If your dog has ongoing tummy trouble, start by visiting your vet to find out why. If you're considering dog probiotics, keep the following in mind.

• Your dog’s gut is home to a community of microbes that help with digestion and the immune system.

• So far, research on dog probiotics shows only a small, uncertain benefit, and it may not make a real difference for your dog.

• Results are mixed. One shelter study saw less diarrhea with a supplement, while another saw no real difference.

• Quality varies a lot. Older studies found many products didn’t contain what the label promised.

• Cornucopia’s canned recipes are everyday foods, not probiotic supplements or dog digestive supplements.

Probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic. What’s the difference?

• Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts that can be good for you when you get enough of them. A benefit seen with one strain doesn’t automatically carry over to another.

• Prebiotics are food for the good bugs already in the gut. In dogs, that usually means fermentable fibers like FOS and inulin.

• Synbiotics are a probiotic and a prebiotic together.

One label trap: “fermentation product” isn’t the same as live cultures. In one study of pet foods that advertised probiotics, most listed fermentation products instead of live organisms.

What’s going on in your dog’s gut?

Think of your dog’s digestive tract as a busy neighborhood. Bacteria and other tiny organisms live there, help break down food, keep troublemakers in check, and help train the immune system.

When that community gets thrown off balance, it’s called dysbiosis. It’s most often linked to digestive disease, and vets can test for it.

Can dog probiotics help?

Probiotics usually don’t move in and settle in for good. They pass through. As they pass through, their byproducts may calm things down and nudge the gut’s balance.

Why the label matters

In a 2011 study of 25 probiotic products sold for animals, ten didn’t list how many bacteria were inside. Of the 15 that did, only about one in four actually matched its label. An earlier study of 19 pet foods advertising probiotics found that none contained everything listed on the label.

While these studies are older, they’re a good reminder to read labels closely when you’re comparing probiotic dog options and your dog’s pet food in general.

Fiber: the food side of the story

What your dog eats influences which microbes thrive. Fermentable fibers get broken down in the large intestine into helpful compounds. One review of prebiotics in dogs found FOS and oligofructose among the most effective at shifting the gut’s balance, though it also noted that most studies used older methods and more research is needed.

More fiber isn’t always better, either. A veterinary clinical review points out that there’s no set minimum fiber requirement for dogs, that different fibers act differently, and that too much can get in the way of mineral absorption, water down calories, and cause diarrhea or bloating.

When to call your vet first

Before you start probiotics for a dog, check with your vet, especially if:

• Diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than 24 hours, has blood in it, or comes with lethargy or loss of appetite.

• Your dog is a puppy, a senior, very sick, or has a weakened immune system. Those dogs should only get probiotics under a vet’s direction.

• Your dog is on antibiotics. In a study of healthy dogs, the antibiotic metronidazole changed the gut microbiome for at least four weeks after it was stopped, so ask your vet whether and when a probiotic makes sense.

Ongoing stomach trouble can have many causes, and a probiotic can delay finding the real one.

Where Cornucopia Pet Foods fit in

If you’re researching probiotics, you’re probably trying to work out what’s behind your dog’s digestive trouble, and what your dog eats every day is part of that conversation. As the research above shows, diet and a proper diagnosis usually matter more than any dog digestive supplements.

Cornucopia’s canned recipes are everyday foods for dogs, and each product page lists the full ingredients and guaranteed analysis so you and your vet can see exactly what your dog would be eating.

Quick questions

Do healthy dogs need probiotics?

Studies mentioned involved dogs with digestive disease or at risk of it. Whether yours would benefit is a question for your vet.

How long does a probiotic take to work?

There’s no universal answer. The shelter trials gave dogs a supplement during their stay at the shelter.

Can probiotics fix a sensitive stomach?

The evidence is limited and mixed, and diet and a proper diagnosis usually matter more. Discover more in our post, "Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs."

 

Educational information only.
This article is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not create a veterinarian-client relationship. The author is not a veterinarian.