If you have owned a dog for even as little as a few months you may have already been alerted to the terrible sound of doggy-dry-heaving, and vomiting. Or the mess of sudden, unexpected diarrhea that trails through the house. The longer you have been a dog owner, the more episodes you have likely experienced. The caring owners we are, we offer love, and reassurance and clean the mess. But are we helping protect our dog from these unfortunate symptoms? Could we be doing more proactively? Watch for symptoms in dogs that indicate probiotics will help.
Signs and Symptoms Your Dog Could Benefit from A Probiotic?
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Flatulence
- Abdominal bloating
These signs and symptoms of more obvious, you can see the problem. As caring owners it is unsettling to watch our fuzzy buddies struggle with such discomforts. Intermittent diarrhea is very common in dogs. It can be caused by something unusual that they ate, or emotional stress or parasites, as a few examples. Nausea and vomiting can be attributed to the same the same reasons. Flatulence affects some dogs more than others and can be breed specific. As an example, some owners say Boston Terriers and Bull dogs can be pretty “gassy” while other breeds have occasional flatulence. Abdominal bloating can be secondary to other gastrointestinal issues.
Secret Signs Your Dog Could Benefit from Probiotics?
- Bad breath
- Skin irritation
- Allergies
- Dull coat
- Senior dogs
- Recent antibiotic therapy
Always check with your veterinarian before starting a new regime for your dog. Generally, dog probiotics have been known to help reduce bad breath as they help regular gut “Ph” or acidity. As digestion actually starts in the mouth – it is a common misconception that digestion begins in the stomach -probiotics keep dental hygiene in good standing as the dog takes them orally. Once the stomach acidity is corrected through regular probiotic use, the mouth gets additional benefits of good oral hygiene and better breath.
Dog probiotics have also been reported to clear up irritated and itchy skin in dogs who are highly allergy or rash prone. It is believed that regulating the Ph of the digestive track helps certain immune mediators work more effectively in the body and therefore inflammation diminishes and clear up rashes, redness and other signs of skin irritation and itchiness. As an added benefit, probiotics can help add luster and shine to your dog’s skin and coat!
Senior dogs benefit from probiotics because the majority of immune mediated cells are in the digestive tract. Regulating stomach acidity and maximizing digestive health helps promote less inflammatory response and better health in senior dogs, maximizing their longevity!
Any dog who has been on recent antibiotic therapy should have probiotics to help re-balance the digestive flora and minimize common side effects of antibiotics such as nausea and diarrhea. These are not allergies to the antibiotics, but can be common side effects that occur because the antibiotics also temporarily destroy good gut flora. Antibiotics temporarily destroy the good gut bacteria the dog needs as well as destroying the bad bacteria causing the infection.
Probiotics Are Protective and Preventive: Use Them for Your Dog and Your Children
Of course you can not use a dog probiotic for your child, but you can give Biogaia probiotic to your baby, child or teenager. We use Biogaia with our children. We used it when they were infants to combat infant colic. We use it now for young children when they need antibiotics for ear infections, or when they pick up a stomach virus from school. Babies benefit from probiotics because they have an undeveloped immune system and a digestive tract that is not mature. Children benefit from probiotics to minimize otherwise uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms of cold and flus. Research has shown that probiotics decrease the severity and durations of symptoms. Even adults can use the same Biogaia as the children and get the same benefit.
Tips For Giving Biogaia To Infants And Children
Make sure you use a rolling technique rather than shaking the product. Just roll the bottle between the palms of your hands, back and fourth 2-3 times before taking a dose.
- For infants apply the prescribed amount of drops on a soother, baby bottle nipple or your clean finger tip and let baby suck off.
- If breast feeding, DO NOT apply probiotic drops directly to your nipple for baby as you may be more susceptible to infection in this phase post-partum and sometimes nipples are cracked from breastfeeding. Use a method described above.
- Children 5 years and older can generally tolerate the prescribed dose well when provided on a spoon. Biogaia is a small amount of liquid which has a mild sunflower taste.
- Children, teenagers and adults can eat or drink after administration as there are no contraindications to eating or drinking before or after taking the dose.
- Conveniently store at room temperature, do not refrigerate
- Control your own regime. Take daily or every few days, whatever works for you.
Ask your health care provider if Biogaia will benefit you
Biogaia is a easy-to-use and easy-to-keep probiotic for people, that the whole family can benefit from. So talk to your primary health provider to make sure starting this Biogaia is right for you. May not be suitable for anyone with underlying autoimmune issues, or inflammatory bowel issues or cancer or sepsis. Can be beneficial for generally healthy people as regular digestive maintenance and healthy people temporarily on short courses of antibiotics to avoid common side-effects while treating mild or moderate localized infection.