Community Chat

[chickadee]

My doggie is on some strong Antibiotics for infected ...ahem...glands. I want to start her on some probiotics, but I was wondering if any of you have a recommendation for a good one for the doggies. I take a good one for myself, but not so sure about ones for pets. I'm getting lost reading product labels.

I'd like something that contains more than one strain as I've kind of learned that those work best - at least for people! So I assume the same is true for pets. Anyway, do any of you have a good tried and true probiotic recommendation for dogs?

I've read a lot of reviews, but I also like asking for recommendations. Sometimes reviews for things like this sound like shills, if you know what I mean! Just need help deciding here. TIA! ;-)

[DorothyL]

I get Vetri-Mega Probiotic from my Vet for Sally. It is for dogs and cats. Sally is a doggie.

She really had bad stomach problems for a few years after we rescued her. We finally discussed going of these and they have been wonderful.

I give her one tablet daily. I just sprinkle the contents over her food...it has also helped her glands greatly.

If interested, I get a bottle of 120 for $60.50 (4 months worth).

Hope you receive more comments to help you to decide.

[chickadee]

Thanks, that's one of the ones on my shorter list. It has a few strains and appears to have a prebiotic in it also. Thanks for letting me know your vet recommends that one. 120 caps on amazon is less, so I wonder if the dose is higher from your vet?

[DorothyL]

From bottle - feeding directions for Dogs and Cats:

For Dogs: Give 1 capsule (1 capsule=apprx. 500 mg. which is equivalent to 5 Billion CFU/Capsule) daily to dogs up to 40 lbs. and 2 capsules to dogs over 40 lbs. preferably after a meal.

For Cats: Give 1/2 capsule daily mixed with food.

Sally weighs 26 lbs. and my Vet instructed me to open the capsule and shake it on her food. I do have a hard time giving her pills and that may be why he told me to open capsule and shake it over her food. She also is a picky eater, I make all of her food , and she does not mind the taste,if any.

[JLLH358]

There are a couple of different ones we have used:

http://shop.mercola.com/catalog/pets,88,0.htm (from holistic vet Karen Becker's site)

and

NWC Naturals Total-Zymes or Total-Biotics (the former includes digestive enzymes) recommended by our pet nutrition consultant.

Hope that helps!

[Kachina624]

If it's just a solution for a temporary problem, why don't you just feed her some yoghurt?

[chickadee]

She does get a little yogurt on her food every day and I think that helps her for everyday health. I thought maybe she needed an extra probiotic boost during and after a long round of strong antibiotics, though. She's my little sensitive tummy girl, so I'm just looking to stop any potential side effects before they start.

[Sammycat1]

Hi, we used purina veterinary canine fortiflora then later, switched to proviable-DC. The latter is more potent. We got both from our vet but you can also buy them online and in some stores.

[JLLH358]

On 2/21/2014 iam4truth said:

She does get a little yogurt on her food every day and I think that helps her for everyday health. I thought maybe she needed an extra probiotic boost during and after a long round of strong antibiotics, though. She's my little sensitive tummy girl, so I'm just looking to stop any potential side effects before they start.

Yogurt actually doesn't possess as many live cultures as dogs typically require in a probiotic if they need to re-seed their guts with good bacteria after or during antibiotic treatments. I would definitely go with an additional probiotic.

Here's some good info. on probiotics in general:

http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html

[chickadee]

Thanks you guys. Will see what I can find at the pet store so she can get started right away, then order a better one if I need to (if I cant find a really good one locally). I want to at least get her started on something today.