What is a natural probiotic for a dog

Best Probiotic For Dogs: Natural, Soil Based, Calming, Homemade, For Dogs With Diarrhea, Yeast Infection & More

Human probiotics have become a health craze due to their numerous benefits, but have you considered them for your furry friend? We all know how fickle a dogs digestive system can be. Fortunately, specially formulated dog probiotics can be a life-changer for dogs suffering from digestive and other health problems. What do you need to know about pup probiotics, and which products are your best bets?

At A Glance: A Few Of Our Top Picks

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are formulas containing living gut-friendly bacteria found naturally in the digestive tract and other body areas. The goal of ingesting probiotics is to maintain healthy levels of good bacteria, prevent gastrointestinal (GI) problems, and boost the immune system after being disrupted by illness, infection, antibiotic treatment, or other stressors.

Benefits

Probiotics have many health benefits, but some key advantages include:

• Decreases incidences of diarrhea and flatulence
• Helps recovery from illnesses and infections
• Enhances immune response
• Helps manage many diseases, like inflammatory bowel syndrome, and kidney disease
• Reduces pain and swelling due to anti-inflammatory properties
• Improves anxiety and stress
• Improves bad breath

When Do Veterinarians Recommend Probiotic Use?

While probiotics can benefit all dogs, veterinarians often advise pup owners to use probiotics to treat certain conditions.

In my practice, we recommend probiotics regularly for dogs with all sorts of stomach upsets, says Rebecca MacMillan, BVetMed, BSAVA, PGCertSAM, MRCVS. Some dogs only require a short course to help get their gut flora back on track after a bout of diarrhea. For other dogs with long-term digestive problems, like colitis or inflammatory bowel disease, probiotics can be a useful aid when given regularly alongside long-term diet changes or medications. There are also probiotic and fiber products that are useful for dogs with anal gland issues, where an improved stool quality can help stop the need for these to be manually emptied so often.

MacMillan says shes used probiotics successfully in many cases, including one dog that had ongoing intermittent loose stools and needed his anal glands manually expressed regularly. We had ruled out other issues like parasites, so I decided to start him on a probiotic product which was successful. He continues to take this regularly, meaning we see him less often for anal gland checks! I would always advise speaking to your vet and asking them to recommend a product that might be suitable for your dogs condition.

What To Look For

Each dogs health needs are different, so you want to look for a probiotic formula that contains bacterial strains that address those individual needs, e.g., intestinal infections, diarrhea, etc. For that reason, weve listed the probiotic blends in each product we review.

Products youre considering should list the specific bacterial species and strains, such as Bifidobacterium animalis.The best formulas include several strains to simultaneously help multiple aspects of their digestive and immune systems. Weve includeda summarybelow of the best bacterial strains for dogs and their specific benefits.

Always consult your vet before giving your pup any medications or supplements.

What Is CFU?

When comparing probiotic formulas, youll usually notice a CFU count as a prominent selling point.CFU stands for colony-forming unit, and a CFU count quantifies how many live bacteria cultures in a probiotic are active and can divide to form these beneficial colonies.

Is a higher CFU count better? It depends. If you give your dogprobiotics daily to maintain digestive and immune health, alower CFU count should suffice (between 3-10 billion CFU). However, a higher CFU count is ideal for illnesses and health problems, such asinflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergies,after antibiotic treatment, and other cases.

Prebiotics

Youll want to look for a probiotic blend that includes a prebiotic. Prebiotics promote probiotic growth, which helps keep harmful bacteria under control in thedogsgut.

Expert Tip: Many report diarrhea or other stomach upset upon starting a new probiotic regimen. However, this is common with any significant dietary adjustment for pets and humans. So, it may be best to ease into the treatment with less than the recommended dose, allowing time for your pets tummy to calibrate to this nutritional change.

