BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS IN YOUR DOGS DIET?

There are many benefits to adding a probiotic to your dogs diet. But if this is all new to you – don’t fret, I didn’t always know it either. #learningtogether

PROBIOTICS –

– is a beneficial bacteria that lives in the digestive tract which all dogs can benefit from. They aid in digestion and in Harley’s case they modulate his immune system…

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You see, Harley’s immune system needs “boosting.” If at all possible, I prefer for him to receive that naturally.

I want to strengthen his immune system. We’ll have a greater chance of reducing and possibly eliminating his environmental allergy issues. #beatthatitch

Dogs with a reduced immune system, such as puppies, senior dogs or dogs with chronic diseases (like Harley’s dreadful bout with Giardia the first year of his life), benefit from probiotic supplements.

HOW DOES PROBIOTICS WORK FOR DOGS? –

Probiotics promote enzymatic activity necessary for breaking down the elements of a dog’s food. They help dogs absorb the nutrients from their food much better!

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that already exist in your dog’s intestines. Due to illness, change in diet, medications and even stress, a condition called dysbiosis, or microbial imbalance, allows “bad” bacteria to overwhelm the “good” bacteria living in your dog’s GI tract.

Dysbiosis directly reduces immune system functioning in affected dogs, making them vulnerable to everything from chronic diarrhea and malnutrition to skin diseases, allergies (both seasonal and environmental) and a variety of infections.

Many health issues suffered by dogs–gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, pancreatitis, excessive gas, lethargy and skin problems–can be traced back to nutritional deficiencies caused by lack of enzymatic activity. With probiotic supplements, you can eliminate these problems without making your dog feel worse by putting him on a regimen of antibiotics.

What probiotics do is restore balance to the gut flora so that “good” bacteria proliferate and out-populate harmful bacteria in the dog’s intestine. Source: Doggy Digest

MY PROBIOTIC CHOICE? –

Goat milk!

It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein and fatty acids. It’s easily digestible and tolerable even for dogs with digestive issues.

MY PROBIOTIC BRAND? –

Pro Bloom Instant Goat’s Milk by The Honest Kitchen!

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You might remember I first talked about Pro Bloom when I made Mango Banana Freeze Pops.

It was one of the four ingredients in the recipe…

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Pro Bloom’s all natural goat’s milk PLUS probiotics formula is a way for them to receive daily immune and digestive support.

I’ve incorporated it in both Harley & Jaxson’s diets because it’s created for all life stages…

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The 6 oz container will last me approx. two months. I like the powder form. I simply mix a little with warm water and hydrate their food for breakfast.

❤️ You can find several recipes from The Honest Kitchen using Pro Bloom here

Shop amazon.com for Instant Goat’s Milk

If you’re still on the fence as to whether or not you want/need to incorporate a probiotic into your dogs diet then –

  • do a little research – you’ll never go wrong when you arm yourself with a little knowledge.
  • speak to your veterinarian – I always seek Doodle Doc’s advice about every and anything when it comes to the Boys.

Friendly bacteria can play a “best supporting” role in your dog’s digestive health. Source: The Whole Dog Journal

A FEW DISCLAIMERS –

  • I am not a veterinarian nor a scientist. I’m a pet parent always interested in understanding more about my dogs.
  • Cathy C. Bennett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
  • Groovy Goldendoodles™ is in a partnership with The Honest Kitchen®. GGD is being compensated for helping spread the word about The Honest Kitchen®, but Groovy Goldendoodles™ will only share information about a product we feel is relevant to our readers. The Honest Kitchen® is not responsible for the content of this article. I look to Harley and Jaxson for tail wagging approval.

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27 Comments
  • Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom
    August 31, 2016

    I’m glad probiotics work for the Doodle Boys! All 3 girls had an adverse reaction to the powdered probiotics a couple of years ago so I no longer trust/use them. On occasion I will buy a small container of plain yogurt, scoop it into small bone-shaped &/or pawprint-shaped molds, and freeze it for treats for the girls. That way they get their probiotics in the most natural form. And I don’t have to worry about the stability of the bacteria. (This is why I also don’t buy kibble that has probiotic bacteria and enzymes in the recipe.)

  • Elaine
    August 31, 2016

    Our vet gave Haley some probiotic pills when she had colitis and they really helped. I’m sure she would like the idea of the goat’s milk better than taking a pill, so I might give this a try. Thanks for sharing this, Cathy!

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      Elaine, give it a try. I think Haley would like it’s creamy texture – I know the Boys certainly do! Let us know…

  • Emma
    August 31, 2016

    Goats milk? Do you ever find the boys up on grass roofs eating grass? Sounds like a pretty good idea, but we don’t have any issues right now, and have some other supplemental things we take. Love all the creative recipes!

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      Emma, if I ever catch either one of them on the roof, I will make sure to take photos and blog about it! Hope you find a few recipes to test out. Let us know!

  • Kimberly Gauthier
    August 31, 2016

    I’m a huge fan of probiotics. Our dogs get a supplement 5 days a week and they’re all doing great. Probiotics combined with a species-appropriate diet turned Rodrigo’s health around.

    Love this post and that you’re spreading the word. The Honest Kitchen has a full line of products making them such an amazing option for dog lovers.

