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How to pick the right probiotic for your dog:
Probiotics are a unique “living” health product. They are microorganisms which exert numerous beneficial health effects .
Probiotics nurture the health and immune function of the intestinal tract where a whopping seventy percent of the immune system lies. Probiotics enhance the mucosal health of the intestinal tract by displacing intestinal pathogens, producing antimicrobial substances and activating immune responses.
With all these health benefits, it would make sense to want to add this to your dog’s regime.
How do you decide which probiotic to give your dog?
When deciding on a probiotic for your dog, choose a probiotic produced by a reputable manufacturer and has demonstrated benefit in a clinical study. My personal favorite probiotic pick is: Proviable DC because it has proven benefit in clinical studies and is an affordable, multi-strain and high powered probiotic available on Amazon.
Read on to find out how to compare and pick a probiotic and how and when to use probiotics for your dog.
Why is it so important to be careful picking a probiotic for your dog!
Probiotics are not regulated by the FDA . Studies reviewing many probiotic supplements on the market have shown that many probiotic products on the market lack quality standards: not enough information is provided about the probiotic strains and their amounts, incorrect information is provided on labels and fewer actual numbers of bacteria than claimed are listed on the label when the product is tested.
For a probiotic to work in your dog it has to be of good quality. This means it has to have live cultures of microorganisms (yeast or bacteria). In order to keep the organisms alive, they need to be stored correctly (either at room temperature or refrigerated depending on the product). Another key feature of proper storage of the probiotic is that it is safe from moisture and air.
Generally speaking, cooler temperatures and dryer conditions lead to a longer shelf life
Most commercial human probiotics are packaged in capsules within blister packs or individually sealed in tubes or packets.
Pro Tip: A probiotic that is scooped as powder from a tub is at risk for degradation of the live organism. I do not recommend purchasing a probiotic that is scooped as powder from a tub.
Probiotics must be able to survive inside the body for it to colonize the intestinal tract. This means that the product has to survive passage through the acid environment of the stomach and also not be degraded by bile.
Furthermore, the probiotic needs to be taken correctly. This is most important when giving probiotics to a dog taking an antibiotic. The probiotic (if it is a bacterial probiotic) will be inactivated by the antibiotic if given at the same time. Bacterial probiotics should be given 4 hours apart from an antibiotic dosage. If you choose a yeast based probiotic, you don’t have to worry about timing of administration with antibiotics.
Recommended probiotics for dogs:
The recommended group of probiotics below have shown benefit in a clinical study and are manufactured by established pharmaceutical or pet food companies:
Fortiflora by Purina
Proviable DC by Nutramax
Proviable Forte by Nutramax
Lactoquil by Bayer
Visbiome Vet by ExeGe Pharma
Florastor by BioCodex
Mycequin by Nutramax
Calming Care by Purina
I’ve categorized these probiotics further:
- Best overall veterinary probiotic for chronic diarrhea: Visbiome Vet
- Best overall budget probiotic: Proviable DC Runner-up: Lactoquil
- Yeast based probiotics: Veterinary only, prescription needed: Mycequin Over the counter human formulation: Florastor
- Best tasting probiotic: Fortiflora
- Best probiotic for supporting anxiety/mental health in dogs: Calming Care
To understand further how these delineations were made, see below for more information about each product.
Most probiotic concentrations are measured in CFU’s per day. CFU stands for “colony forming unit” and represents the amount of growth of the bacteria when plated on special media.
The optimal dosage of probiotics for dogs:
The optimum number of CFU/per dose of beneficial bacteria in a probiotic for dogs is estimated to be in the wide range of 100 million to 100 billion CFU/day. When judging probiotic efficacy in human studies, 10 billion to 100 billion CFU/day are recommended to achieve adequate concentrations of viable organisms in the intestinal tract.
Not much is known about the appropriate dose of probiotic in small animals we are still researching what’s best.
