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THE PROS AND CONS OF PROBIOTICS…
Powerful healers or just a kick in the gut?
By Katy Cable/The Weekly Runt
Not a week goes by without helping many frustrated pet owners. Typically, most are trying to choose foods for dogs with digestive issues. So many options, marketing buzz words, and different recommendations can make anyone a little “sick to their stomach!”
Last week a nice lady blurted out, “I keep hearing about probiotics…What the heck are they and why does my dog need them?” I was as happy as if I’d known the answer to the final Jeopardy question.
I’ve battled “tummy” issues all my life. Recently I put my own debilitating autoimmune condition (Hashimoto’s) into remission through diet and probiotics. There can be many PROS to probiotics, but if you don’t know the facts, they can often be just a big, fat marketing con! So let me break everything down into easy-to-digest pieces for you.
What Are Probiotics:
In both humans and canines, a majority of our body's immune cells reside in the gut. Therefore keeping our tummies in balance is crucial to maintaining overall health.
Probiotics are tiny microorganisms that work primarily in the gut. Think of them as “good bacteria!” Microorganisms are called good bacteria because they provide tons of health benefits both inside and out. There are good and bad microorganisms in every gut which need to be kept in balance for our bodies to work at their best capacity.
When a dog’s microbiome becomes unbalanced, the result can be more than just digestive issues. An out-of-whack microbiome can cause yeast infections, rashes, arthritis, and other chronic inflammatory diseases that are so prevalent today. Plus, a dog’s gut becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients as they age. Probiotics become even more crucial for maintaining good overall health.
Many factors from antibiotics to aging can influence the health of your dog’s GI tract and microbiome. Another biggie is your pet’s diet! Believe me, food is either making you sick or making you healthy. And same goes for our four-legged friends. More than anything else, what you feed your pet has a tremendous impact on how well their guts are able to absorb vital…
