The Benefits of Probiotics for Your Pets

Probiotics for Pets

Probiotics are essential supplements not only for us humans, but also for our furry friends. Just as the gut flora is responsible for a large part of our immunity and digestion, so it is for our cats and dogs.

I am sure quite a few of you, like myself, have had a beloved pet with an ‘upset’ tummy from time to time. It is not fun for anyone involved! As well as being uncomfortable for them (as it would be for ourselves), it is also a sign that things aren’t as balanced in the gut as they could be.

Diarrhoea is normally caused by eating contaminated food or water with bacteria – and not the good kind! What happens is that the gut flora becomes compromised by the invasion of the ‘bad’ bacteria and the body does everything it can to push that out before it can take a hold in the system.

Sometimes it is a good idea to give the body a helping hand and support it with the ‘good’ bacteria, so that it can take control and push out the ‘bad’ stuff.

This is another reason it is a good idea to take probiotics when we are taking anti-biotics, as the job of the anti-biotics is to kill not only the ‘bad’ stuff, but it will rid you of a fair amount of the ‘good’ ones too.

This imbalance we can get is something that can stick with us for some time if not replenished or supported. If we do eat a balanced, healthy diet then we will be supporting our gut flora with pre-biotics. This is just fibre’s that the bacteria like to feed on and therefore flourish in our systems leaving them to a five star job inside us.

The only difference for our fluffy friends, is that the bacteria that thrive in their systems will be different to ours. It is important to mention that everyone one’s gut flora is different; we really are all biologically unique!

Dr Mercola’s Complete Probiotics is an amazing product, because it is made specifically for cats and dogs. Your pet will need different amounts depending on their size, and this is because the bigger the animal is – the longer their gut will be – so it stands to reason they will need more to truly benefit your pet.

My dog Blue has been taking Dr Mercola’s Complete Probiotics for Pets for nearly a year now. When we first started using it, it was because he had frequent diarrhoea and we figured it was because (like most dogs) he likes to lick everything he can and eat what he finds when we are out on our walks! Dogs are pretty disgusting sometimes – but we love them dearly anyway.

Because we love him so much we couldn’t stand to see him in discomfort any longer. The probiotics started to work within just one week. His skin is also less flaky (which we had been using oil supplements for up to this point), and his breath doesn’t smell as much. So it just goes to show that the correct or healthy balance of bacteria in our guts, even our pets, really can help to support the body in many different ways.

This is a product that I know we will continue to give Blue, as it really has made such a difference. There are of course times when he drinks from puddles or eats things he shouldn’t and we need to up his dose of probiotics for a few days to counter act any negative effects from his ‘naughtiness’. But they really are that flexible to use, and the probiotic powder has no flavour to it so it is easy to add to wet or dry food. We actually mix in a little bit of water with Blue’s dry food to help mix the probiotics in.

Digestive Enzymes for Pets

Digestive enzymes are found in all foods naturally, the higher quality, organic or raw the food is, the more it will contain of the enzymes. Our pet’s bodies will produce enzymes the same way we do in our pancreases. In the wild animals eat the organs to get these enzymes as part of their diet if it is high in animal protein. Plants also contain enzymes so you find dogs like to eat grass to not only get more fibre, but also the give them the enzymes they need to help digest their food.

Dr Mercola’s Digestive Enzymes for Pets is an easy and efficient option for pets who are in need of a little more help to digest their food – perhaps they get more table scraps than they should, or they eat a raw diet or even vegan diet.

Some dog food now has added enzymes to it as it is recognised that the processed food our pets have been eating for so long is not as nature intended so we need to help them digest it so they can get the nutrition and energy them need from it.

Dr Mercola’s Digestive Enzymes for Pets is also a flavourless powder that can be easy mixed with your pet’s food. The dose also depends on their weight as the bigger they are the more food they will be consuming in a meal. You can separate the amount across the number of meals your pet has in a day, to make sure all they eat is being broken down and digested fully.

Just like the bacteria in our guts is different for our pets, so too is the amount of and variety of enzymes they will need. This is why Dr Mercola’s Digestive Enzymes are so brilliant, it really takes the guess work out and makes sure you are giving your pet the amount they need.

If your pet suffers with any acid reflux, slow or poor digestion then this is a product I would certainly recommend.

Let’s help our pets to be as healthy as they can and feel as good as they can!