Have heard of this for humans after antibiotics and then live yoghurt works fine. Makes sense as the abs kill everything in the gut ie friendly bacteria that help digestion etc.

Following my Bulldog girls' C-Sections, a regimen of antibiotics and Lactobacillus Acidophilus to the mother and to each of the pups. (The pups are getting the antibiotic from the mother. I also inject Vitamin K1 into the pups following their birth by C-section.)

With dogs, as with humans, not all probiotics are created equal. One wants the specific "native" gut strains to me augmented by the probiotic.

I also have always added a Probiotic to a dog's food if it is experiencing diarrhea.

I think most would agree that little harm, if any, can possibly be caused by introducing this additive.

Our vet had recommended trying probiotics for our cat who had been having intermittent diarrhea. He suggested it as an alternative to an on/off antibiotic "regimen" (Flagyl; Metronidazole, which works well, but is notoriously nasty tasting and not the easiest to administer). He told us that research really supported good results from giving probiotics for (cats') intestinal problems. He did stress that we should use one made specifically for animals, not humans, but didn't recommend any specific brand. We use Rx Biotics (recommended by our other cat's oncology vet), and it has definitely helped.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus is not a brand, it is a specific strain for dogs. Don't know about cats??? (cat_mom, not directed at your post... just clarifying my above post.)

They work great on animals and humans. He is practicing good medicine.

i have alway used probiotics with any new great dane when i switch them from kibble to raw food. after a few weeks, i discontinue them.

Taste of the wild and other cat foods have probiotic right in the food - has done wonders for 1 of my cats who used to really stink up the whole house with his litter box offerings. Poor cat would have a look on his face that I swear was embarassment.

Also has done wonders for my own IBD symptoms. Since we humans share so much physiology with our feline & canine relations, Im certain that they need good bacteria in their digestive tracts just like we do.

Whether its the same species of probiotic though - acidophilus, bifida, etc. - Im not sure.

Probiotics really work for our 10 year old cat. He has a sensitive stomach and was constantly vomiting up hair balls and also lost weight. His blood tests and physical exam were normal and the vet suggested hairball preventative and food changes (including limited ingredient and no carrageenan), didn't work.

I did lots of reading and decided to try pet probiotics (fortiflora and another I can't remember the name of) and they had no effect.

Found out that human grade probios are more effective than pet, so I bought a refrigerated probiotic powder locally. He gets half a capsule on his breakfast, and half on his dinner. I just sprinkle it and he eats it, no problem. I started him on it a few weeks ago and we have only had one hairball episode since, plus he has gained almost half a pound.

Did you clear use of the people probiotics with your vet? They have different gut bacteria (some might be the same). It is recommended to not give them our probiotics.

Our vet recommended people probiotics. We have been giving them (in smaller doses) to our cats for years, and they have done very well.

We use a probiotic too, I've heard many many times that a dog's system is similar to ours in a lot of ways which why a lot of human medications are used for them (with adjusted dosing of course) so to me it makes sense that probiotics after using an anitbiotic or antacids would be helpful.

Currebtbtesident, I feed T of the W to my pooches, seems like it prob has probiotics also. I will Ck. If that is the case, capsules would seem like overkill. I'll Ck for sure. Your input is very valuable. Whether for people or pets, wondering how much is too much,

snookums2

Did
you clear use of the people probiotics with your vet? They have
different gut bacteria (some might be the same). It is recommended to
not give them our probiotics.

Yes, according to the vet, human probiotics are fine as long as they are suitable strains. The one I use has 3 strains that are helpful for cats and dogs,Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum. I would avoid any with sweeteners or strange filler ingredients. Of course, I also keep an eye on him and make sure there is no diarrhea, or other signs of problems. But so far they have helped a lot while animal probiotics did nothing.

I feed my pets T of the W and by golly gee it does have probiotics. Says species specific. No wonder they rarely have stomach problems. I will finish up the supply I have but not give them more as seems like overkill to have food AND supplement probiotics.

Bossyvossy, typically the primary ingredients of dog food are the first 5-6 ingredients listed and where a dog will get the bulk of it's nutrition from.

While many dog foods will boast that their food includes probiotics, they are listed so far down into the ingredients list (almost last) that they really don't do much. If you doubt this, check the ingredients of a low quality food like Beneful against the TofW you buy. The difference is quite telling.

