How Do Probiotics Help My Pet?
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Did you know that for milennia bacteria and mammals have shared a mutually beneficial relationship? This infographic looks at the gut microbiome of your dog and how probiotics can help your pet's gut health.
- PAW by Blackmores/
- A Guide To Perfect Your Pet's Health/
- Manage Your Dog's Digestive Health/
- How Do Probiotics Help My Pet?
How do probiotics help your pet?
For the last 90 years, humankind’s focus on bacteria has been to control infections caused by overgrowth of disease-causing bacteria. However, for millennia, bacteria and mammals have shared a mutually beneficial relationship. For every single cell in your pet’s body, there are ten micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa) living in their gastrointestinal tract.The microbiome
The collection of micro-organisms living in the gut are called the microbiome. The microbiome has roles in immunity, breakdown of nutrients, production of vitamins and preventing ‘bad bacteria’ from colonising the intestines.Main causes of imbalance in the gut
An imbalance in the micro-organisms in your pet’s gut is also called dysbiosis. Causes of dysbiosis include:- Antibiotics
Antibiotic use has been shown to reduce species diversity in the microbiome, with effects persisting even after the administration period is complete - Illness
Illness in the gut can cause changes in the microbiome and favour the growth of families of bacteria that are associated with disease - Stressful events
These can include kennelling or dietary change with inadequate transitioning period can cause diarrhoea
What are the signs of dysbiosis?
It's important to recognise the signs of dysbiosis. These may vary from dog to dog, but common signs include:- diarrhoea
- flatulence
- rumbling or gurgling sounds in the abdomen
- vomiting
How to restore the gut balance
Probiotics may help restore the balance in dysbiosis. Probiotics are formulations of live organisms (bacteria) that have beneficial effects on the recipient when delivered in adequate amounts. Probiotics can:- Help improve the barrier function of the intestines
- Increase secretion of substances which help to prevent disease causing bacteria from colonising the gut
- Produce substances that regulate the immune response and reduce inflammation
- Enhance immunity to promote tolerance to ‘good bacteria’ while maintaining protection against disease causing micro-organisms
Not all probiotics are equal
To be effective, probiotics must be able to survive the acidic environment of the stomach and bile acid to reach the intestines. Commercial probiotic products have large variations in quality control. Problems include viability of the probiotic, and inclusion of other species that are not listed on the label.
