What is the best probiotic for dogs

10 Best Probiotics for Dogs in 2024, Recommended By Vets

Probiotics for dogs are beneficial microorganisms that live in your dogs gut and contribute to a healthy gastrointestinal system. Just like humans, dogs have a variety of beneficial microorganisms that live in their digestive tract. Your dog's microbiome is important in their health and using a probiotic can help contribute to a healthy gastrointestinal system.

About 95% of these microorganisms are bacteria, with the rest including a mix of protozoa, fungi, and even viruses. Probiotics supplements introduce high volumes of these beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, to help support gut health.

Probiotics are a great addition to your dogs health plan and these products may also be helpful during the early stages of a puppys life (when their immune systems are developing), and dog probiotics may aid in helping a sick dog recover quicker.

For example, these may be helpful when searching for probiotics for dogs with diarrhea. Or you may be looking for a probiotic for dogs with allergies. As with any new addition to your dogs care, always ask your veterinarian the best probiotic for your dog based on their health needs.

When youre shopping for the best probiotic for your dog, consider the type of probiotic and number of microorganisms in the product, the cost, palatability (how tasty it is for your pup), how its administered, and the health function youre trying to support. The quantity of microorganisms in a product is generally measured in billions of CFUs, or colony forming units.

The list ofcanine probioticsbelow has been reviewed by our panel of experts to provide you with a list of vet recommended probiotics for dogs. As always, if you have questions about your dogs digestive health, contact your veterinarian or one of our veterinary professionals at ChewysConnect with a Vet.

Probiotics for Dogs

Have you ever taken a probiotic? If youve ever eaten yogurt with live cultures, the answer may be yes. The term refers to beneficial or friendly gut-dwelling microbes (bacteria and yeasts). There are billions of them in the gastrointestinal system of all animals, and they aid in the digestion of food, fight off potential pathogens, make nutrients and vitamins, and bolster the immune system. The word itself is derived from the Latin word for (pro) and the Greek life (bio). Probiotics for dogs are a nutritional tool to consider for the health of your best friend.

Sometimes beneficial microbes are damaged or destroyed, and that can cause stomach upset and a general decline in health. If your dog is suffering from diarrhea or related issues or seems to get sick more than other dogs for no apparent reason, your veterinarian may suggest using one of the methods to boost beneficial bacteria:

• Prebiotics are nutrients that are designed to nourish and promote the growth of good bacteria that are already living in the colon.
• Probiotics, also referred to as direct-fed microbials by the pet-food regulatory body AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials).

These products come in several different forms, including:

• Yogurt or kefir with live cultures. Keep in mind that not all yogurt cultures are created equal. Some of the cultures were used for the manufacture of the product, but are not probiotics. Only offer your dog unsweetened, plain yogurt, and read labels carefully to avoid all artificial sweeteners.
• Powders
• Capsules
• Chews
• Dog foods

These products usually contain kinds of bacteria normally found in the canine gut, such as:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Enterococcus faecium
• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Lactobacillus casei
• Bifidobacterium breve

How to Purchase and Care for a Probiotic Product

Gail Czarnecki-Maulden, Ph.D., a senior research nutritionist for Nestle Purina and one of the developers of FortiFlora, says that the big problem with these products is that they are delicate living things. When you look at a probiotic, you are looking at live bacteria that have been adapted to living within the GI tract, she explains in a Canine Health Foundation podcast. Exposure to air, moisture, or temperature extremes will damage their viability. Thats why some of these products are sold in individual serving packets. She also says that people should be mindful of temperature conditions when purchasing a probiotic product. You dont want to buy your probiotics when its 110 degrees outside and you go to the mall for four hours and your probiotics are sitting in a hot car for five or six hours. Its not likely that the probiotics will survive.

Also, there are a few things you should look for on a probiotic package label, for example:

• List of specific probiotics in the product, including strain identification. Dr. Czarnecki-Maulden points out that there are several strains of bacteria, and each does something different. She cites a study in which scientists examined live microbesLactobacillus acidophilusextracted from dog feces. On 97 strains, only 17 had probiotic activity, but they were not all the same. Some showed anti-inflammatory activity, while others were immune stimulants. She points out that more strains or different forms of bacteria are not necessarily better in probiotics, because they may work against one another. Of the studies conducted on how well probiotics work, she says, most have been done with single strains.
• Guaranteed analysis of how many live bacteria there will be at the end of the shelf life. Some companies may say how many live bacteria are in the product at the point of manufacture, but by the time you purchase the product, all the probiotics may have died.
• Use-before date.

When Are Probiotics Used?

Probiotics are most often prescribed for maintaining a desirable intestinal microbial balance, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. When an animal is stressed or sick, the balance between the healthy and disease-causing microbes may be disrupted. This can lead to diarrhea, gas, cramping, and bad breath.

Some of the triggers for such digestive disorders include:

• Infection or bacterial imbalance
• Stress: As in humans, changes that cause emotional stress, such as boarding, moving, or losing a home, can result in colitis. Thats one reason why many dogs in shelters suffer from diarrhea. Some studies have suggested that probiotics work as well as antibiotics in clearing up diarrhea in shelter dogs.
• Diet: This can include abrupt changes in the menu or eating food that is spoiled or that just doesnt agree with the dog.
• Old age
• Medications: Antibiotics and long-term steroids are known culprits in causing diarrhea by killing good bacteria.
• Parasites

You might consider giving your healthy dog a probiotic if he is prone to developing diarrhea in stressful situations. For example, if you are planning to take your dog to a show or to board the dog, it may make sense to give probiotics a few days in advance. Also, puppies who tend to get diarrhea after training classes or visits to the vet, for example, might benefit from a few days of probiotics in preparation for the stressful event.

Do Probiotics Work?

Anecdotal evidencestories of individual successexists to support the effectiveness of probiotics and some veterinarians swear by them. There are some scientific studies on the health benefits of probiotics in humans or in animals, as well, and in enhancing immune responses in growing dogs. One 2009 Irish study found that supplementation with a specific strain of Bifidobacterium animalis reduced the duration of diarrhea from seven to four days. It also eliminated the need for antibiotic treatment by about 10 percent over placebo.

The 7 best probiotics for dogs

These chews have a lot going for them. We chose them as the top probiotic when it comes to dosage. Each chew contains 3 billion CFUs, which is right in line with general dosage recommendations. The exact dosage depends on your dogs size, but all are between the recommended 1 and 10 billion CFUs.

These probiotic bites contain a six-strain probiotic blend of beneficial bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis DE111, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactococcus lactis.

Zesty Paws Probiotic Bites dont contain any artificial flavors or preservatives. Coconut glycerin, flaxseed, garbanzo flour, papaya, and pumpkin are some of the ingredients. Pumpkin calms mild gastric upset and papaya acts as a gentle natural laxative. Unlike most products we reviewed, though, these chews are not vet-formulated or clinically tested.

The container is sealed with a plastic covering that has to be removed upon opening, which was somewhat difficult. However, after the first use, you can easily twist the cap to open this product.

What our vet thinks

While Dr. Irish doesnt have personal experience with this probiotic supplement, she does like that the ingredients are listed on the product page, which shows transparency.