yogurts. Many have sweeteners, and many dogs and cats have an issue with the lactose in cow’s milk. Fermented veggies such as cabbage are good sources of natural probiotics. There are many recipes for fermented veggies that you can make in your fridge, and many call for a probiotic powder as a “starter.”

Probiotic supplements are available in many forms at your local pet store. Powders, treats or toppers, any probiotic is better than none, but they are not all created equal.

Some will have one or two strains of bacteria; others will have a dozen or more. Some will have just the basic acidophilus, while the best ones will include pet specific strains, literally cultured from dog or cat feces. Some even use strains from wild dogs/wolves to get that species-appropriate gut biome.

The strength of these products is listed in CFUs (colony forming units). The numbers can sound huge, but the more the better, in most cases. I have seen products ranging from 100 million CFUs per dose to 30 billion CFUs. Reading the label reveals a lot about the strength of the product.

Most probiotic treats or packages will have other ingredients, which are essentially carriers. Making sure these are not potential allergens is very important in dogs with sensitivities. Some will have “natural flavour”, which can contain chicken digest. Others can have wheat or soy. Make sure you read all the ingredients.

How the treats are made and stored can also affect their potency. I prefer powders that are stored in the fridge, they seem to stay a lot fresher than treats in a zip-lock bag on the shelf.

Will your pet get sick if you don’t use probiotics? Not specifically – but using probiotics on a regular basis can prevent issues before they happen.