Probiotics for Dogs... & Prebiotics Too!

You take probiotics, but does your dog need probiotics too? 

Let's talk about dog poop.

While pretty disgusting on the surface to most of us, there is an entire world that we are just starting to learn about that may change the entire face of nutrition as we know it. Without getting too far into the weeds here, we will be taking a look at good bacteria, bad bacteria, the microbiome, prebiotics, dysbiosis (bacterial in-balance), and probiotics in this section.

Do Our Dogs Know Best?

One of the most confusing things that pet owners will ever observe is their dog eating the stool of another dog, another animal (rabbit, horse, cow, chicken, etc), or their own. We just can’t bring ourselves to understand why our precious pooches would involve themselves in such repulsive behavior. However, our canine companions may be far more evolved in their understanding of the gut microbiome and the benefits of friendly, beneficial bacteria than we are. 

It might sound like I’m making light ofthis But,the truth is, that research is finally showing the vital importance of a healthy gut and how many of the chronic diseases we experience as humans, including mental illness, are directly linked to gut health. Additionally, digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic or life-threatening diseases like cancer and autoimmune diseases (including skin disease and hypothyroidism) can all be linked to an unhealthy gut.

So What Is The Gut Microbiome?

Dogs inhale 10-100 million viruses and 80-40 million bacteria in just 1 hour! Their microbiome, consisting of microorganisms and bacteria, lives in their gut. These are called the gut microbiome.

There may be 100 trillion microbes in your dog's gut! Most of these microbes are benign, some are healthy, and some are actually great for your dog's health! Now, some of these microbes can be harmful. but the problems they can cause can be avoided with a good diet. 

Why Keeping Your Dog's Gut Healthy Matters

Over 80 percent of the immune system comes from the gut, and the vast majority of microorganisms exist within the digestive tract. A normal digestive tract contains both “good” and “bad” (pathogenic) bacteria we discussed. Digestive or intestinal upsets, as well as a wide variety of diseases or conditions, can cause the digestive tract to become “unbalanced.” 

When “unbalanced,” pathogenic bacteria can then take over the environment, overwhelming the “good guys” and creating poor gut health. Poor gut health can negatively impact food digestion and vitamin production, which can lead to serious malnutrition. In addition, an imbalance of the gut microbiome has been linked to other health concerns such as cancer, inflammation, bowel disease, depression, anxiety, and other serious health issues. Having a balanced gut microbiome consisting of thousands of different species of microbes will help your dog maintain optimal health. 

It’s estimated that bacteria account for 0.5 to 1 percent of our (or our pet’s) body weight. This means that bacteria outnumber yourpet’s own cells 95 to 1! In human terms, for a 150 lb person, that means ¾ to 1.5 pounds of bacteria.

For a 20 lb dog, the estimate is 0.1 to 0.2 pounds. One-tenth of a pound of bacteria equals billions and billions of organisms! Wow, that's a lot!

Read more: How to improve your dog's gut health.

Why You Should Feed Your Dog Probiotics

Feeding your dog “good” or beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics) can have the following positive impacts:

1. Probiotics are little chemical factories that protect yourdog’s body from bad bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
2. Probiotics serve as an important barrier to cancer-causing toxins, drugs, heavy metals, and allergens. 
3. They produce important B vitamins. 
4. They assist the body in absorbing nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and iron.
5. Probiotics drive proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
6. They slow the growth of harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. Coli. 

Disrupting the Gut Health For Dogs

There are many things that damage the gut environment and create much of the chronic diseases we see in our dogs today. This includes:

• processed food (kibble)
• over-vaccination
• grains or beans (anything with lectins)
• antibiotics
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and steroids
• stress

Bacteria Is Safe For Dogs

There’s been a lot of buzz on the human side surrounding the benefits of probiotics for humans. For years, we’ve observed positive changes in our gastrointestinal tracts, energy, and skin. As such, much of this has spilled over into the pet world. 

Unfortunately, much of this spillover has just been a duplication of the strains that are beneficial forushumans, and not necessarily our dogs. This is why you will see probiotics on the market for dogs with high CFUs (Colony Forming Units) and dozens of strains that will be familiar to you and backed with substantial marketing claims. 

But, as you can probably guess, the canine digestive tract is quite different than our own. In particular,it’smuch more acidic and subject to higher activity levels. While there may be some commonality of intestinal bacteria between species, each species of animal has its own specific microflora that requires tending.

Species Appropriate Probiotics

Fortunately, there are groups of people out there that have invested substantial time and research into developing biologically species appropriate probiotics for our canine companions. The strains that they have identified have been replicated and grown in human-grade fermentation facilities for quality control and assurance. Additionally, some of them have been subjected to feeding trials for efficacy. Combine these probiotics with prebiotics, and there is the potential to maximize the opportunity to positively colonize and stabilize in thegut of your dog.

Why Probiotics Need Prebiotics

Think of prebiotics as insoluble and indigestible fuel for the good bacteria (probiotics). Your dog can’t do much with prebiotics. But, his/her gut can!

Without fuel, probiotics are less active, less effective, and will eventually just die off. But, if they are well-fed, they will grow and encourage new colonies of friendly bacteria to form. When this happens, the good start to crowd out the bad-harmful bacteria. 

When purchasing probiotics from the store, make sure that they contain a prebiotic as well. Otherwise, you can add small amounts of the following items to yourdog’s diet/ a few times a week to help fuel his/her good bacteria:

• Green leafy vegetables (1tsp. per20lbs.of body weight)
• Mushrooms
• Greenbananas (1/2 inch per 25lbs. of body weight)
• Apples (a few slices here and there- no seeds though!)
• Asparagus 

Probiotics can be an important addition to your dog’sdiet, especially if he/she has ever had antibiotics or drugs, or if you’ve been feeding cooked or processed food. Dogs that suffer from allergies, digestive upset, or many other common immune-related health issues will also benefit greatly. You can easily bolster his health with easy-to-use probiotics. And, now you know how to protect that investment by adding prebiotics too! 

A Natural Raw Diet Is Beneficial To Gut Health

Feeding your dog a fresh and natural raw dog food will provide them with probiotics naturally! By feeding a variety of dietary fiber from the vegetables in a raw diet, you are also feeding a variety of healthy microbes which will improve your dog's gut health!

Keep in mind it is important to switch your dog's protein source every so often, as different species of microbes thrive this as well. By feeding a healthy diet to your dog, you will be nurturing the good bacteria and avoiding the bacteria that can pose danger to your dog. 

 For You: Benefits of Tumeric for Dogs.