Are Probiotics in Your Tripawd’s Regimen?

Do you use probiotic supplements for your Tripawd? If so, have they helped?

We never experienced severe canine stomach issues, until Tripawd Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray joined our pack. Wyatt has a classic German Shepherd belly, which means that anything too weird, rich, different or new will throw his intestines into chaos, sometimes for days.

After one diarrhea episode that lasted nearly five days, we took him to the vet, who introduced us to the wonders of probiotics, and his stomach has been healthy ever since.

Probiotic supplements are a conglomeration of friendly bacteria and cultures that can help dogs who are experiencing diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, flatulence and other intestinal distress due to:

• Viral, bacterial or fungal infections
• Stress
• Poor diet
• Food allergies
• The ingestion of a foreign object
• Antibiotic treatment
• Sudden change in diet
• Lengthy administration of steroids

Probiotics help to replenish the healthy bacteria in a dog’s stomach. They enhance digestion and absorption of nutrients, support detoxification and elimination processes, and help to boost immune systems. They can also be beneficial after surgery or while undergoing chemotherapy.

Although several commercial dog foods claim to have probiotics in them, the Canadian Veterinary Journal reports that “that these commercial diets are not good sources of probiotics.”

Instead, adding a probiotic to your dog’s food at mealtime may be more beneficial. Studies cited by the Journal of Nutrition report that:

“the addition of Bacillus CIP 5832 to a dry dog food was feasible under certain circumstances and that Bacillus CIP 5832 will survive and germinate in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs.”

Probiotics are sold as powders or tinctures of herbal extracts. The one we found that works great for Wyatt is a powder manufactured by Rx Vitamins for Pets, which is sold only through veterinarians.

Tripawd Codie Rae and Travis Ray both get served a heaping dose of Nature’s Pharmacy’s DogZymes digestive enhancer, which their pack leader says works miracles for the pack.

As with many nutritional supplements, anecdotal evidence about the successes and failures of probiotics is most of what we have to go on right now. It’s always important to remember that with some dogs like Wyatt Ray, probiotic supplements work wonders for sensitive bellies. For other dogs, the addition of this supplement may not be the cure-all for digestive issues.

The fauna and flora in everyone’s gut differs from dog to dog (and pawson to pawson), so you may need to try a few different probiotics before finding the pawfect blend.

When used in combination with edible green clay, Wyatt’s intestinal issues are mostly a thing of the past. Based on the success stories we’ve heard from pawrents, we think probiotics are worth a try if your Tripawd’s stomach is under stress.

But remember, it’s up to you to find out from others what works for their pups. Talk to your vet, and then decide for yourself if the small investment in this supplement is something that might work for your pack.