Health Series 2: Probiotics

               Pro – the Latin root meaning “for”
               Biotic – the Greek root meaning “pertaining to life”

​   Probiotics are friendly, life giving microbes. These little guys are all the rage lately in human health right now. Science has only begun to scratch the surface of the life giving benefits of these microscopic organisms. Animal researchers are also exploring their roles in our dogs!

     We now know that the gut microbes play a crucial role in the regulation of their host's health. Gut microbes:

• aid in the digestion of food
• fight off potential pathogens
• bolster the immune system
• produce important B vitamins and short chain fatty acids
• aid the body in absorbing nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and iron
• provide a barrier for cancer-causing toxins, heavy metals, and allergens

   This is just a short list of the many amazing benefits of a healthy microbiota.  There have also been studies showing that there could be an early critical window in a puppy's life during which creating a diverse gut microbiome could produce life-time benefits.  We aim to send all our puppies to their forever homes with a very diverse microbiome.  From the time the puppies begin weaning to the day they go home, we offer our puppies a variety of whole-food pre and probiotic sources.  

    Anti – the Greet root meaning “against”. Change the prefix and now you have the well-known word Antibiotic. There are times when your dog will need an antibiotic, but now that you see the meanings of the roots, you can understand the importance of maintaining a health microbiome and especially bolstering it after antibiotic use.  

Sources of Probiotics for your Dog

Photo of whole food probiotic sources for dogs.

     While you could give your dog probiotic supplement, studies have shown that a large percentage of the cultures die before the product is ingested. Feeding whole-food probiotic sources is a more reliable way to be certain you are getting plenty of healthy microbes into your pet. I like to top our girls' breakfast with a variety of probiotic sources to be certain they are getting a diverse set of cultures. These are my top sources:

• Plain Greek yogurt and Kefir (without any flavors or sweeteners, especially artificial sweeteners) I like to rotate between different brands and homemade.
• Sauerkraut and Fermented Vegetables (these are often a bit higher in salt content, but 1T a couple times a week is not a problem)

Leave a comment and let me know what sources your dogs prefer!

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