The Surprising Finding Was That The Group Who Received The Probiotic Had The Poorest Response In Terms Of Their Microbiome
As expected, a lot of major changes occurred in the function of the microbes many of which died because of the antibiotics, says Elinav.
The volunteers were divided into three groups. The first was a wait-and-see group, with no intervention after the antibiotics. The second group was given a common probiotic for a month. The third was given perhaps the least savoury option: a faecal transplant. This group had a small sample of their own stool taken before the antibiotic treatment returned to their colon once the treatment was over.
The surprising finding was that the group who received the probiotic had the poorest response in terms of their microbiome. They were the slowest group to return to a healthy gut. Even at the end of the study after five months of monitoring this group had not yet reached their pre-antibiotic gut health.
Probiotics won’t work exactly the same for everyone because gut biomes are different
We have found a potentially alarming adverse effect of probiotics, says Elinav.
The good news, incidentally, is that the group who received a faecal transplant did very well indeed. Within days, this group completely reconstituted their original microbiome.
So many people are taking antibiotics all over the world, says Elinav. We can aim to better understand this potentially very important adverse effect that we didnt realise existed.
Proflora Probiotic Soft Chews
What we love: We love that Proflora Probiotic Soft Chews mixes well with antibiotics, which are harsh on a dogs tummy. The product comes in three different sizes at a great value. The chew is small and easy to feed to your dog.
What customers say: 98% of reviewers recommend this product. Customers using product have dogs who just had surgery, finished chemotherapy, or are on antibiotics. All of these things will cause stress to a dogs stomach and possible digestive issues. Proflora Probiotic Soft Chews balance the gut out after your pup undergoes stress.
Ingredients: Contains 6 strains of live microorganisms, 1 Billion CFUs per chew.
Best Chew: Petvitalitypro Probiotics For Dogs With Natural Digestive Enzymes
Many dog probiotics are available as a chew, which in your dogs mind is practically the same as a treat! Give your dog healthy probiotics and a reason to wag his tail with the PetVitalityPro Probiotic Chew.
This duck-flavored soft chew has over 20 active ingredients and includes a green superfood formula so fair warning: it has a green-ish tint. A few pet parents said they were surprised by the color when they opened the container. Most dogs will gladly gobble this probiotic chew whole, but if for some reason your dog isnt interested in an extra treat, then these chews crumble easily and can be mixed in with a meal.
The best part about this probiotic chew for dogs is how fast it works for many pets. In cases of persistent itchiness or worrisome diarrhea, pet owners have noticed that their dogs experienced fast relief once they began a regiment that included PetVitalityPro Probiotic Chews. In fact, one pet parent pointed out that these worked more effectively than any other natural or medicinal approach she tried for her dogs digestive distress. Turn treat time into an opportunity to give your dog a daily dose of good bacteria with these tasty PetVitalityPro Probiotic Chews for dogs.
As your dog ages, new problems may begin to pop up. Tackle any developing digestive dilemmas and ease joint pain with a probiotic for senior dogs, like Amazing Nutritionals Probiotics Joint Formula.
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Can I Take Probiotics At The Same Time As My Antibiotics Or Will It Just Cancel Out
When on antibiotics, the NIH recommends taking probiotics twice a day, two hours away from the prescription to avoid killing the supplemented probiotics.
This recommendation seems to be based on common sense of digestion timing rather than specific research that I can source. Whether theres been any official research on whether the antibiotics just wipe out all the probiotics the next time you take them and therefore you should take a break from probiotics during your actual abx regiment I am not sure.
But my own common sense says that were only talking about a 5-10 day period, and thats not very much probiotics to waste if its going to be wasted anyway. If it doesnt bother your stomach, Id keep taking them right through the prescription.
A reader shared that taking them at the exact same time caused her extreme digestive distress so do follow the 2-hour guidelines and listen to your body. Again, its only 5-10 days, so skipping probiotics during that time isnt going to set you back so far that you cant recover.
Probiotics Vs Antibiotics In The Gut
In essence: Probiotics are actual live microorganisms, while antibiotics kill live microorganisms .
Given this conundrum, one probiotic of particular interest is Saccharomyces boulardii , a strain of yeast, which has been found to remain untouched by antibiotics, which target bacteria. In humans S. boulardii has shown protection against antibiotic-associated diarrhea.16And if youre wondering, our probiotics specifically formulated to support the GI health of dogs do in fact contain S. boulardii.
In humans, probiotic use has seen promising results as a preventative measure and treatment for antibiotic-associated diarrhea,17 and at this point its relatively commonplace to recommend probiotics during antibiotic treatment.18
But what about for dogs and cats? The research there is much more limited, but emerging evidence for the simultaneous use of probiotics during antibiotics treatment appears promising.
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Keeping Bad Bacteria In Check
Healthy intestinal bacteria inhibit the growth of pathogens such as viruses, fungi, parasites, and harmful bacteria.
Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is usually a harmless inhabitant of human and animal intestines, but the strain E. coli O157:H7 produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness. It was first identified during a 1982 outbreak of bloody diarrhea that was traced to contaminated hamburger.
Investigative journalist Jo Robinson has documented many benefits of feeding cattle on grass instead of in commercial feedlots. Among other things, a natural grass diet provides ideal conditions for the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut of the cattle. Recent research at Cornell University shows that grass-fed cattle have less than 1 percent of the E. coli bacteria found in feedlot cattle, while other studies show that grass-fed chickens carry significantly lower amounts of E. coli than chickens raised indoors on factory farms.
Robinson explains that because a grain diet increases the acidity of bovine digestive tracts, the E. coli that grows in feedlot cattle is less affected by hydrochloric acid in the human stomach, which would otherwise destroy it. Beneficial bacteria in the digestive tracts of dogs and people help prevent acid-resistant E. coli from proliferating when they eat beef from feedlot cattle.
How Can Probiotics Help Your Dog
If your dog is prone to digestive troubles, such as gas and diarrhea, giving them probiotics might help. Certain strains of bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis, might be able to reduce diarrhea in dogs or improve stool quality.
In addition to helping to improve digestion in dogs, probiotics might also be able to help improve their mood, improve fur and skin appearance, and reduce bad breath.
Probiotics can also help your dog bounce back after a course of antibiotics or other medications. When a dog takes antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection, the medicine often kills all types of bacteriaboth good and badin their system. As a result, some dogs develop diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues when they take medicines. Probiotics can help to restore positive gut bacteria and reduce unpleasant side effects of medications.
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Choosing A Probiotic Supplement For Your Dog
The amount of probiotic you give your dog depends on the type of probiotic you choose. For the lactic acid bacteria, youll want to look for a supplement with several strains. Most studies on probiotics use a mix of strains because results with single strains arent as good.
Because lactic acid bacteria are easily destroyed in the gut, you will need a product with a large number of colony forming units . Youll usually want to see at least 10 billion CFU for any live probiotics to survive in your dogs gut. This is fine for healthy dogs, but if your dog has digestive or immune problems, then look for about 25-50 billion CFU for a medium to large sized dog. Saccharomyces boulardii is much hardier than the dairy based probiotics, so a smaller amount can be given. In general, you can give a half billion to 5 billion CFU.
If youre giving your dog spore forming probiotics, you can also use a smaller amount of CFUs because they easily survive the gut acidity. Look for about 1 billion CFU.
Side Effects Of Antibiotics In Dogs
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Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in dogs and are among the most common types of medications prescribed for dogs. Infections can occur in any part of the body, including the skin, mouth, eyes, ears, urinary tract, lungs, and other organs. There are many different types of antibiotics available, as well as many different classes. Each class works in a different way against bacteria.
The following are common antibiotics prescribed to dogs by veterinarians:
- Amoxicillin
- Tetracycline
If your vet has prescribed antibiotics for your dog, ask about the potential side effects and whether or not there is a way to prevent them. Contact your vet if you notice any side effects giving antibiotics.
Not all antibiotics have the same side effects, though many share similar ones. Fortunately, most antibiotics are generally safe and rarely have serious effects on dogs. However, adverse effects can still occur. Here are some of the most common side effects of antibiotic use in dogs.
Recommended Reading: How Do Antibiotics Kill Bacteria
Probiotics For Your Dog
The word probiotic literally means for life, as opposed to antibiotic, which means against life. Probiotics are strains of beneficial bacteria sold as supplements for human or pet use. All health food stores and many pet supply stores carry several brands of L. acidophilus and other strains that can help improve your dogs digestion and immune function.
Probiotic supplements are especially beneficial for newborn puppies, to increase the number of desirable organisms in their digestive tract. They are also well-suited to help dogs of all ages cope with stress travel, intensive training, competition, and boarding. Its smart to use them to boost the immune system following surgery, parvovirus infections , chronic diarrhea, and whelping. They should also be a standard prescription during and after the use of any antibiotic.
Buying a probiotic supplement and following label directions is the simplest way to introduce a new supply of live beneficial bacteria to your dogs digestive tract. Some brands require refrigeration others have a long shelf life at room temperature. The supplement may be sold as a powder, liquid, or in tablets or capsules, some of which are enteric-coated to survive stomach acid and break apart in the small intestine. Depending on the brand, label instructions may recommend feeding the product on an empty stomach between meals, with food, or immediately before or after eating.
Probiotics For Dogs: Why Youre Using Them Wrong
- 7:40 pm
At Rogue, we want to be very blunt with our readers. We want to bring a new foundation-level perspective on gut health and new information based on confirmed science for immediate application to bring positive health changes now!
