Probiotics

Can anyone recommend a probiotic that I can add to Cain's food. I think his intermittent dicky tummy could be helped with some gut flora support. He's not keen on natural yoghurt ao I was thinking if buying a proper suppliment. Any suggestions? Avipro?

I give my dogs probiotics daily they are from Healthspan, because they are designed for humans it means I can have them too!

The other advantage is that they do not need refrigerating like some types do and I am betting they are much cheaper than some of the veterinary products.

Plus they are coated to survive stomach acid!

In order to maximise their effect, feed a prebiotic too, I give mine a daily banana.

Some commercial foods contain FOS a prebiotic in the form of sugar beet pulp.

If you go onto the Healthpsan site and search probiotics they will come up and they are letter box friendly too.

hi

... i like this....

http://www.protexin.com/products/synbiotic-d-c/33

they also do a chewable one

Can you tell me what a "prebiotic" is please? Just interested that's all! I'm one who likes probiotics, but I give live yoghurt atm everyday, although I used to use the protexin and something else from the vets. I've now discovered the new Activia pourable live yoghurt and the dogs love it. When you say you feed a banana, is that a whole banana for one dog then??

I have started to use the Protexin Pro-Soluble on Truda's food.

She has IBS (is on Hills i/d vet diet) and had a couple of weeks when she had colitis that would clear up and come back. The vet suggested sprinkling a bit of this powder on her food and we haven't looked back, colitis has cleared up a treat .

Can you tell me what a "prebiotic" is please? Just interested that's all! I'm one who likes probiotics, but I give live yoghurt atm everyday, although I used to use the protexin and something else from the vets. I've now discovered the new Activia pourable live yoghurt and the dogs love it. When you say you feed a banana, is that a whole banana for one dog then??

Hi, a prebiotic is a non-digestible fibre that stimulates the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. There are some foods that contain a high amount of prebiotics (FOS, inulin) but most are unsuitable for dogs or unliked by them eg chicory, onion, artichoke, soybeans etc.

A lot of the prebiotic/probiotic veterinary products are extremely expensive.

Live yoghurt is a good source and very cheap to make or if you do not have the time or inclination there are some excellent products on the market eg Yeo Valley organic live yoghurt.

These are cheaper than the "bespoke" drinks (as well as being more environmentally friendly as they do not use as much plastic for the bottles) and capsules are cheaper still.

Good quality probiotics are necessary and good ones will state what cultures they contain and the number of billion.

I give a whole banana, one of my dogs eats this skin and all.

for a post operative or post illness patient I often make up a banana smoothie using a banana, one small tub of live yoghurt with some slippery elm/tree bark powder added.

When well I add an egg and voila a meal!

I use goats milk yoghurt if I am feeling well off and cheapy yoghurt if not!

I use it in frozen kongs as well as on food.

rune

Thanks for all that info there much appreciated! I've discovered my youngster likes bananas, but I was scared to give her more than half and inch, so now she can have a whole one with some yoghurt as a treat, maybe before bedtime instead of biscuits (much healthier!). She loves those yoghurt drinks too, the Yakult etc.

I always used the goat's yoghurt when Zena was a puppy coz I worried about the dairy, and the smaller pots have honey in them too, she adored those, but like you say a bit on the expensive side!

Goats milk is dairy
It contains lactose same as cow
casein same as cow
fat same as cow...................