Balancing the Gut: Are Probiotics Good for Dogs?

Like humans, dogs are no strangers to occasional digestive problems. In fact, as a dog owner, you’ve probably dealt with the results, whether it’s cleaning up after an upset stomach or going for those urgent walkies at 3 am during a bout of the runs. If you’re tired of dealing with the bow-wow bowel blues, you may be wondering, are probiotics good for dogs? The answer is both yes and no. While probiotics are certainly safe for a dog’s gut, they haven’t been proven effective in maintaining the balance of a dog’s digestive system. Read on to learn more about choosing the most effective sources of probiotics for your dog, the role that prebiotics can play in your dog’s digestive health, and how to know if your dog could benefit from probiotics and prebiotics in their dog food diet.

You’ve likely heard the buzz surrounding human probiotics—they’re one of the current crazes in the world of health and nutrition. But it’s easy to get confused about what probiotics are. Nutritional supplements for dogs and fermented foods like yogurt and kefir are often referred to as human probiotics. But probiotics can also mean the living microorganisms—mostly bacteria, but also some yeasts and other microbes—found in these supplements and foods. Some of the most common probiotic strains you’ll find in foods and supplements include¹:

• Lactobacillus
• Streptococcus
• Enterococcus
• Bifidobacterium
• Saccharomyces
• Escherichia
• Bacillus

Consuming foods or supplements containing these live bacteria can potentially add to the colonies of bacteria already present in the gut (we’ll get into the challenges with supplementing with probiotics later). This is true for both humans and dogs—your dog’s gut relies on most of the same strains of bacteria listed above.²

The same bacteria that are found in probiotic foods have another place they naturally call home: the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including canines. In the digestive tract, trillions of these tiny living creatures form a complex ecosystem that’s known as the microbiome. Don’t let the micro in microbiome fool you—this invisible, complex system plays a massive role in the health and function of the gut, as well as other organs and systems throughout the body. Some of the functions of the microbiome include³:

• Breaking down food and extracting nutrients
• Producing vitamins, such as vitamin K and B complex vitamins
• Regulating the motility (regularity) of the gut
• Preventing the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and pathogens
• Modulating the immune system and its responses Influencing mood and behavior through the gut-brain axis

The microbiome is an incredibly important system in most animal species. In fact, it’s often called “the hidden organ” due to the enormous role it plays in overall bodily functioning. How well this invisible organ can do its job depends on factors like genetics, age, diet, and environment. Next, let’s take a look at the factors that can throw the microbiome out of balance.

The microbiome naturally contains both beneficial microbes as well as other bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can be harmful if they grow too numerous. Good bacteria vastly outnumber harmful pathogens when all is well, but this delicate balance can be affected by many factors. Some common causes of gut imbalance include: 

• Stress – Stress can alter the gut-brain axis and affect the microbiota, as well as the secretion of digestive enzymes. In dogs, this can be caused by travel, changes in the household like a new baby or pet, separation anxiety, and noise.
• Antibiotics – Since antibiotics work by killing bacteria, it’s no surprise that they can also impact the good bacteria in the body. Signs of this can include diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
• Dietary changes – Diet helps shape the microbiome since different foods favor different types of bacteria. More varied dog food and diets tend to support a more diverse microbiome, but sudden or frequent changes in your dog’s food can lead to digestive upset and imbalance in the microbiota. Feeding your pup human food, giving her too many treats, changing brands, or introducing new supplements or treats can all lead to digestive upset.
• Infections – Pathogens like harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi can invade the gut and cause the loss of beneficial bacteria. In dogs, this is commonly caused by environmental sources like rolling in or eating dead animals, drinking or swimming in stagnant water, exposure to infected feces, or eating contaminated food.

Providing additional sources of probiotics to your dog can potentially help rejuvenate and maintain a healthy gut microbiome.⁴The challenge is finding dog probiotic sources that contain enough active bacteria in a form that can make it through the digestive system and into the gut However, if the best probiotic supplement containing significant numbers of live bacteria are used, they can potentially provide perks such as:

• Enhanced immune system function – Dog probiotic supplements can potentially help with and boost immune system function by stimulating the production of antibodies and modulating the immune response.
• Enriched nutrient absorption – The microbiome is a key player in effectively breaking down and extracting nutrients from food. You can feed your dog the best quality food in the world, but if their gut bacteria aren’t working properly, they’re not getting the most out of it. A quality probiotic supplement can ensure that the microbiome is consistently working at its best.
• Improved digestive health – Every dog owner becomes familiar with canine tummy troubles sooner or later, but some dogs are especially prone to stomach upset from stress, food sensitivities, acid reflux, or other causes. If you have a pup who deals with frequent bouts of gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhea, gas, nausea, or vomiting, supplementing with probiotics could be just what the veterinarian ordered.

There are a variety of options for adding probiotics to your canine companion’s diet, including:

• Unsweetened yogurt or kefir (check labels carefully for additives or artificial sweeteners, which are often toxic to dogs)
• Foods or treats with added live cultures
• Probiotic powders
• Probiotic pills

While this may seem easy enough, the problem is that the live bacteria in probiotic products may be unable to survive the trip through the stomach and into the intestinal tract. Additionally, some products don’t contain a sufficient quantity of live bacteria to make an impact on gut health, and others may not contain appropriate bacteria specifically for the canine gut.⁴ However, you shouldn’t give up on supporting good gut health with dog probiotics just yet. Although feeding your pup probiotics isn’t guaranteed to boost the quantity of beneficial bacteria in your dog’s gut, you can support the bacteria already in the gut. This is where prebiotics come into play.

Like any living thing, beneficial bacteria need nourishment. Prebiotics are a form of fiber that passes through the intestinal tract undigested, allowing beneficial bacteria to use them as food. Unlike probiotics, prebiotics aren’t alive—they don’t need any special buffering or preservatives to reach the digestive tract where they’re needed. Adding prebiotics to the diet is an easy way to ensure that probiotics already present in the gut get all the nourishment they need to thrive. But there’s one catch when it comes to dogs: As a form of fiber, prebiotics are mostly found in plant foods. While dogs are omnivores and can certainly eat some fruits and veggies, plant foods can also cause digestive upset for dogs with sensitive tummies.

Natural dietary sources of prebiotics that are digestible for most dogs include:

• Oats
• Beets
• Soybeans
• Bananas
• Apples
• Flaxseed

These foods can be fed to your dog in moderation as long as they don’t cause stomach upset. Watch for signs of digestive difficulties like bloating, gas, or diarrhea when introducing these or any other new foods to his or her diet.

Many dog owners find Vetericyn ALL-IN supplements to be the easiest way to add a regular supply of prebiotics to the diet without causing additional stress on the digestive system.

If your dog occasionally suffers from digestive upset—and we have yet to meet the dog that doesn’t—adding probiotics and prebiotics to their diet could help. And if you’re looking for a trusted source, choose Vetericyn. At Vetericyn, we’re passionate about bringing your dog the same top-quality nutritional support we give our own pets. That’s why we created ALL-IN. It’s an all-in-one supplement that supports every aspect of canine health with clinically proven absorbability. We’ve even developed three custom formulas for every stage of life, and each uses specialized active transport technology to deliver our patented nutritional complexes right to the cells that need them. We know that when it comes to loving your dog, you’re all in. Now, you can give them the nutritional supplement that proves it.