Are probiotics the answer for optimising your dog’s digestion health?
BY DOG HEALTH EXPERTS, BUDDY & LOLA
It seems everyone’s got a dog these days. That’s because in 2020/21 it’s estimated that more than half of UK households have welcomed a pet into their family – 12 million of those are dogs. This unsurprising increase happened during the peak of the working from home culture’ resulting in an 18% increase on the previous year. That’s around a whopping two million new dogs as pets in the UK alone!
This recent surge in new pet parents means dealing with digestive health issues including runny poop, IBS, acid reflux and canine colitis are now very common. The truth is that at some point or another, every dog will suffer from a poorly tummy, largely as a result of their tendency to eat things they shouldn’t, as well as having inadequate digestive support, irrespective of the type of diet.
Sadly, gut health in dogs is often neglected. Yet as humans, if we get digestive problems, we want to fix them right away – often by adjusting our nutritional intake with supplements and in severe cases, with medical intervention. It’s a very sad fact that digestive issues are one of the most common causes of cancer and premature death in dogs.
As you know, owning a dog involves a great deal of responsibility – insurance, vet bills, food, toys, walking accessories and bedding, are just some of the financial costs any owner must factor in.
However, keeping a happy and healthy dog goes beyond these essentials. You need to invest in their health – specifically, their gut health. A happy, healthy and thriving dog will almost certainly have a healthy gut environment, one with balanced bacteria.
A happy digestive system offers your dog several benefits, some of which include healthy year-round immune function, improved skin health, proper digestion and adequate absorption of nutrients from food, whilst combating inflammation.
What Does Digestive Support Really Mean?
Specifically, supporting the quality of the gut microbiome. This microbiome is found in the small and large intestine, and consists of bacteria, archaea and fungi – found in humans and other animals, including dogs.
When the bacteria in their gut (or their microbiome) is out of balance, it can have several negative effects on their health and quality of life.
And dogs, like humans, suffer from all kinds of similar health issues as a result… including IBS, acid reflux, skin issues, immunity weaknesses, food sensitivities and diarrhoea!
If symptoms appear serious, like blood in stools, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling, the first stop is contacting your dog’s vet, or a vet support service that are sometimes offered by forward thinking supplement, insurance and dog food companies. However, ongoing nutrient supplementation can altogether help avoid the worsening of symptoms, and act as a support AND preventative measure at the same time.
The key is balancing their gut bacteria by introducing tummy-friendly probiotics each and every day. What are probiotics? They’re the “good” bacteria in their gut. A combination of probiotics and prebiotics (their food source) collectively form what are known as beneficial bacteria.
These bacteria already live inside your dog’s digestive tract – billions of them in fact.
The Benefits Of Daily Probiotics For Dogs
These beneficial bacteria support normal, healthy digestive function, but they also benefit many other aspects of a dog’s health.
Helping to break down food – their stomach and intestines can break food down better with a healthy balance of digestive bacteria. This ensures proper digestion from stomach to poop, including adequate nutrient absorption!
Manage yeast production and support their immune system – keeping yeast production under control means fewer annoying itchy issues (common in ears)! Plus, a healthy immune system means when environmental allergies kick in, their body will cope FAR better!
Help control mood, emotions & stress – that’s right, the “gut-brain axis” is true for dogs too! A healthy, thriving gut impacts their mood, behaviour and emotions too. Studies show a link to helping stabilise your dog’s mood and limit behavioural disorders.
Help target diarrhoea issues – stress colitis, sudden dietary changes and a bacterial imbalance from antibiotics can cause runny poop! Probiotics and prebiotics help with these conditions most effectively (and they’re natural). So the frequency and quality of stools become normal.
Anti-inflammatory benefits – it’s true, a healthy gut environment means supporting symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory triggers.
To ensure your dog enjoys a happy life with excellent digestive health, introducing them to a daily probiotic should be the first step. These specific digestive nutrients can be found in products from UK dog health experts, Buddy & Lola who know a thing or two about canine digestive health.
An established online brand trusted by a global community of dog owners, Buddy & Lola has successfully helped over 100,000 dogs, making life better for you, your dog and the planet. Their careful selection of the finest, top quality nutrients ensures the efficacy and quality of their ingredients is veterinarian-approved and suitable for any dog breed or age.
Their leading digestive products include Happy Tummy Daily Probiotic (powder form), Happy Tummy Daily Probiotic Chews and Happy Tummy Instant (rapid diarrhoea relief). Designed to effortlessly slip into a dog’s routine; these products come in a variety of convenient forms to suit your dog’s taste.
And incase of those runny-bum emergencies, Happy Tummy Instant stops diarrhoea immediately, while helping restore their digestive balance back to normal.
To discover more in their vet-approved range, visit www.buddyandlola.co.uk today.
