Natural Probiotic Foods for Dogs

There is a lot of talk about prebiotics and probiotics for dogs, though most people are unaware of what they actually do in a dog's body. Probiotics are small microorganisms found in various foods that, eaten in the right amounts, can bring great health benefits.

Prebiotics are a kind of carbohydrate that feed the natural bacteria present in dogs' digestive tracts, known as the gut microbiota, as well as serving as food for probiotics too.

Dogs have hundreds of beneficial bacteria in their digestive system that help them absorb the nutrients and vitamins from their food. Prebiotics feed and encourage the natural growth of these bacteria, while probiotics join them, working together and bringing great benefits to the dog's health.

What Are Gut Bacteria and What Are They For?

This collection of microorganisms is commonly called the gut flora or microbiota. Among them are many populations of different species living together in balance.

When an outside agent comes along, such as undigested food or antibiotics, it can cause certain bacteria to die off or grow beyond their usual concentrations and, in many cases, cause disturbances. Diarrhoea is the most common of these.

So if they are so quick to cause problems, why does the gut microbiota exist at all? It is a very reasonable question.

Absolutely all food carries bacteria, and these survive every secretion and condition in the digestive tract. On reaching the large intestine, it is the dog's own microbiota that stops them settling in and growing, so the microbiota protects us from a great many digestive illnesses.

When Is It Advisable to Give a Dog Probiotics?

Broadly speaking, healthy dogs do not need to eat probiotics, since their normal gut microbiota is more than enough to carry out digestive functions and support absorption.

Even so, whether your dog is unwell or not, you can give them probiotics routinely, since they will pose no problem for their health. Always in the amounts recommended for their weight.

The most common cases where taking probiotics and prebiotics is indicated are:

1. Extended antibiotic treatment: Whether these are being used for a digestive or a non-digestive illness. Part of the antibiotic can affect the gut microbiota, causing diarrhoea even though that was not the reason for taking antibiotics.
2. Non-infectious intestinal illness: Such as autoimmune or allergic processes.
3. Preventively in dogs prone to diarrhoea.

These will often be prescribed by our vet, and we can always ask them how suitable an option this would be for our dog.

How to Get Hold of Probiotics and Prebiotics

These can be obtained in several ways:

• Commercial products: There is an interesting variety of these. Probiotics come in capsule or powder form (dehydrated) and are usually mixed into the food if it is going to be eaten right away. These will be the ones our vet prescribes.
• Health food shops: It is fairly common for these to stock products of this kind. Since staff there are not canine health professionals, we do not recommend getting them here unless we have been specifically told to.
• Commercial dog food: It is most common to find prebiotics, since wet food tends to be sterile and dry food avoids including bacteria so it keeps longer. We can spot them in the ingredient list under the name FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides) or MOS (mannan-oligosaccharides). There are other fermentable fibres, such as beet pulp, with a prebiotic action.
• Human foods: Many foods are obtained by fermenting a raw ingredient with bacteria of the same species that turn out to be beneficial to the gut.

What Are the Best Natural Probiotic Foods for Dogs?

Some of the foods with the highest concentration of natural probiotics are:

1. Plain or Greek yoghurt
2. Kefir
3. Sauerkraut
4. Microalgae

Dogs can indeed eat yoghurt as long as it is plain or Greek and the dog has no allergy or intolerance to dairy. It contains a large amount of natural probiotics thanks to the bacteria that ferment the milk. It should not have been pasteurised.

Kefir is also fermented milk or sugared water, and contains a large amount of live natural microorganisms just like yoghurt, and if the kefir is water-based we will not have the problem of lactose intolerance either.

Sauerkraut is a preparation based on fermented cabbage and other vegetables, also very rich in natural live microorganisms that are highly beneficial for the digestive tract. It is a food far more common in northern Europe than in the south, so if you cannot get hold of it, there is no need to worry, since kefir and yoghurt are excellent options.

Microalgae also have a large amount of natural probiotics that will bring great benefits to gut health.

How Much Probiotic Should We Use?

Assuming we want to give our dog plain yoghurt, being the easiest product to find and possibly the cheapest, these are the recommended doses in healthy dogs:

• Dogs between 14 and 19 kilos: 1 tablespoon every two days
• Dogs between 20 and 29 kilos: 2 tablespoons every two days
• Dogs between 30 and 40 kilos: 3 tablespoons every two or three days

We mean tablespoons that are not overly full, and if you notice your dog getting diarrhoea from eating it, stop giving it or reduce the amount. Too much can cause upset, especially in dogs not used to this food.

What Benefits Do Probiotics Bring to a Dog's Health?

Every benefit probiotics bring is mediated by the quality of the gut microbiota. The better this is, the better the effects for our animal.

The benefits are coming to light more and more, and there are very likely many more still to be discovered. For now it is known that it interacts directly with gut health, the immune system, and it is also credited with a number of benefits to the nervous system. Other better-known and accepted functions are:

• They protect the digestive system against harmful bacteria.
• They improve the uptake and absorption of nutrients and vitamins.

On another note, an abnormal bacterial make-up has also been seen to predispose dogs to conditions such as IBD or chronic inflammatory states, as could happen with prolonged stress or chronic illness.

Be Careful With Diarrhoea and Yoghurt

Although yoghurt is an excellent natural probiotic for dogs, in cases of diarrhoea plenty of dogs get worse rather than better. This is down to residual amounts of lactose that are higher than the dog can handle.

These small amounts of lactose do not usually pose a problem for a healthy dog. Given that there is significant individual variation in intestinal lactase levels, though, there can be healthy dogs who do not tolerate even minimal amounts. On another note, dogs with diarrhoea can prove very sensitive to these small amounts, making the diarrhoea worse.

So it is always advisable to follow a vet's guidance before starting to experiment on your own.