Have you ever thought about how the composition of the gut microbiota of your dog companion influences its mood, metabolism or immune system in addition to its digestion? Do you know how bacteria work in guts and how to keep the good ones inside?
As it is known, bowels are the home of our immune system. However, the composition and the quality of diet is often neglected not even when it comes to our dogs. Besides the food, also other factors influence the intestinal flora, such as medication, mainly antibiotics. Constipation, stress or chlorine in tap water aren't good for healthy intestines either.
Therefore, if there is an overgrowth of pathogenic microbes in the intestines due to circumstances, it will have adverse effects on the organism – not just the digestive tract itself. These unwanted organisms take nutrients important for the body and release bad toxins at the same time. Those pose burden to the immune system which doesn’t have to be strong enough to defend against viral or bacterial infections then. Consequently, the dog is more prone to diseases or it takes it more time to deal with them.
People expect that there are about 10 cells of various micro-organisms for one human cell in a body. The same applies to dogs (there was a study which confirmed that dogs’ flora is surprisingly similar to that humans) And the largest microbial communities live in large intestine. Besides taking part in immune system (non)functioning, those also influence the efficiency of food digestion, metabolism and even mood.
So, it’s clear keeping the dog’s intestines healthy is crucial. The best way to do that is always prevention. In this case, it means giving the dog proper food. It should be of high quality, easily digestible with balanced nutrients according to its current needs based on age, size, activity, the environment it lives in or a medical condition. Some dry dog food or functional treats even contain important lactobacilli (Lactobacillus acidophilus strain), the live non-pathogenic bacteria that colonize the intestines and therefore prevent pathogenic organism of attaching and multiplication.
Probiotics can also be administered to a dog in the form of special food supplements. It’s especially useful when taking antibiotics or other medication, before stress situations such as moving or when a family member leaves or arrives, but also when sudden changes in weather occur or food is changed. They are also useful when some medical conditions such as constipation, gassing, allergies or atopy occur.
Do you have any experience with probiotics for your dog? Have you observed any change after administering them, both when it comes to digestion or the overall medical condition or mood?
Kitten Lady describes her activities as kittens’ advocacy and humane education. This all is done by young beautiful Hannah Shaw. She’s a kitten rescuer, spreads the principles of humanity and is an unwavering advocate of animal rights. She decided to...
Several kinds of hedgehog are kept as pets. The most common one is the four-toed hedgehog or an African pygmy hedgehog in other words. This pet which is not very common but is becoming more and more popular can live up to 9 years in captivity and...
More than one artist fell in love with these creatures and looked for inspiration for work in them. One of them was Ernest Hemingway. He is the author of the well-known saying “One cat just leads to another”. He really kept a large number of cats (in...
We have an active and healthy lifestyle. Or at least we try to have. In relation to that, we don’t only think about our own food but also about our dogs’ food. The trend of barfing has already come to the Czech Republic, too. It is a method of feeding...
If you go camping for the first time, it is good to prepare for all various reactions of your furry friend. Do you travel with it by car and by public transport with no problems? Is your dog okay when not sleeping at home, e.g. in a mountain cabin? It...
As the name of this breed suggests, you can’t expect much hair on an American hairless terrier. This small or medium size muscled dog has hair only on its muzzle and eyebrows. But the interesting thing is that puppies are born with an undercoat which...
Let us get this straight, what is monoprotein food? It is wet food (i.e. cans and pouches) which contains only one type of meat, muscles and bowels. And why is it better than common wet food?
A meat bomb in a form of a dog paté or can doesn’t have to be only a reward. If you are planning to go on a long hike – to the mountains or to the valley – you can make the use of a dog meat can. Dogs in move, usually when doing any sport outside, need...
The cause of diabetes is a lack of insulin (a pancreas hormone) or the inability of the body to use it effectively (i.e. the resistance of tissues towards insulin). And it doesn’t matter if you’re a person or an animal. With diabetes, the sugar is...
Runner Dion Leonard could talk for hours about the bond which is created between a man and a dog and also about how an unknown Asian crossbreed dog becomes one of the most famous dogs on planet Earth. He bumped into a dog companion at the ultra-trial...
Even when you cannot or don’t want to take your dog on your holiday with you, you still have many options what to do with it. You can take him to your relatives, accommodate it in a dog hotel, use dog-sitting and other things. It’s not that easy with...
Cats can also be heroes and put their lives at risk to save someone from risky or life-threatening situations. The first cat hero I will introduce you to is Scarlett. She showed her heroism in the most natural form – she saved her kittens. She took...
