Antibiotics & probiotics

Question
Hi Shawn, my 3 year old Chinese Crested girl is on antibiotics for a staph infection. She had very thick, clogged skin when I got her 3 months ago. She started on Cephalexin on 14 April and went to Baytril 50 on 12 May.  I read that she should be on probiotics to keep her intestinal flora healthy while on the ABs and have just purchased Acidophilus powder for her. A member of a dog forum advised me not to give her the powder until after she has finished the anitbiotics.
Should she be on probiotics? And if so, does it matter if it's given at the same time as the antibiotic? I'm not sure if they'd cancel each other out. She has the Baytril in the morning and I've been giving her the probiotic in the evening.
Many thanks,
Jo

Answer
Hi Jo-

Probiotics certainly wont HURT her, but its not a necessity either. Most people give probiotics AFTER the course of antibiotics. They will not cancel her antibiotics out- probiotics are just yeast and bacteria cultures that are beneficial for her gut- its typically used after antibiotics to boost immune systems, help repair any damage to the gut/intestines after a round of antibiotics, and to help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

If you are worried about giving her the probiotic pill, your other option would be to give her a big spoonful of plain yogurt with her food. This also contains yeast/bacteria cultures that are extremely beneficial and will give the same results as the pills.

Good luck!