In pediatric studies utilizing probiotics a low dose is less than or equal to 10 billion CFU/day and a high dose is above 10 billion CFU/day.
| Fortiflora | Calmingcare | Lactoquil | Proviable DC | Proviable forte | Mycequin | Florastora | Visbiome vet |
| 100 millon | 1 billion | 1.5 billion | 5 billion | 10 billion | 10 billion | 5 billion | 112.5 billion |
| 1 strain | 1 strain | 9 strains | 7 strains | 7 strains | 1 strain | 1 strain | 8 strains |
Of the recommended probiotics listed, the brand with the fewest microorganism per dose (100 million) is Purina’s Fortiflora. This brand also has the fewest strains of bacteria of the bacterial probiotics listed: only a single strain. Enterococcus faecium is a microorganism not used commonly in humans as there is concern that some Enterococcus faecium can confer resistance to a powerful antibiotic, vancomycin. It so far is still considered safe in veterinary patients. Fortiflora is made with a hydrolyzed pork liver so it tastes very good.
The probiotic that has the most microorganisms per dose is Visbiome Vet. It contains 112.5 billion CFU per dose. This product contains the same bacterial strains as the human equivalent, Visbiome. Visbiome has many studies in people showing efficacy for treating severe gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.
The human equivalent ranges from 112.5 billion up to 450 billion for the high potency. The highest potency is 900 billion CFU’s per dose! Visbiome vet contains 8 different strains of microorganisms and iis the most high powered veterinary probiotic on the market. Luckily it does not require a prescription. It costs the most at about $1.15 per capsule.
Lactoquil is the product with the highest number of different strains of microorganisms: 9 strains. The packaging of the product worries me for the viability of the organisms over time because each dose is not individually packaged in a capsule or packet. It is easy to provide because it comes as a flavored chew. However, the chews are stored in a screw top container within a plastic bag. The plastic bag may help protect the chews, but I would still be more hesitant about the viability of the product after opening it. Lactoquil also contains the 2nd fewest numbers of microorganisms at 1. 5 billion per dose.
Proviable DC is a great overall probiotic in my opinion. It is multistrain (7 strains) and is a symbiotic which might make the product work better. Proviable s packaged well in capsules within blister packs and isavailable over the counter. It also contains a healthy amount of bacteria at 5 billion per dose and is reasonably priced at $0.60 per capsule.
Proviable Forte:
There is a prescription version called Proviable Forte. This product is more expensive than the Proviable DC version ( about $1.10 per capsule) but contains twice the concentration of bacteria at 10 billion per dose. It also contains kaolin and pectin that help to adsorb water and may help solidify stool better for an animal with acute diarrhea.
Mycequin:
Mycequin. This is a veterinary yeast probiotic. It contains 10 billion CFU’s per chewable andrequires a prescription. It can be easier to use a yeast based probiotic when using it for prevention of antibiotic induced diarrhea as you can give it at the same time as an antibiotic and it won’t be inactivated. The product is packaged as a synbiotic and costs about $0.83 per chewable tablet.
There is a roughly equivalent human version to Mycequin that is available over the counter called Florastor. This product contains the same yeast strain but with fewer organisms at 5 billion per capsule or sachet. It costs $0.54 per capsule. The recommendations for human dosing however, is 2 capsules per dose (10 billion CFU’s).
Finally, there is Purina’s Calming Care probiotic. This contains a special strain of Bifidobacterium longum (BL999) that has been studied and shown to help dogs maintain calm behavior. In a blinded crossover design study, 90% of dogs showed an improvement in displaying anxious behaviors such as jumping, pacing, and spinning. The packets contain 1 billion CFU per packet which is still on the low side of CFU’s per dose.
Bacterial Probioitc options for dogs
| FORTIFLORA | CALMINGCARE | LACTOQUIL | PROVIABLE DC | PROVIABLE FORTE | VISBIOME VET |
| Enterococcus faecium | Bifidobacterium longum (BL999) | Bacillus (3 strains) Enterococcus faecium Lactobacillus (4 strains) Pediococcus | Bifidobacterium Enterococcus ( 2 strains) Lactobacillus (4 strains) | Bifidobacterium Enterococcus faecium Streptococcus Lactobacillus (4 strains) | Lactobacillus (4 strains) Streptococcus Bifidobacterium (3 strains) |
| packet | packet | Chewable tablets in a bag inside a screw top jar | CapsulesIn a blister pack | CapsulesIn a blister pack | capsules |
| Room temp | Room temp | Room temp | Room temp | Room temp | Refrigerate |
| No rx needed | No rx needed | No rx needed | No Rx needed | Vet Rx needed | No Rx needed |
| $1.03 per packet | $0.46 per packet | $0.33 per chew | $0.60 per cap | $1.10 per cap | $1.15 per cap |
Yeast probiotic options for dogs
| MYCEQUIN | FLORASTOR |
| Saccharomyces boulardii | Saccharomyces boulardii |
| Chewable tablets inside a screw top jar | Capsules or packets |
| Room temp | Room temp |
| Vet Rx needed | No Rx needed |
| $0.83 per chew | $ 0.54 per cap |
Probiotic supplemented dog food
Some dog foods claim the benefits of kibble that is supplemented with probiotics. Most of the foods I researched contained several strains of bacteria: lactobacillus, enterococcus, bifidobacterium and bacillus.
