Animal Welfare, Dogs, Pet Care, Pet Wellness, Pets, Veterinarian, Worldwide

6 Ways Probiotics Can Support The Gut Health of Your Dog

probiotic for dogs

The gut health of your dog contributes to its well being and immunity. A dogs gut has both bad and good bacteria, and dog owners should find ways through which they can maintain a balance to keep their dogs strong, active, and healthy.

Most dog owners do not know what they can do to ensure that their dog’s gut remains healthy at all times. Well, one of the best, tested, and proven ways of doing that is giving the dog a probiotic supplement every day.

Probiotics are formulations made of yeast and bacteria that are made to support the immune and digestive health of dogs. They replenish the healthy bacteria found in the dog’s gastrointestinal tract and ensure that the bad bacteria do not overpower the good ones. This ensures that the dog stays healthy at all times.

There are many ways through which probiotics support the gut health of your dog. The most common ones include;

Reducing Digestive Issues Caused by Illnesses and Stress

Moving your dog from one home to another, which is something that dog owners cannot avoid especially when changing houses, stresses dogs and creates a lot of discomforts. This disrupts the existing balance between healthy microbes and those that cause illnesses in the dog’s gut and can cause sicknesses.

When a dog experiences this, it can get illnesses such as cramping, bad breath, gas, and diarrhoea. Getting the best probiotics for dogs can help eliminate these illnesses and support the gut health of your dog.

Decreasing Side Effects Brought By Antibiotics

Dog owners use antibiotics when fighting some common infections in their dogs. However, some of these antibiotics affect both the bad and good bacteria in the gut of their dogs. When this happens, the dog might suffer from things such as diarrhea and cramping.

To ensure that your dog does not suffer from these side effects, you can administer controlled amounts of probiotics a few days before you start giving it the antibiotics. After the dog has taken the antibiotics, remember to continue giving it probiotics for a few more days.

diet changes for dogs

Reducing Stomach Problems as a Result of Changes in Diet

One of the most common causes of diseases in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs is changes in diet. When you change what your dog has been eating for a long time, chances are that it will experience stomach upsets before it gets used to the new diet.

However, this is something that can be avoided through the use of probiotics. Giving probiotics to your dog before changing its diet ensures that there is a balance between the bad and good bacteria to handle change in diet.

Photo: Vanessa Loring from Pexels

Eliminating Chronic Distress in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Sometimes, you might notice that your dog is suffering from chronic distress in the gastrointestinal tract. This causes a lot of discomfort to the dog and can lead to a host of other diseases.

To eliminate this distress, you can get probiotics and ensure that the dog takes controlled portions every day. This will help the dog’s body in initiating a response to the distress and curing it within a few days. 

Improving the Immune System of Older Dogs

Dogs tend to develop a weak immune system as they grow older. This is caused by many things associated with old age. Most immune cells, about seventy percent of them, reside in the gut of a dog. 

That means that to strengthen the immunity of your dog, you need to give it probiotics. This boosts the development of good and healthy bacteria in the gut, something that is very important when improving the dog’s immune system.

Treating Chronic Diarrhea

Finally, you might find your dog showing symptoms whose source might be unknown. Causes maybe by things such as stress, allergies from foods, and eating the wrong foods or substances.

Such conditions might lead to chronic diarrhea as well as vomiting that might leave the dog dehydrated and weak. Although exercising helps dogs with chronic diarrhea, the use of probiotics can also help with faster recovery and support the health of your dog.

Conclusion

Dogs are very helpful in our lives and have been described as a man’s best friend. They increase the opportunities we have to get outside, exercise, and socialize. Playing with dogs and walking with them regularly helps in decreasing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and stress. 

They also help in managing depression and loneliness in humans. This means that dog owners should try as much as possible to ensure that their dogs remain healthy at all times. 

About the Author
Nadine is a health coach and writer who helps her clients achieve phenomenal and sustainable results by combining nutrition, fitness and fun! She believes primarily in living a happy life, and that the backbone of any lifestyle is that it must be sustainable and enjoyable.

Cover Photo by Samson Katt from Pexels

Share:

Leave a Reply