Best Probiotics For Overall Dog Health

Weve chosen our top picks based on several factors, including the variety of blends, other ingredients, customer feedback, and pricing. Weve noted in our reviews the products that have the quality seal of approvalfrom the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) for safe manufacturing practices. The NASC is a non-profit trade organization thats committed to setting standards for pet supplements, which arent regulated by the FDA.

Best Powder: Vital Planet Flora Dog Probiotic Review

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We chose Vital Planet as the best powder probiotic for its combination of blends, reasonable price, and fantastic customer reviews. Vital Planet offers dog probiotics in capsules, chewable tablets, powder, and soft chews to make administering the supplement easy. Their blends are formulated by their expert team, including a veterinarian and animal nutritionist. The company also offers probiotics for cats and other supplements for hip and joint health, digestive care, and more.

The full-spectrum probiotic formula includes a prebiotic and ten raw probiotic strains to help maintain normal digestive and immune function and intestinal tract health. The GI and immunity support formula includes several microorganisms used to treat different types of diarrhea, including Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum,Bifidobacterium animalis, and more.

Recommended use: Mix one level scoop of the powder into food once daily.

Probiotics included: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) prebiotic, Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. longum, B. animalis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. brevis, L. casei, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, and L. bulgaricus

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Powder Honorable Mention: Nusentia Probiotic Miracle Review

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Nusentia Probiotic Miracle is our honorable mention pick as the best dog probiotic in powder form for its combination of blends and overall fantastic customer reviews. This vet-recommended formula contains six different strains and a prebiotic to combat dog diarrhea, loose stool, yeast overgrowth, bad breath, constipation, itching & scratching, allergies, digestive issues, and gut-related problems.

Recommended use:

• For wellness: 1 scoop (under 50 lbs); 2 scoops (over 50 lbs).
• Therapeutic use: 3 scoops (under 50 lbs); 5 scoops (over 50 lbs).

Probiotics included: Inulin (prebiotic), Bifidobacterium animalis lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius, L. plantarum, and L. reuteri.

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Best Chewable: PetHonesty Digestive Probiotic Chews Review

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If youre looking for an alternative to powders or pills, these PetHonesty probiotic chews with digestive enzymes help support digestive health, immunity, and nutrient absorption. They come in two flavors (duck or pumpkin) and dont contain wheat, corn, soy, dairy, harmful chemicals, preservatives, or artificial flavoring. Each chew contains nine strains of bacteria, a prebiotic, and three billion CFUs.

Made in the USA in a Good Manufacturing Practices-certified and FDA-approved facility, you can trust you are giving your pup a safe daily supplement. They have a money-back guarantee and subscription option to save 20% on recurring purchases. You can also save 10% if you bundle three together.

Recommended use: Best when taken on a full stomach after mealtime. One chew per day per every 25 lbs of dogs weight. Check with your vet before giving to puppies under 6 months old.

Probiotics included: Inulin (prebiotic), Bacillus subtilis, B. coagulans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, L. lactis, L. plantarum, L. brevis, Enterococcus faecium, and L. fermentum

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Chewable Honorable Mention: Ollie Probiotic Chews

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Ollie, the popular all-natural fresh dog food subscription service, now offers supplements as an optional add-on to give your dog further nutrients they need. Their probiotic chews are formulated with a blend of five probiotic strains, as well as pumpkin seed powder and papaya leaf powder, both of which are excellent sources of fiber to help regulate digestion.

All Ollie supplements are made in the U.S. in cGMP-certified facilities using a cold extrusion process to preserve the potency of every active ingredient.

Recommended use: Give one chew daily for dogs under 50 lbs and 2 chews for dogs over 50 lbs. Not recommended by Ollie for dogs under one year old.

Probiotics included: Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. reuteri, and L. lactis

Our Personal Experience With Ollie Probiotics

Ollie sent our team a sample to try out in exchange for an unbiased review, and we determined that Kimberlys dog was the best candidate to try it out.