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      I’m becoming obsessed with searching for alternative natural ways to give my Boys the very best. THK Goat’s Milk is a daily staple now, along with the Ultra Oil among other stuff 🙂 I too am watching the benefits of the right diet with supplements start to show. Harley is doing well, but every day I watch his scratching become less and less. I am pleased. Thanks for all your help, thanks for answering your phone when I call 🙂 #yourethebest

  • Robin
    August 31, 2016

    I’m glad that your dogs are getting probiotics! Those are incredibly helpful to the immune system. Though it is somewhat controversial, I use goat’s milk with my kitties as a probiotic. We rarely have any illness issues with them. 🙂

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      Robin – from everything I’ve read, goat’s milk is PAWsome for cats! To be honest, since I’ve switched them to THK dehydrated human grade food – which has been a little more than two years now – we haven’t had any poop or tummy issues. Now with the goat milk PLUS probiotics I feel so much better knowing I’m giving their immune system super doodle strength. Take care!

  • The Daily Pip
    August 31, 2016

    Our former dog, Pip, had all kinds of digestive issues and we did add pro-biotics to his food. Ruby’s stomach and digestion are pretty good and we haven’t yet – but it is one of those things I always think we should start doing.

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      I give Jaxson the goat’s milk even though he doesn’t have any issues. I’m thinking preventative care is a good thing. Besides, he and Harley eat out of each other’s bowls so it would be hard to exclude him.

  • Christine Caplan
    August 31, 2016

    Oh!! I just reviewed a brand called MitoMax and I love that you posted about Honest Kitchen’s probiotic – I think it’s so crucial our guys take these and especially dogs with digestive disorders. Seriously loved to see Honest Kitchen making one too and I didn’t even know about it — excellent review.

    • Cathy Bennett
      August 31, 2016

      I just read your post! I had no idea about MitoMax – that’s kismet that we both blogged about probiotics. It’s great too – more information shared may help more pets. Take care

  • Jackie Bouchard
    August 31, 2016

    We have been looking into getting the hubs on some probiotics (he’s had some stomach issues) – so maybe once he’s sorted out, we’ll consider it for the dog. 🙂 Informative post! Thanks for sharing the info!

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 2, 2016

      Has the Hub’s tried any of those yogurts advertised with probiotics? Although they say Goat’s Milk is good for both dogs, cats and humans, I don’t know about the taste. Hope he feels better soon! Take care 🙂

  • Leslie
    September 1, 2016

    Does goat milk really benefit the dog?

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 1, 2016

      Hi Leslie – According to the Boys vet and all that I’ve read – it is supposed to! Now I am pretty sure there are some animals whose chemistry “make-up” will not tolerate it or it’s not the right probiotic (I’m a believer that everything isn’t always right for everybody) that’s why I always check with the Doodle Doc first. As for Harley – over time it will strengthen his immune system which is what we want. As for Jaxson – it’s good for him in a preventative way, and he likes the taste 🙂 Hope that helps! Thanks so much for stopping by…

  • Jan K
    September 1, 2016

    This definitely sounds worth looking into. I think the kibble we feed might have probiotics in it, so I’m not sure if they’d need more or not? If so, going an all natural way like this is definitely my preference.

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 2, 2016

      I read (somewhere) about the probiotics incorporated in kibble – while I cannot quote the statement I can tell you it wasn’t that flattering. Something to do with the processing somewhat destroys a lot of what the probiotic is supposed to do. Try the Goat’s Milk, the Boys lap it up – but check with your vet first.

  • Jenya Rubanova
    September 2, 2016

    Great post on probiotics 🙂 There are so many options that everyone can find one that works for their dog. We have a rescue cattledog/rat terrier mix and she had pretty bad runs when we adopted her. Probiotic, over time, had stabilized her stomach and made her open to more food options.

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 2, 2016

      I totally agree! That’s one of the main reasons why I opted to start Jaxson on them now to help “prevent” anything from happening. Happy to hear that your pup is doing so well. I’ve also started using Ultra Oil
      (Omega 3-6-9) – here’s the review I did a few weeks ago – http://bit.ly/2ba35bj Thanks so much for stopping by, please come back again soon!

  • Jean Dion
    September 2, 2016

    I’ve used a raw goat’s milk product before, which my very wonderful local pet store supplies in frozen form. My dogs weren’t huge fans, I’m a little sad to say. They liked it, but they weren’t over the moon about it. So we stick with powdered probiotic for now. A few sprinkles on their food each day keeps the veterinarian away!

    Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 2, 2016

      I haven’t found a store conveniently located near me that carries the raw goat’s milk. I’m pretty happy with the dehydrated version – it has a longer shelf life (not that it’s lasting all that long!) and I like mixing it with the warm water and using it on their breakfast. Have a great weekend Jean! Thanks so much for reading.

  • Monika & Sam
    September 2, 2016

    Hopefully this remedy will be the ‘pawfect’ the thing for your sweet boy! Good luck.

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 2, 2016

      Well Monika the way I look at it – adding a probiotic certainly doesn’t seem to be a bad thing to do. Paws crossed that it helps strengthen his immune system. Have a wonderful weekend!

  • Cathy Armato
    September 4, 2016

    Great information Cathy! I first tried a probiotic when my Husky was on antibiotics for a tummy issue, the probiotic countered some of the negative effects of the antibiotic. Good idea to use probiotics regularly to boost your dogs immune system. Thanks for the Honest Kitchen recipie link!
    Love & biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

    • Cathy Bennett
      September 4, 2016

      Hey Cathy! Good to know about probiotics and antibiotics. I believe I will continue this regime giving it to the Boys regularly. They seem to like it with their breakfast. Enjoy the recipes. Have a great holiday Monday!