However, these foods seemed underpowered with probiotics added at concentrations of 80 to 100 million CFU’s per pound of food. Additionally, the food bag once opened to air risks degrading the numbers of viable organisms. These foods researched included Taste of the Wild grain free dog food, Canidae All Life Stages, and Diamond Naturals.
One probiotic-supplemented food did stand out more than the rest. If you are looking for a dog food supplemented with probiotics, I recommend:
My pick for probiotic supplemented dog food: Purina Pro Plan
Pro plan is supplemented almost 6 to 7 times the numbers of probiotic organisms as the other dog food brands. It contained 600 million CFU/lb.
The Pro Plan food is supplemented with only one strain of probiotic: Bacillus. Bacillus is hearty because it can form a spore that is resistant to many conditions. This organism may stay viable when added to dry dog food because it can survive the conditions in the bag of food and then germinate in the intestinal tract of dogs. This is probably why Purina Pro Plan added only this one strain to their diet.
FAQ’s about probiotics for dogs
What is a probiotic and a synbiotic?
The World Health Organization has defined a probiotic as a strain of bacteria or yeast that provides demonstrated health benefits. A Synbiotic is a probiotic and prebiotic packaged together in a commercial product.
The most commonly used probiotic strains of bacteria in commercial products are lactic-acid producing bacteria: lactobacillus, enterococcus, streptococcus and Bifidobacterium species.
Some strains of yeast such as (Saccharomyces boulardii) provide similar health benefits and are considered probiotics as well. This yeast is functionally different from brewer’s yeast. Probiotics act by adhering to intestinal mucus and producing antimicrobial peptides and inhibiting the growth of pathogens like E. coli species and Salmonella.
How is a prebiotic different from a probiotic?
Prebiotics are nondigestible fiber compounds that promote the growth of bacteria present in the colon. Prebiotics nuture the growth of probiotic strains of bacteria or yeast.
They are typical dietary fiber like fructooligosaccharides, pectins, inulins, resistant starches, beta-glucans etc. Prebiotics are in foods such as whole grains, bananas, greens, onions, garlic, soybeans and artichokes. A well known prebiotic is psyllium present in metamucil.
How do I give my dog probiotics?
The advice to give a probiotic on an empty stomach is because the body produces acid in response to meals. If ingested at the time of a mea probiotics may be less likely to survive an acid environment in the stomach. However, in response to a meal, the body will start digestion and the passage of food contents out of the stomach and into the small intestine more quickly.
The classic advice is to give a probiotic on an empty stomach. This is best achieved either one hour before a meal or at bedtime. However, there have been human studies that have not found any appreciable difference in the amount of viable probiotic bacteria that end up in the intestinal tract regardless of timing of administration.
The bottom line is that it is probably best to choose a method and time that works best so that you don’t forget to give the probiotic to your dog and that you are able to give it regularly.
Is pumpkin a probiotic? Is honey a probiotic? Is apple cider vinegar a probiotic?
Pumpkin, honey and apple cider vinegar are not probiotics as they do not contain beneficial bacteria. However, they do contain fiber, oligosaccharides and pectins that promote the growth of probiotic bacteria which makes them prebiotics.
Is there a downside to giving my dog a probiotic?
Some dogs develop constipation or loose stools after receiving a probiotic or prebiotic. This typically can be resolved after adjusting the dose.
Some animals may also experience flatulence or loose stools for a few days, particular with the higher dose multi strain probiotics. In this case, reduce the dose for a few days until the symptoms resolve. After that you can often readjust back up the recommended therapeutic dose
Serious side effects from probiotics are very rare. However, there have been a limited number of documented cases of translocation of probiotics causing blood borne bacterial infections in hospitalized human patients.
