Should I give my dog probiotic foods or supplements?
Probiotics for dogs are the next wave to overcome us pet parents looking for ways to provide our furry companions with the best shot at life possible. With so much information to sift through on the internet about probiotics for dogs, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
At Big Dog, we put the pro in probiotic, so let us help clear up the difference between a probiotic supplement and a probiotic food.
For starters, the biggest difference between probiotic foods and supplements is that probiotic supplements will often use strains at therapeutic levels, based on documented research, for example, some strains may benefit digestive related issues and some will help with mood, and have documented scientific evidence to support this. Probiotic foods can’t make these claims, but are great at promoting a diverse microbiome with beautiful live organisms that will happily make their way through your pet’s digestive system encouraging healthy flora.
Probiotic Supplements recognised by WHO
Don’t just take our word for it, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.
To help clarify the differences between probiotic supplements and probiotic foods, we asked Canine Nutritionist and Naturopath, Narelle Cooke to highlight key advantages and disadvantages of each:
Probiotic foods found in Big Dog raw food
If you’re keen to include some probiotic-rich foods in your dog’s diet, then Big Dog has you covered. Our raw dog food recipes are loaded with probiotics and prebiotics (prebiotics are food for probiotics, you can learn more here). Many of our recipes contain goats whey, dandelion, green banana, psyllium, and washed tripe, which will all encourage a diverse micobiome in your dog.
Probiotic Supplement options for your dog
Big Dog has formulated three specific probiotic supplements for pets.
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All Big Dog Probiotics:
• Are microencapsulated to shield them from harm until they reach their targetdestination within the gut
• Contain colony forming units (CFU) inthe billions
• Contain multiple strains for a diverseand healthy microbiome
• Include prebiotics, which feedprobiotics, and digestive enzymes toassist in the digestion process
We hope this article helps clear things up. Where possible, we recommend including probiotic-rich foods to encourage a diverse microbiome, and for targeted health support for a specific concern, we recommend a probiotic supplement.
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