Probiotics
Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that live in the
intestinal tract. There are hundreds of different kinds.
When your pet has plenty of the good guys, it helps to
keep down the number of “bad” ones that can cause
disease. Probiotics are helpful for many conditions and
for general good health.
There are veterinary versions to make it easier for you.
Your veterinarian may carry one and you can find them
easily online. You can also get them in some pet stores.
Benefits
Some benefits and conditions treated include:
 Improved stool quality
 Diarrhea
 Inflammatory bowel disease
 Allergies
 Arthritis
 High blood pressure
 Infections
 Kidney disease
 Improved immune system
Research has shown positive results from using
probiotics in pets. I have used probiotics successfully
in practice for almost 10 years.
I have also given it to my own cats during that time. I
started it when I read that it helped improve patients
with chronic kidney disease, a condition my old cat,
Mason, had. He lived to be 21 years old.
When I first started using probiotics, veterinary
versions did not exist. I chose Ultimate 10 Probiotic by
the Vitamin Shoppe. The reason was because it had
several different bacteria in it. It proved to be an
effective product and almost every pet would eat it
(there’s always that one cat that refuses to go along!).
In 2006, Purina came out with a veterinary product,
FortiFlora. Iams came out with Prostora in 2008. The
good news is that these companies tested their
products and they worked.
I tried both, but, unfortunately, too many pets didn’t
like them. I stayed with my original because it was
working. Both Purina’s and Iams’ contain just one type
of bacteria. I like the idea of several different ones.
What to choose
Care must be taken when choosing a probiotic. Not all
bacteria good for humans will benefit pets. Since these
are live organisms, keeping them alive should be
important. Interestingly, though, there is some
evidence that some are still effective even if they die.
Written for whiskerDocs™ by Ellen Kuchenbrod, DVM
I found two other veterinary products. Proviable-DC
from Nutramax and Vetri-Mega Probiotic from VetriScience. Both of these products have several different
bacteria. I haven’t tried either of these products to see
if pets eat them, but they come from very good
companies that I would recommend.
© 2013 whiskerDocs. All rights reserved.
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Probiotics
Dose
If you have a veterinary product, follow the dose on
the bottle. For Ultimate 10 Probiotic, use the table
below. I open up the capsule and mix the powder with
wet food. I use wet food so the powder doesn’t fall to
the bottom of the bowl. Some dogs will just eat the
capsules (you gotta love dogs!).
Body Weight
Cats
Dogs less than 20 pounds
Dogs 20-50 pounds
Dogs over 50 pounds
Dose
½ capsule once daily
1 capsule once daily
1 capsule twice daily
2 capsules twice daily
Summary
I keep it refrigerated although the container doesn’t
require this. I want to avoid temperature changes.
Prebiotics
You may see the word “prebiotic”. This is not the same
as probiotic. Prebiotics are carbohydrates (fiber) that
act as food for the probiotic bacteria. They keep the
“good guys” healthy. FOS (fructooligosaccharides) is
one type. FOS is included in Ultimate 10 Probiotic as
well as Vetri-Mega Probiotic. This is another way to
improve the bacteria in your pet’s body.
Probiotics are an excellent supplement for all pets. I
don’t know any reasons not to use it. I give it to all my
cats to improve their immune system and to keep
them healthier. I hope they all live to be 20!
Thanks for Caring
Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill bacteria. This includes the good ones.
Every pet who receives antibiotics should get
probiotics. Unfortunately, the antibiotics will also kill
some of the probiotics. To reduce probelms from this,
give the probiotics at a separate time from the
antibiotics. Give them at least a couple of hours apart.
Also, continue probiotics for a week after your pet has
finished antibiotics. This will help your pet recover
faster.
Written for whiskerDocs™ by Ellen Kuchenbrod, DVM
whiskerDocs™ site content and articles are for
informational purposes only and are not meant to be a
substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions
provided by your veterinarian.
© 2013 whiskerDocs. All rights reserved.
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