What Are the Best Probiotics for Dogs?

What Are the Best Probiotics for Dogs?
Written By: Dr. Rucker, Veterinary Advisor for Zesty Paws

We always want the best for our furry friends’ well-being. That’s why so many pet parents are on the lookout for the right ingredients to suit their dog's needs, age, and even weight.

With this in mind, it can be extremely difficult for dog parents with picky eaters to find the right functional supplement that their dogs will enjoy.

When looking into the best options for our dogs - especially when it comes to digestive health, probiotics are a great option that can benefit all dogs!

On top of aiding digestion and balancing the immune system, did you know that the biggest immune organ humans and dogs have in common is the gut? Bacteria that live in the gut lining naturally helps break down foods, protect against harmful bacteria, and produce vitamins B and K.

Probiotics also help to decrease the side effects of antibiotics. While medicine is great for fighting infections, they can cause gastrointestinal side effects for your furry friend, which is no fun! If your dog is taking antibiotics, it is a great idea to start them on probiotics a couple of days beforehand and continuing to do so beyond the antibiotic prescription to avoid any potential issues.

Additionally, you can also use a special pill wrap that provides probiotics with your pet's medication!

While looking out for your dog’s health is always important, monitoring for any unusual behavior is key as it can be linked to irritation. These behaviors include excessive licking or obsessive-compulsive actions. Eventually, the support of digestive health will improve a dog's behavior.

As senior dogs are more inclined to have a weakened immune system, a dog’s gut flora is important to their general health and potentially the key to living a long and healthy life. Taking probiotics before they’re needed can be beneficial when wanting to avoid bloating, unhealthy bacterial balance, or other troublesome health issues.

For the pet parents that have dogs who are picky eaters, you can probably relate to how changing your dog’s food could potentially upset their stomach. To avoid this in the future, provide your dog with probiotics to fight against the “good” and “bad” bacteria before switching to different food, I guarantee you will see a difference in their eating habits!

Lastly, dog probiotics help lessen the severity of skin allergy symptoms. Since gut health and the immune system are closely tied, providing your furry friend probiotics shows significant benefits when it comes to allergy management.

As pet parents look for the right probiotics for their very loved dogs, I recommend Zesty Paws® Aller-Immune Squares, which are bites size square chews that are meat-infused with key ingredients that support for your pet’s immune response.

While there are many aspects to keeping your pet healthy, probiotics are a key element to giving your pet what they need to stay healthy longer and live a happy life!