"Does the dog want to eat nutrition?" Must be a big question in the hearts of many shovelers, and some owners think that all the nutrition on the market can give dogs a dozen. If you want to choose the right nutritional supplements for them, you absolutely can’t miss Dr. E’s lesson today!
Probiotics—A Must-Have for Dog-Owner Households
Probiotics are small guards on the surface of the dog's intestinal tract. They can isolate all the harmful bacteria and viruses that the dog eats from the intestinal tract and protect the dog's safety. When the number of beneficial bacteria in a dog’s gut is insufficient, symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea may occur.
1 What are the benefits of probiotics?
Although probiotics are tiny, they can play a significant role in your dog’s body and have a wide range of benefits. Below, Dr. E has summarized several common functions of probiotics:
2 probiotics how to choose?
Common probiotics are mainly divided into “transient strains” (such as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis) and “resident strains” (such as Bifidobacterium). Pet owners should choose the appropriate strain based on their dog’s specific needs.
As the name suggests, these are probiotics that pass through the gastrointestinal tract. Once they enter the gut, opportunistic bacteria consume intestinal oxygen, creating an anaerobic environment that suffocates and kills harmful microorganisms. Transient bacteria do not colonize the gut and are expelled from the body in the feces.
Commensal bacteria are a type of beneficial microbe that permanently inhabit a dog’s gut. They adhere to the surface of the small intestine, preventing pathogenic bacteria from colonizing the intestinal mucosa and helping to maintain microbial balance.
3 taking probiotics, skills!
The use of probiotics also requires proper technique; if they are used indiscriminately, their effectiveness will be significantly diminished.
Probiotics are anaerobic and will be consumed when taking them with air, stomach acid and bile. It can be said that they need to "go through five hurdles and cut six generals" to reach the dog's colon. Therefore, if you take too little, there are very few probiotics left that can really work.
A dog’s stomach acid has powerful antibacterial properties and can destroy beneficial probiotics. After your dog has finished eating, the stomach acid in its body has been largely neutralized by the food. Taking probiotics at this time can minimize the damage that stomach acid would otherwise inflict on them. Therefore, 1–2 hours after your dog’s meal is the optimal time to administer probiotics.
When administering probiotics to your dog, it’s best to mix them with warm water no hotter than 40°C. Probiotics are live microorganisms that enter a dormant state after drying. Water temperatures that are too high can alter the probiotic microbial community, while water temperatures that are too low may fail to reactivate the probiotics effectively.
As mentioned earlier, probiotics are anaerobic bacteria and tend to perish when exposed to air. Therefore, when pet parents give their dogs probiotics, they should administer the prepared dose as soon as possible.
The younger a dog is, the less mature its gut microbiota; therefore, puppies require more probiotics to help establish a healthy intestinal microbial community. Don’t give your dog too much the first time; you can gradually increase the dosage afterward.
When a dog has diarrhea, pet owners often administer medications to treat it; these may contain adsorbent ingredients such as montmorillonite (Smecta) and kaolin. Adsorbents treat diarrhea by binding water and toxins in the intestinal tract; however, they also adsorb probiotics. Therefore, after taking a medication containing an adsorbent, you should wait at least two hours before taking probiotics.
Antibiotics kill bacteria, so probiotics should not be taken at the same time as antibiotics. After taking antibiotics, wait at least four hours before taking probiotics.
Nutritional Paste – An Essential Must-Have for Dog-Keeping Households
Nutritional paste is a toothpaste‑like supplement packed with vitamins, fats, minerals, and other nutrients, typically used to quickly replenish a dog’s nutrition and help restore its health.
