Benefits of Probiotics
for PONS
Probiotics may be extremely beneficial
for PONS both for maintaining health and for
dealing with digestive conditions.
Scientific research relating specifically
to dogs has found that giving
probiotics:
- Helps reduce the length of canine
gastroenteritis. Probiotics
include Lactobacillus acidophilus,
Pediococcus acidilactici to name just a
few.
- Reduces the time of acute diarrhea.
PON owners will appreciate the reduction
of such incidences.
- Enhances immune functions in
puppies.
- Improves symptoms in dogs with food
intolerant or food responsive
diarrhea when used together with an
elimination diet .
Owners are encouraged to offer
grain-free dog food, home cook or follow
a raw diet.
Probiotics may play a significant role in the treatment of canine chronic
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
..
Evidence demonstrating the benefit of dog
probiotics is increasing and Holistic
veterinarians have used canine probiotic
products for several years. Conventional
veterinarians are joining their colleagues
in prescribing the use of probiotics.
.
When should PON owners use probiotics ?
According to research, it is obvious that
dog probiotics are very useful in cases of
gastrointestinal conditions.
Gastrointestinal ailments are considered the
second most common health issue in dogs and
they may be caused by numerous factors
including parasitic infection, digestive
stress, flora imbalances, diet, as well as
the tendency to eat everything!
If your PON is currently taking
antibiotics, it is beneficial to give
probiotics. Antibiotics disrupt the balance
of gut micro flora by killing "good
bacteria". Giving your PON probiotics will
help replenish his supply of friendly
bacteria and rebalance digestive flora.
Probiotics may also help prevent or
reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Be sure to give your PON his probiotics at
least three hours apart from the
antibiotics. Avoid giving antibiotics and
probiotics at the same time. Why ?
Antibiotics will destroy the probiotics
rendering them useless.
Your PON may have excellent digestive
health and you can also use probiotics to
maintain your PON's system as a simple but
effective preventative measure.
If your PON has specific digestive
issues, opt for dog probiotic
supplements over probiotic dog food and
treats. These special supplements
generally contain a greater number of
probiotic bacteria than the foods and
thus are more suited to therapeutic use.
Canine probiotics may be purchased in
a variety of different forms including
powder, tablet, gel and paste, allowing
owners to choose a product to suit their
PON's needs. Probiotic dog foods may of
course be used together with dog
probiotic supplements.
There are countless dog probiotics
and you may be uncertain as to which one
to choose. The important differences
between the products are:
- The specific strains and species
of probiotics
- The potency. This is measured in
numbers of probiotics, which is
measured in colony forming units (CFUs).
The higher the number of CFUs in a
product, the more potent it is.
- The delivery mechanism: powders,
pastes, tablets, capsules, treats
and dog food itself.
- :Most probiotics require
refrigeration. However there is an
increasing number of products on the
market that do not refrigeration.
If you are uncertain as to the
best strains and species to use for your
PON or how much he will need, please
consult your family veterinarian who
should be able to help Please keep us
updated and good luck.