My dog, Sally, has some anxiety and tummy issues. Its not uncommon for us to wake up in the middle of the night to her throwing up or stepping in it when we make our morning coffee. The throw-up is always bile and never has any substance in it. Weve tried everything to try and prevent her from throwing up, including feeding her several small meals throughout the day to help keep her tummy full, giving her a treat before bed, and ensuring she has ample exercise daily. We thought we had solved it with these steps, but it inevitably came back with a vengeance. Our vet seemed puzzled and had no strong recommendations because Sallys vomiting was inconsistent. I decided to look into probiotics for her. I learned that serotonin is produced in the gut, so a good microbiome can affect mood/stress. I thought a probiotic could help with anxiety, which I felt Sally struggled with, although shes never been diagnosed with it.Since starting Sally on a probiotic about two months ago, I can happily say that she hasnt thrown up once. This is a vast improvement considering she wouldve thrown up several times in two months. Additionally, Sally loves the taste of Ollies Probiotic Chews, so its a fun treat for her too!

Kimberly Alt, Parent to Sally (Coonhound mix)

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Best Capsule: VetriScience Vetri Mega Probiotic Review

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VetriScience is a well-respected canine supplement brand, and its probiotic formula doesnt disappoint. If your dog scoffs at powder on his food, VetriSciences capsules could be an excellent solution.

This product contains a prebiotic, 7 bacterial strains, and 7.5 billion CFU per capsule. Its recommended for supporting digestive health and issues related to food sensitivity and allergies. It also promotes a healthy immune and neurological system.

Recommended use: Give one capsule daily for dogs under 40 lbs (2 capsules for dogs over 40 lbs).

Probiotics included:Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) prebiotic, Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. Iongum, Enterococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. brevis, L. plantarum, and L. casei.

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Honorable Mention: Honest Paws Pre+ Probiotics Review

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Honest Paws, a premium manufacturer of CBD oils and CBD treats, offers a vet-formulated probiotic powder blend that contains a prebiotic, six strains of bacterial probiotics, and Solarplast, a spinach leaf extract that promotes cellular restoration and repair. Each serving contains five billion CPUs and comes in a single packet, making dosing a breeze. Its chicken-flavored and contains all-natural ingredients.

Recommended use: Administer 1 stick per day orally or as recommended by a veterinarian.

Probiotics included: Inulin (prebiotic), Bacillus subtilis (DE111), B. coagulans, Bifidobacterium animalis lactis, B. longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and L. plantarum

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Probiotics For Specific Health Needs

Here are some of the best dog probiotics that target specific issues.

Best Probiotic For Dogs With A Sensitive Stomach: NaturVet Advanced Probiotics & Enzymes Review

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Many pup owners find this supplement an excellent daily aid for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Each soft chew contains 500 million CPUs of Bacillus subtilis, a PB6 probiotic thats scientifically formulated to travel through the entire GI tract. The chews also contain special enzymes such as lipase and alpha amylase that are known to help with digestive problems. This veterinarian-formulated supplement is manufactured in the USA in an FDA-audited and CGMP-compliant facility.

Recommended use: Give daily at mealtime: 1 chew (under 20 lbs), 2 chews (21-40 lbs), 3 chews (41-80 lbs), and 4 chews (over 80 lbs). For use in dogs over 6 weeks old.

Probiotics Included: Bacillus subtilis PB6 and Bacillus coagulans

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Best Probiotic For Anal Gland Issues: Native Pet Probiotic Review

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Native Pets probiotic may be one of your best options if your pup has ongoing anal gland problems. In addition to a probiotic blend of four bacteria strains, this powder is fortified with organic pumpkin seed and organic Jerusalem artichoke (a prebiotic). These two ingredients are excellent sources of fiber that can help improve your dogs stool quality, which is essential to minimize anal gland issues.

Recommended use: Use 1 scoop (1/2 tbsp) for every 50 lbs. of body weightdaily or as needed

Probiotics Included: Inulin (prebiotic), Bacillus coagulans, Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum

Our Personal Experience

Our dog Barley was struggling with chronic anal gland issues so we added Native Pet probiotics to his diet to see if it would help. While it turned out to be a chicken allergy, the probiotics did help us make the diet transition much more smoothly.

