Probiotics

[Pam Lawrence]

Jamie has environmental and food allergies. He also has a sensitive stomach. He has a tendency to have really soft stools from some of the foods that are generally recommended for allergic dogs. I've done some reading about probiotics and it seems like it might be worth a try. Anyone have any experience with probiotics?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, many of us give our dogs probiotics and we have lots of discussions about this in both the Food Group and the Health Group. 

[Pam Lawrence]

Thank you. I'm new to this site and just learning how to find information.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

As Karen mentioned, there are separate full discussions on the use of probiotics.  They were prescribed by my regular vet and also my IMS for Murphy who has IBD.  I now use VSL3 which is a human probiotic that I get at my pharmacy, but prior to needing this "heavy duty" probiotic I used Proviable which I got from my vet, and it was effective until his conditioned worsened and we got the IBD diagnosis.  I would highly recommend using a good probiotic for a dog with digestive issues or any dog who is on antibiotics.  Good luck....these food/digestive issues can be so frustrating and difficult to manage.

[Pam Lawrence]

Thank you for the advise. I read some of the discussions and it sure sounds like probiotics can be helpful. I don't see a down side to trying..... Can you recommend a specific probiotic that doesn't require a veterinarian? There are so many to pick from that it's a bit overwhelming.
Jamie is only 14 months old and has had these issues for most of his life. He was off and on antibiotics for quite a while for a very stubborn infection, which the dermatologist thinks is caused by allergies. He recommends allergy shots. I'm not convinced that is the way to go. I realize this is a whole separate discussion....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, the allergy issue is a whole other discussion and one that is quite complicated. I just approved your membership in the Atopic Dermatitis group, where we have quite a bit of info on treatments including the immunotherapy shots. I can tell you they have worked wonderfully for my guy and that it was definitely the way to go for us. 

As Jane mentioned, Proviable DC is a great probiotic for most dogs, and you can order it on-line without a prescription. And there really is no downside to trying it. You must be sure to give the probiotics at least 2 hours separately from any antibiotics, and longer is better. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You can get Proviable at Amazon.  You can use the doodlekisses link to Amazon - win win.