If you feel the probiotics cost more than you might want to spend, an good alternative would be a spoonful daily of unsweetened plain yogurt mixed into their food or given as a treat. Some dogs can handle the dairy, some can't but it could be worth trying.

Also, while this is probably not the one you buy, there is some good information about dog food and more specifically, the brand you use.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-dry/

Lukki, that is soooo useful, thanks. I try to buy diff recipes for variety. they don't seem to mind the change and eat very well. The cynic in me always questions those kind of claims. fat free, gluten free, etc etc but at what cost? so same for claim re: probiotic content. I will try the yogurt as that is something we consume regularly here, so easy to get more for pets. and they so love to eat what we eat, so if they see us eating the yogurt, I can bet with 100% win certainty that they will eat it too.

Thank you so much for the input, everybody.

it does make great sense that bacteria wouldn't survive processing. Hmmmm. I'll Ck chewy.com

Lots of terrible advice here.

"While many dog foods will boast that their food includes probiotics,
they are listed so far down into the ingredients list (almost last) that
they really don't do much."

Per AARFCO requirements, ingredients are listed in order by weight. This is not at all the same as by nutritional contribution!

The probiotic contributes zero nutritional value to dog food, but not because it is listed toward the end, but because it is freeze dried bacterium.

Probiotics are almost always freeze dried. Probiotics are in fact dirt cheap.

Well, the important point was that manufacturers adding probiotics to their pet foods doesn't work.

If you are saying commercial probiotics (that are powder form?) are useless, that would be wrong. People can see the difference in themselves and in their pets. Doctors prescribe them because they work. How else would you explain that?

I'm not sure what the terrible advice is.

Bossyvossy, I did a lot of research on dog foods trying to figure out some issues my Lab was having and found PetAdvisor.com to have a lot of helpful information.

Just be careful to avoid any with Sugar (like Greek) while my Vet has told me it's a good option, it's still not something you want to over do as it can cause tummy issues.

edited to add:

I used to use Fage Plain. During one of her two feedings, I'd mix a teaspoon or so in her kibble and she really enjoyed it, I'm sure you're pups will too.

Snookums is right, Chewy has a huge variety, is priced competitively and they are great if you have a problem with an order.. We get all of our food from them and their standard turn around is a 2 day delivery. A couple of times I've had a problem with an order and not only were they were nice about it but after they processed the return, they said to just donate the items to a rescue which I did. One was a large bag of kibble, the other a whole case of canned food.

Snookums, He's been trying to make me and other regulars look like an idiot for the past year or so because he used to be a breeder and thinks he's the only one who knows anything AND he's the only one who is right. If you don't say or explain something to his satisfaction, the comment above is what you get. Even when he may have a valid point, he's very demeaning in the way he presents it which makes his point worthless.

Sadly, I've gotten emails from other posters who were upset about the way he treated them. Some were new comers who no longer felt interested in coming back. Shame really considering they were looking for help with their pets.

In a word, he's a bully.

I'm another fan of Chewy.com after learning about it here. I had a great experience with them when I ordered two cases of cat food and wouldn't you know it, my cat decided almost right away he no longer liked that food even though he had been eating it for awhile. I didn't try to return the open case but did inquire as to the possibility of returning the other unopened case. I got a quick response saying they would give me credit for both cases and to go ahead and donate the food to a shelter or rescue!!! I ordered the Blue Buffalo he eats today and was able to give the other food to a cat rescue that I'm familiar with. I was amazed and thrilled at their reaction and I was a brand new customer. I buy both dog and cat food from them and I'm very happy with their prices and service.

Lukki ok about not sugary but can you tell me which one you give to your pooch. Nothing but the best should go in these bellies

Awe, Bossy, I didn't know you had fur babies!. They're so cute! LoL I rewrote my posts.. Fage is good, Horizons Organic did well, but was really watery

Just in case anyone is interested, here is the article that explains the information I posted above about the first 5 or 6 ingredients of dog food. Their rule of thumb makes it easier for the average person to find a healthy food for their pup.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/five-most-important/

Saltidawg: " Probiotics are in fact dirt cheap."

I knew my comment on them not being cheap would raise someone's bloodpressure, lol. And cost to the manufacturer is so important to the discussion on their usefulness ;-)

Probiotics are very expensive products. So, I'd be interested in hearing what the wholesale price is for food manufacturers, considering how expensive they are for the rest of us.