It may be recommended to use probiotics cautiously in immunocompromised dogs. However, there have been positive reports on the use of probiotics in dogs with severe diarrheal diseases such as parvovirus and dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea (acute bloody diarrhea.
Do probiotics make you poop a lot?
When first starting probiotics your dog may experience some looser stools. This is often easily mitigated by reducing the amount of the probiotic for a few days.
Adding prebiotics such as metamucil to a dogs’ diet will increase the volume of stool they eliminate. Certain high fiber prescription GI diets such as W/D diet will also increase the amount of stool a dog produces.
What foods contain natural probiotics?
- Yogurt
- Sauerkraut fermented cabbage
- Tempeh fermented soybean
- Kimchi-fermented cabbage
- Miso fermented soybean
- Kombucha
- Traditional buttermilk
Pro Tip: A lot of people think that a few spoonfuls of yogurt will be an effective way to add a probiotic into their dog’s diet. The problem is that to provide the amount of beneficial bacteria you would have to give most dogs about 5-6 cups of yogurt per day.
I don’t know a lot of dogs that like to eat kimchi or sauerkraut or drink kombucha regularly. If you are serious about supplementing your dog’s diet with beneficial probiotics, you can’t rely on a couple of spoonfuls of greek yogurt to do the trick.
What are the signs a dog needs probiotics?
Probiotics can be part of any dog’s normal supplementation to support their immune function. However, probiotics are best studied for dogs that have acute diarrhea and/or chronic diarrhea and dogs with anxiety.
Can I give my dog human probiotics?
A lot of overlap between species of microbes in human and canine probiotics. The best studied probiotic for dogs, Visbiome vet is the exact same composition as it’s human equivalent.
The only difference is there are higher doses available for people. Mycequin uses the exact same strain of yeast probiotic as Florastor. Don’t let anyone on the internet insist that dogs can’t take human probiotics!
How long should a dog take probiotics?
Probiotics need 1-3 days to colonize the intestinal tract.
Stress related diarrhea:
If the goal is to prevent stress-related diarrhea (from things like periods of weaning, boarding, traveling or working dogs) prophylactic administration of probiotic is best given a few days to weeks ahead.
Antibiotic associated diarrhea:
For prevention of antibiotic associated GI signs, administering probiotics a few days ahead will increase success. Separate a probiotic from antibiotic ideally by at least 4 hours otherwise antibiotics may inactivate probiotics.
Immune support and chronic bowel disease:
For immune stimulation probiotics should be given long term over weeks to months.
Dogs/cats with chronic enteropathy (like inflammatory bowel disease) a probiotic should be given weeks to months to provide maximum benefit for improving intestinal barrier function and increasing immune regulation.
Probotic benefits end after administration ends because they are eliminated by the body.
Acute diarrhea:
Probiotics should be administered for 2–4 weeks to animals with acute diarrhea. It may be preferable to delay the initiation of probiotic treatment in dogs with bloody diarrhea and compromised intestinal mucosal barrier until the hemorrhagic diarrhea has resolved.
How long does it take probiotics to stop diarrhea in dogs?
Dogs with chronic diarrheal diseases like IBD may need weeks to months of a probiotic to effectively mitigate their symptoms with a probiotic alone. Acute diarrheal events were studied in dogs and reduced the length of diarrhea episodes by 50%.
Recovery time in studied dogs with acute GI symptoms reduced the time to resolution from 2.2 days to 1. 3 days. They were treated with 12 billion CFU’s of a multistrain probiotic.
Dogs with parvovirus treated with Visbiome had an increased survival of 90% in the probiotic group vs 70% in the non-probiotic group. They also had a more rapid clinical course and improved white blood cell counts (lymphocytes).
Dogs with acute diarrhea supplemented with Bifidobacterium probiotic (20 billion CFU’s per day) had their diarrhea resolved in 4 days versus almost 7 days.
Conclusion:
Probitoics can have huge benefits to your dog’s health. They support the immune system and can both treat and prevent diarrhea in your dog. To learn more about other ways to treat diarrhea, read this: https://www.vethelpful.com/what-to-give-a-dog-for-diarrhea/