Michelle S., Canine Journal

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Best Probiotic For Dogs With Allergies: Zesty Paws Aller-Immune Bites Review

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A healthy gut can go a long way to alleviate your dogs allergy issues. Zesty Paws Aller-Immune Bites combines a five-strain probiotic formula with special ingredients to help combat more serious allergy and immunity problems.

These chewable bites contain organic licorice root, apple cider vinegar, colostrum, and vitamins, protein, fiber, and antioxidants that are clinically proven to boost the immune system. The peanut butter chews also include wild Alaskan salmon oil to support your dogs immune system health andskin allergies.

Recommended Use: Begin with half the suggested dose and gradually work up to the suggested daily amount: 1 chew (up to 25 lbs), 2 chews (26-75 lbs), and 3 chews (over 75 lbs). Amounts can be split between AM and PM.

Probiotics included: Inulin (prebiotic), Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. brevis, L. fermentum, L. lactis, L. plantarum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)

Note: Many customers say it takes a few weeks to improve allergies and itchy skin, so stick with it.

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Best Probiotic For Immune Health: PetLab Co. Allergy & Immune Probiotic Review

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PetLab Co.s Allergy & Immune Probiotic soft chews are formulated with a unique blend of probiotics, prebiotics, and other key ingredients to boost your dogs immune system, minimize seasonal allergy symptoms, and support gut health. In addition to three beneficial bacteria strains, this probiotic also contains two yeast strains that have been found to improve antioxidant activity and immune status in dogs.

The inclusion of bovine colostrum, vitamin E, and omega-fatty-acid-rich borage and krill oils further boost your dogs immune response and help support skin and coat health. PetLab Co. also offers an excellent eight-strain probiotic for dogs.

Recommended use: 1 chew (up to 25 lbs), 2 chews (26-75 lbs), and 3 chews (over 75 lbs). Suitable for dogs 12+ weeks.

Probiotics included: Prebiotics: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Galactooligosaccharides (GOS); Bacteria strains: Bacillus coagulans, B. clausii, and B. subtilis; Yeast strains: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Cyberlindnera jadinii

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Best Probiotic For Dogs With Diarrhea: Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora Review

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Vets have been recommending Purina FortiFlora to their patients for years to regulate dogs digestive systems when things go awry. This product contains 100 million CFU per gram ofEnterococcus faeciumand other beneficial ingredients, such as vitamins E, B, and C, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and zinc. This probiotic gets overwhelmingly positive customer reviews.

Recommended Use: Feed 1 packet to your dog daily under the supervision of your veterinarian.

Probiotic included: Enterococcus faecium

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Best Probiotic For Dogs With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Four Leaf Rover Gut Guard Review

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Four Leaf Rovers Gut Guards special blend of probiotics, L-glutamine, N-acetyl glucosamine, and organic herbs can help control GI inflammation in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This vet-formulated supplement boosts healthy gut flora, breaks down hard-to-digest fibers and starches, and helps seal a leaky intestinal lining.

The organic herbs, such as licorice root, aloe vera, chamomile, dandelion root, ginger root, and burdock root extracts, have exceptional anti-inflammatory properties to soothe the gut of dogs with IBD. Gut Guard is also an excellent probiotic for dogs with other GI problems, including sensitive stomachs, diarrhea, bloating, and gas.

Recommended use: At mealtime, give once daily for healthy dogs and twice daily for immune support (or as directed by your vet.) Dosing: 1/4 tsp (5-25 lbs), 1/2 tsp (25-50 lbs), 1 tsp (50-75 lbs), 1-1/2 tsp (75-100 lbs), and 2 tsp (over 100 lbs).

