To really understand probiotics one must know the difference between human grade probiotics and feed grade probiotics.
Can i give my dog human grade probiotics.
Read on and i ll explain what i mean.
Probiotics for us do contain some strains of bacteria that can be helpful to canines such as.
My clients often ask can i give my dog human probiotics my answer is.
However human probiotic supplements might not be the best choice.
This might seem a bit counterintuitive but.
In general dogs under 50 pounds can.
Can i give my dog probiotics meant for humans.
If your dog is over 40 pounds or so give the whole dosage.
For soil based probiotics you can also use a smaller amount of cfus because they easily survive the gut acidity.
If you re planning to give human probiotics to your dog be extra careful with colony forming units cfu and your dog s weight.
There are significant.
The term human grade also describes probiotic supplements meant for people.
A dog s body cannot breakdown certain chemicals found in human medicine like acetaminophen.
You can give dogs probiotic supplements made for humans.
Remember that it s always a good idea to speak with your veterinarian before adding any new treatments to your pet s regimen.
The organisms used in most human probiotics are similar to those in veterinary specific probiotics.
Probiotics are measured by colony forming units cfus in the millions or billions.
In this case you may want to reconsider giving your pet human specific supplements.
Select a human grade probiotic rather than a veterinary probiotic.
These can be toxic due to physical and chemical differences between dogs and humans.
When figuring out dosage refer to the product label taking into consideration the dosing is for human adults.
Certain probiotic supplements can act as a dog calming aid a dog bad breath freshener and help support the immune system.
For example if you are planning to take your dog to a show or to board the dog it may make sense to give probiotics for a few days in advance.
If your dog needs antibiotics you can give him saccharomyces boulardii it helps reduce the risk of antibiotic related diarrhea and may help estore friendly bacteria populations.
Otherwise reduce as needed and monitor your dog for signs of tummy upset.
While there are no known studies that prove that human probiotic supplements can harm a dog veterinarians that study the subject recommend that pet owners opt for a probiotic that is specially made for dogs and contains the specific strains that a dog s gut needs.
Cfu for humans are okey for dogs only if they are over 40 kilograms in weight.
As a result the.