When we welcome a dog into our home we must be able to provide him with all his basic needs, and this involves a good diet, which allows you to feel vital and energetic. Sometimes, due to an inadequate diet or due to other factors, the intestinal flora in the dog is altered and this can have serious consequences for its he alth, which can be prevented naturally and easily.
Therefore, in this article on our site we talk about probiotics for dogs. In addition, we will show you what its composition is, the types that exist, how to use them and much more. You can not lose this!
Intestinal flora in dogs
As it happens with humans, dogs also have intestinal flora or intestinal microbiota. This refers to a set of beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in the intestine and that are of vital importance for the he alth of our pet, since fulfill the following functions:
- They are involved in the digestion of food and are necessary for proper absorption of nutrients.
- They are essential for the synthesis of some vitamins and minerals.
- They protect the digestive system against pathogenic bacteria.
- They help our pet to have an optimal level of vigor and energy.
There are numerous strains of beneficial bacteria in our dog's intestinal flora, but we must highlight the following as the most important:
- Bifidobacterium animalis
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Lactobacillus bulgarious
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Bacillus coagulans
Imbalances in the dog's intestinal flora
Imbalances in the dog's intestinal flora have a direct impact on its he alth and can cause the following symptoms:
- Abdominal swelling
- Signs of abdominal pain
- Increased intestinal gas
- Diarrhea
- Decreased immune response
Changes in the intestinal flora can have various causes: although the most common are changes in diet, administration of a Poor quality feed high in indigestible protein or if antibiotic treatment has been started.
To restore our pet's intestinal flora it is essential to determine the underlying cause to eliminate it, but at the same time we will need to resort to probiotics.
What are probiotics for dogs?
Probiotics for dogs are products formulated based on strains of bacteria that normally inhabit the dog's intestine and are beneficial for its He alth. They are not considered a pharmacological treatment but a nutritional supplement.
We must distinguish probiotics from prebiotics and synbiotics, let's see below the differences between each product:
- Probiotics: contain directly the strains of beneficial bacteria present in the dog's intestine.
- Prebiotics: contain non-assimilable substances (such as certain types of fiber) that serve as food for beneficial bacteria and allow the balance of the same.
- Symbiotics: These are products that incorporate a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics.
How to choose a good probiotic for our dog
Probiotics are especially recommended against diarrhea or gastrointestinal disorders and also after or parallel to antibiotic treatment.
It is very important to offer our pet a good quality product, and to ensure this we recommend that you follow these tips:
- Choose a specific probiotic for dogs.
- Choose a probiotic that contains at least 10 strains of bacteria.
- Choose a quality product, to do so, you must observe the GMP certification (Good Manufacturing Practices) on the label.
- Let your vet advise you.
Probiotics for dogs are nutritional supplements completely safe, it is recommended to finish the treatment as indicated on the package to ensure a adequate restoration of the intestinal flora.