Probiotics included: Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus subtilis, and Pediococcus acidilactici

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Best Probiotic For Dogs On Antibiotics: FullBucket Review

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FullBucket has a yeast-based powder probiotic thats an excellent option if your dog is taking antibiotics. Each serving contains five billion CFUs of Saccharomyces cerevisaeboulardii, a yeast probiotic that antibiotics wont kill. This all-natural product also contains a prebiotic, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine, an important amino acid that helps support a healthy GI lining.

Recommended use: One scoop on food with each meal for adult dogs (1/4 scoop for puppies).

Probiotic included: Saccharomyces cerevisaeboulardii

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Most Beneficial Bacteria Strains For Dogs

The bacterial species used most frequently inprobiotics for dogsare Bifidobacterium andLactobacillus.

• Bacillus coagulans are soil-based bacteria that are resistant to destruction from stomach acid. Its been shown to help with stool quality, nutrient absorption, diarrhea, gas, and overall intestinal and immune health in dogs.
• Bacillus subtilis has been found to improve stool texture and odor in dogs.
• Bifidobacterium animalis isnaturally found in your dogs large intestine. It helps to improve overall intestinal health, prevent inflammatory activity and infection and resolve canine diarrhea.
• Lactobacillus acidophilushelps to promoteantibacterial and antifungal properties in the GI tract. It also helps prevent diarrhea associated with anantibiotic. Finally, it may help reduce cholesterol levels and improve growth in puppies and younger dogs.
• L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, and L. casei are all critical in the healthy canine gut. They provide anti-microbial properties in the GI tract and help improve intestinal problems. L. reuteri has been shown to be help control canine intestinal infections.¹
• Enterococcus faeciumaids in digestion and helps to maintain a healthy mix of bacteria in the dogs stomach. It also helps protect against Shigella, E. coli, Salmonella, and other pathogens.¹
• Pediococcus acidilactici isused totreat constipation and diarrhea, relieve stress, and enhance the immune response. Its also known to protect the small intestine from pathogens, such as E. coli and Salmonella.

Want To Discover Your Dogs Gut Health?

If you suspect your dogs digestive distress could be due to an unbalanced gut, you may want to give him a gut microbiome test. We recommend AnimalBiomes at-home gut health test kit that analyzes a small stool sample to determine the makeup of good and bad bacteria in your pups gut microbiome. You can then share the results with your vet to determine a treatment plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions our readers often ask about dog probiotics.

Can Dogs Take Human Probiotics?

Human probiotics arent harmful to dogs but may not help your pup. Why? Many of the bacteria strains in humans can differ from those in dogs, so giving your dog a dog-specific probiotic is more beneficial. But keep in mind that a human probiotic blend could have other ingredients that may be harmful to dogs, so its wise to go with a doggy blend.

Can Puppies Take Probiotics?

Yes, older puppies can take probiotics formulated for dogs. Whats the best probiotic for puppies? Most of the products we review here are safe and beneficial for puppies. Just follow the safe starting age (typically eight weeks) and serving size for your puppys weight.

Are There Natural Probiotics For Dogs?

A natural source of natural probiotics for dogs is yogurt or kefir. Youll want a product high in live cultures with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Added sugars arent healthy for dogs, and some artificial sweeteners, like xylitol, are toxic for dogs. Also, plain, Greek-style yogurt is better because it has lower levels of lactose, which can cause digestive issues in some dogs.

Fermented vegetables can also be a healthy source of natural probiotics for dogs, but you want to ensure they dont contain any onions, garlic, or chives, as these are toxic for dogs. See which foods are and arent safe for dogs.

Other Ways To Remedy Digestive Problems

Besides adding probiotics to your dogs diet, there are other things you can do to treat your dog if hes suffering from chronic GI problems. First, check out our tips to cure a dogs upset stomach.

You may also want to consider switching your dogs diet.Several companies specialize in all-natural, high-quality dog food blends formulated to address GI problems and allergies. And they deliver right to your door. Read our reviews of the best dog food subscriptions to learn more.

Sources: [1] Doggys Digest