I think they are expensive, both for us and for pets. that was my reason for asking whether good or a gimmick, don't want to be wasting my $

They absolutely are quite expensive, for pets and people! My experience is that these supplements work for both.

They have been recommended by my vet for a few purposes.

In addition to the manufacturer costs, the amount may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but there is probably still the bare minimums included in the food, just enough to be able to say it's there....I have to agree with the article I posted above that in reality it's a Marketing Gimmick.

I would have to agree it is probably bare minimum. They will look to save even $.01 anywhere they can.

This is probably the article I read regarding adding them to pet foods. I also took special note of the section on them adding prebiotics. Not always a good idea!

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/13/surprising-the-pet-probiotics-that-are-a-total-waste-of-your-money.aspx

You dont think a commercial website might be swayed by the opinions of its advertisers, do you?

A more neutral info source imho: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340078/ The gist of it is that of the pet foods tested most did have live bacteria but not always the species or quanitities or type (fermented vs. non) that was claimed - quality control is next to non-existent since probiotic as a supplement is not regulated..

I appreciate the issue being brought to our attention but on the other hand if somethings working for us there's no reason to change - not sure what it is about Taste of the Wild -whether its the probiotic or the fact that its grain free, or some combination of the two - but my kitty definitely has far less intestinal distress and the air quality within the home is much better.

"You dont think a commercial website might be swayed by the opinions of its advertisers, do you?"

I'm not sure which article you are discrediting but the one I linked states about the same as what you said here from the NIH:

"the pet foods tested most did have live bacteria but not always the species or quanitities or type (fermented vs. non) that was claimed - quality control is next to non-existent since probiotic as a supplement is not regulated.."

Mercola is an integrative medicine MD. Dr. Becker is a veterinarian who works together with him. They develop their own products so are influenced by their own art and science not by advertisers.

I prefer a more controlled introduction of bacteria into my pet's system than what one would expect from most commercial pet food companies, so am glad it came to my attention. (Don't know about TW brand). I trust probiotics my vet or another medical expert specifically formulates or provides.

I also think the pet food companies are adding other substances that are not natural for our pets to digest and process. For example, fruits and vegetables as prebiotics and nutritional sources. Dr. Becker's comments that the prebiotics added can be counterproductive are noteworthy, imo.

Grain free foods can do wonders. Food allergies are very common and they cause a lot of GI problems. Grains are top on the list.

Snookums, the artlcle you cited takes a position and states opinion, i.e. "waste of money" and bacteria "long dead." Which yes does contradict the NIH study findings of live bacteria.

I don't think of Im "discrediting" so much as pointing out a bias - which btw is something everything & everyone has. Especially true of politics but have found it essential to read from various sources on just about anything.

"Tests on dog foods claiming to contain probiotic micro-organisms showed the manufacturing process kills too many of the live bacteria, rendering the probiotic effect useless by the time the food is packaged and shipped."

I don't call this particularly a position or opinion:

"High quality pet probiotics have some important things in common, including:

• The correct strains of bacteria beneficial for pets, not people
• Easy to give to your dog or cat
• The ability to survive the acidic environment of your pet's stomach
• Enough live organisms to colonize the intestines
• Product stability under normal storage conditions

Current Resident, I don't think the probiotics in a processed food are why your cats are not having issues. A problem I ran into with the no grain foods is that they all contain a combination of beans, lentils, peas and/or chickpeas. They're a viable protein source that is much less expensive then the meat products but they can also cause some very gassy tummies. We too fed our cats and dog TW and I agree, it's a very good option. If you look at their ingredients, some of their recipes are actually bean free which I really liked. We changed foods though because it's manufactured by Diamond and was included in the recall back in 2012 and I didn't feel I could trust the brand.

We ended up trying Canidae Pure, which has a similar recipe profile and our pets have done wonderful on it. Some products from Canidae were also involved in the Diamond recall but the Canidae Pure is not one of them.

Lukki, I started feeding my pup that brand at your suggestion and heartily endorse it as well!

Oh!. Nanny! that is great!. I hadn't seen you in a while and was wondering how you are! How's the training going?

Nice to see you too!

We need professional help-consultation scheduled for tomorrow:(

Awe, well he's very lucky you love him enough to do that, how many people are there that wouldn't and would send him off to another home. I sure hope the pro is able to find a solution. update me ok, I'm very interested to hear how it goes!

lukki, I'm not sure if you got my email. Can you confirm?

no sorry I hadn't but I did find it and responded this morning!. thanks for the update!