If you have ever eaten a yogurt with live cultures, you may have taken a probiotic.
The term refers to beneficial or “friendly” gut-dwelling microbes (bacteria and yeasts). There are billions of them in the gastrointestinal system of all animals, and they aid in the digestion of food, fight off potential pathogens, make nutrients and vitamins, and bolster the immune system.
The word itself is derived from the Latin word “for” (pro) and the Greek “life” (bio).
Sometimes beneficial microbes are damaged or destroyed, and that can cause stomach upset and a general decline in health. If your dog is suffering from diarrhea or related issues, or seems to get sick more than other dogs for no apparent reason, your veterinarian may suggest using one of the methods to boost beneficial bacteria:
These products come in several different forms, including:
These products usually contain kinds of bacteria normally found in the canine gut, such as:
Gail Czarnecki-Maulden, Ph.d., a senior research nutritionist for Nestle Purina and one of the developers of FortiFlora, says that the big problem with these products is that they are delicate living things. "When you look at a probiotic, you are looking at live bacteria that have been adapted to living within the GI tract," she explains in a Canine Health Foundation podcast. Exposure to air, moisture, or temperature extremes will damage their viability. That's why some of these products are sold in individual serving packets. She also says that people should be mindful of temperature conditions when purchasing a probiotic product. "You don't want to buy your probiotics when it's 110 degrees outside and you go to the mall for four hors and your probiotics are sitting in a hot car for five or six hours. It's not likely that the probiotics will survive.
Also, there are a few things you should look for on a probiotic package label, for example:
Probiotics are most often prescribed for maintaining a “desirable intestinal microbial balance,” according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. When an animal is stressed or sick, the balance between the healthy and disease-causing microbes may be disrupted. This can lead to diarrhea, gas, cramping, and bad breath.
Some of the triggers for such digestive disorders include:
You might consider giving your healthy dog a probiotic if he is prone to developing diarrhea in stressful situations. For example, if you are planning to take your dog to a show or to board the dog, it may make sense to give probiotics for a few days in advance. Also, puppies who tend to get diarrhea after training classes of visits to the vet, for example, might benefit from a few days of probiotics in preparation for the stressful event.
Anecdotal evidence—stories of individual success—exists to support the effectiveness of probiotics and some veterinarians swear by them. There are some scientific studies on the health benefits of probiotics in humans or in animals, as well, and in enhancing immune responses in growing dogs. One 2009 Irish study found that supplementation with a specific strain of Bifidobacterium animalis reduced the duration of diarrhea from seven to four days. It also eliminated the need for antibiotic treatment by about 10 percent over placebo.
In this video, you'll see how probiotics helped one little dog regain his health.
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