Writing about pre-biotic and probiotics is fascinating when you include the latest sequencing technology used to conduct deep sequencing reads and biological expression studies, as long as youre staying above the waist! To really understand the nature of the relationship between microbes and their canine
host, topics get real dirty real fast. Some might even say crappy! This is because most research to find any association between probiotic organisms and any benefit deals with fecal samples, usually diarrhea. A lot of it to be exact. Not the most exciting of topics to bring up when people ask what Im writing about.
Increasing gut health through Probiotics is the biggest bang for your buck!
Rogue Pet Science
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The Best Probiotics For Dogs
Can probiotics make dogs healthier? Yes, they can! Few other supplements can have such a large impact on the dogs immune system and health. As we learn more about gut bacteria and the large role they play in health and metabolism, we work harder to keep our dogs microbiome healthy and balanced.
But you need to support your dogs microbiome by using the right probiotics at the right times.
What Are The Signs That Your Dog Needs Probiotics
Keeping your dog gut check in health is actually a bit more complicated than it seems. While, yes, dogs can and do eat things off the ground, most of the time they come out unscathed. And yet there are other times when they eat things they shouldn’t, you’re left cleaning up for quite a while. Often times a sensitive digestive system is one of the the signs that your dog needs probiotics.
Probiotics are a powerful solution, and a must-have for all pet parent’s pantries.
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Which Probiotics To Give Your Dog While On Antibiotics
If youre looking for the ideal probiotics to give your dog while on antibiotics, we compared the best probiotics for dogs on antibiotics here. In short, we found that the best probiotic product for dogs on the market is BlueBiologys Probiotics for Dogs.
Want to learn more about probiotics in dogs? The articles below may interest you:
Are There Natural Probiotics For Dogs
A good source of natural probiotics for dogs is yogurt or kefir. Youll want a product thats high in live cultures with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Added sugars arent healthy for dogs, and some artificial sweeteners, like xylitol, are toxic for dogs. Also, plain, Greek-style yogurt is better because it has lower levels of lactose, which can cause digestive issues in some dogs.
Fermented vegetables can also be a good source of natural probiotics for dogs, but you want to make sure they dont contain any onions, garlic, or chives as these are toxic for dogs. See which foods are and arent safe for dogs.
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Best Variety Of Strains In A Chew: Zesty Paws Ancient Elements Probiotic Bites Bison Flavored Soft Chews Digestive Supplement For Dogs
Zesty Paws puts six strains of probiotic bacteria into a tasty bison-flavored soft chew. A healthy treat for your dog! The ancient grain base adds prebiotics to feed the beneficial bacteria once your dog eats them.
This supplement includes the digestive enzymes from pineapple and papaya, which are bromelain and papain. These enzymes add to the digestive benefits of this chew and can reduce your dogs gas if its a problem.
Do Antibiotics Cause Constipation In Dogs
Today, a vast range of veterinary drugs are available in the market that is effective against a huge range ofinfectious diseases of canines, felines, and other animals as well. Anti-Biotics are prescription drugs that restrict the growth of bacteria and kill them.In this piece of article, I decided to talk about the relation between the usage ofantibacterial drugs and constipation. “Do antibiotics cause Constipation in dogs“, I find this question important to answer.Yes! it’s possible.Antibiotics may cause constipation in dogs. It’s one of the most commonly occurring side effects of using those veterinary medications.
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How To Purchase And Care For A Probiotic Product
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. Thats 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 dont want to buy your probiotics when its 110 degrees outside and you go to the mall for four hours and your probiotics are sitting in a hot car for five or six hours. Its not likely that the probiotics will survive.
Also, there are a few things you should look for on a probiotic package label, for example:
Types Of Probiotics For Dogs
Probiotics for dogs come in several forms. Some dog foods even include probiotics in the list of ingredients.
If you look at the guaranteed analysis section on a package of dog food with probiotics, you will see the type and quantity of bacteria added.
Species-specific strains include Enterococcus faecium and Bacillus coagulans. Other probiotic strains that have helped improve stool quality and consistency in dogs include Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
Dog probiotic supplements are produced as powders, capsules, and chews. Each are labeled with recommendations on dosage and frequency of use.
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Diet Focus: Beneficial Partner Or Benefit Leaching Blob
This is something that no supplement or pet food company will tell you. A poor diet will hinder or completely eliminate any benefit from probiotic use. The
inclusion of pre-biotics is important but will be wasted if a total gut mindset is not adopted . So dont waste your money if youre feeding a kibble-only diet. How is that?
Kibble turns into a large non-nutrient mass inside the intestinal tract that traps nutrients, vitamins and medications. If that wasnt enough, it also shifts pH to favor bad microbes and further promotes growth conditions for potentially harmful pathogenic organisms . If you need to make a kibble-based diet work, Rogue Pet Sciences Origins 5in1 supplement addresses all 5 of the probiotic rules correctly in the diet.
