Symptoms in Dogs that Indicate Probiotics Could Help
If you have owned a dog for even as little as a few months you may have already been alerted to the terrible sound of doggy-dry-heaving, and vomiting. Or the mess of sudden, unexpected diarrhea that trails through the house. The longer you have been a dog owner, the more episodes you have likely experienced. The caring owners we are, we offer love, and reassurance and clean the mess. But are we helping protect our dog from these unfortunate symptoms? Could we be doing more proactively?
Signs and Symptoms Your Dog Could Benefit from A Probiotic Regime?
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Flatulence
• Abdominal bloating
These signs and symptoms of more obvious, you can see the problem. As caring owners it is unsettling to watch our fuzzy buddies struggle with such discomforts. Intermittent diarrhea is very common in dogs. It can be caused by something unusual that they ate, or emotional stress or parasites, as a few examples. Nausea and vomiting can be attributed to the same the same reasons. Flatulence affects some dogs more than others and can be breed specific. As an example, some owners say Boston Terriers and Bull dogs can be pretty “gassy” while other breeds have occasional flatulence. Abdominal bloating can be secondary to other gastrointestinal issues.
Less Obvious Signs Your Dog Could Benefit from Probiotics?
• Bad breath
• Skin irritation
• Allergies
• Dull coat
• Senior dogs
• Recent antibiotic therapy
Always check with your veterinarian before starting a new regime for your dog. Generally, probiotics have been known to help reduce bad breath as they help regular gut “Ph” or acidity. As digestion actually starts in the mouth – it is a common misconception that digestion begins in the stomach -probiotics keep dental hygiene in good standing as the dog takes them orally. Once the stomach acidity is corrected through regular probiotic use, the mouth gets additional benefits of good oral hygiene and better breath.
Probiotics have also been reported to clear up irritated and itchy skin in dogs who are highly allergy or rash prone. It is believed that regulating the Ph of the digestive track helps certain immune mediators work more effectively in the body and therefore inflammation diminishes and clear up rashes, redness and other signs of skin irritation and itchiness. As an added benefit, probiotics can help add luster and shine to your dog’s skin and coat!
Senior dogs benefit from probiotics because the majority of immune mediated cells are in the digestive tract. Regulating stomach acidity and maximizing digestive health helps promote less inflammatory response and better health in senior dogs, maximizing their longevity!
Any dog who has been on recent antibiotic therapy should have probiotics to help re-balance the digestive flora and minimise common side effects of antibiotics such as nausea and diarrhea. These are not allergies to the antibiotics, but can be common side effects that occur because the antibiotics also temporarily destroy good gut flor. Antibiotics temporarily destroy the good gut bacteria the dog needs as well as destroying the bad bacteria causing the infection.
Probiotics Protect and Prevent: Use Them for Your Dog and Your Children
Of course you cannot use a dog probiotic for your child, but you can give Biogaia probiotic to your baby, child or teenager. We use Biogaia with our children. We used it when they were infants to combat infant colic. We use it now for young children when they need antibiotics for ear infections, or when they pick up a stomach virus from school. Babies benefit from probiotics because they have an undeveloped immune system and a digestive tract that is not mature. Children benefit from probiotics to minimise otherwise uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms of cold and flu. Research has shown that probiotics decrease the severity and durations of symptoms. Even adults can use the same Biogaia as the children and get the same benefit.
Find tips to administering human probiotics to infants and children on my original post. Please visit my site for details.