Probiotic Foods for Dogs

Probiotic foods have been popular for some time, but they've only recently developed in canine and other types of veterinary medicine. Probiotics refer to a set of microbes and bacteria that are beneficial to your pet's system.

In the case of all people and animals, a set of healthy and supportive bacteria lives regularly inside of the digestive tract. These bacteria survive by consuming certain portions of the food that your dog eats, and they benefit your dog by helping to break down and process certain aspects and parts of that food. Without these bacteria, your pet may be more likely to become sick. Probiotic foods help to deliver more of these healthy, beneficial bacteria to your pet's body.

How Probiotic Foods Work

Probiotic foods are foods that are packed with many of these helpful bacteria. In general, there are two main types of beneficial bacteria that are included in probiotic foods for dogs:

  • lactobacillus acidophilus
  • enterococcus faecium

Both of these types of bacteria live in your dog's lower intestine and helphim to adequately process the foods that he eats. They eliminate harmful bacteria from those foods and help to keep his system regular and healthy be helping to break down foods and encourage motion through the bowel system.

Probiotic foods are oftentimes considered to be examples of nutraceuticals, or supplements that contain nutritional and pharmaceutical benefits both. These foods are oftentimes available through specialty pet shops only and must usually be refrigerated and served carefully so that the bacteria will be encouraged to survive.

Benefits of Probiotic Foods for Dogs

In addition to helping your pet to digest his food more easily, probiotic foods help to stimulate healthy bacteria growth in the lower intestine, thereby preventing unhealthy bacteria and parasites from finding a place to grow there. When your dog's lower intestine is colonized by healthy bacteria, unhealthy and potentially harmful bacteria will have a more difficult time finding a spot to grow and nutrients necessary to reproduce. This means that probiotic foods act as a natural guard against many different types of infection.

More Information

Probiotic foods do have the downside of being somewhat more expensive than standard dog foods. It's generally not recommended that you feed your dog exclusively on a diet of probiotic foods, as they may be missing some of the other essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that he needs in order to remain healthy. For this reason, although probiotic foods are generally available without the use of a vet's prescription, it's still advisable that you recommend your plan to a vet to see how he or she would suggest you plan out a probiotic food regimen for your dog before you begin.

Most probiotic foods are available either through a vet's office or at specialty pet food stores throughout the country. Ask your vet for additional information or if you have any questions.

 

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