What probiotics are you using with your raw diet - Page 2

Thanks for your replies. One of my dogs is 100% raw fed and has been for more than 4 years now and does have some problems digesting foods. yogurt helps but when i give him probiotics (human ones) it seems to be better and i was just wondering if ones for dogs have a advantage or not. 
 

I realized that you were specifically asking for a probiotic and I answered with supplements.

I have only needed a probiotic just a very few times over the years.  I take a probiotic daily, so, if I need one for the dogs, I use that one.  It is fantastic, very effective and reasonable cost.  It is the quality of the refrigerated ones but does not need refrigeration as it is completely sealed in a stomach acid resistant gel cap about the size of a ball bearing.  One of my previous dogs was hyper sensitive to any milk products, so this was a good solution.  Also, because I take it daily, I always have some available for the dogs if needed.  The downside is that they are tiny and if they fall off the countertop, they can roll at the speed of a ball bearing.  I usually buy them from http://www.vitacost.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Acidophilus-Pearls-90-Capsules

http://www.acidophiluspearls.com/


Hope this is useful,

Michele

I give my dogs a probiotic called PROBIOS. I get it at Tractor Supply Company.. I get the powder form. It has worked really well.

no, dog-specific probiotic/digestive enzymes don't have any advantage over human grade ones.  this is what i have found out after trying LOTS of products out for myself.  you want a product (dog or human) to be as simple as possible....no synthetics, no soy, no wheat germ, etc.  less is more.  and i have had much more success with human grade supps. 

the only dog-specific supp i like is the wholistic pet acidophilus, because that's all it is, acidophilus, no other unnecessary ingredients.

I mix a couple of tablespoons of kefir ( contains 10 different probiotics) into the raw frozen mixes my dog eats for breakfast--along with some Bragg's apple cider vinegar.

I'll give some plain organic yogurt every few days, but most often daily, my dogs get fresh(frozen) green tripe which is very nutritious.  http://www.aplaceforpaws.com/reference-articles/raw-feeding/tripe-the-other-white-meat.html 
I will give a probi/digestive enzyme supplement if my dogs are on antibiotics, or have an upset stomach.  But not on a regular basis do I give them a manufacturer's supplement.  If the dogs are getting a dose of ivermectin or vax(not often for those!), I may supplement them extra before and after.

My name is Dr John R Taylor and I am the author of the book The Wonder of Probiotics. Simply put the reason to feed a probiotic supplement with either a raw or kibble diet is this. Chlorinated water in the dogs bowl kills off probiotics. Antibiotics in the food whether it be raw meat or kibble will kill off the probiotics and upset the natural balance. Stress from travel can also kill off the probiotics. Replacing them can mean a tremendous health boost for your pet. This is even more critical with raw fed dogs as they are exposed to much more salmonella and E.coli in there food. I welcome any questions.

Yogurt is not strong enough to be therapeutic. In yogurts, the survival of probiotics can quickly drop below this critical level during storage in a fridge.  A number of factors can kill off the probiotic bacteria in yogurt, including acid and hydrogen peroxide produced by the very bacteria needed to make yogurt in the first place, as well as oxygen getting into the product through the packaging or within the product it-self. Yogurts only contain 20-900 million CFUs in an entire cup of yogurt. A few tablespoons of yogurt will do little to help the health of your pet. My formula Total-Biotics® offers 500 million CFUs per 625 mg serving. Your pet should get 500 million CFUs per one cup of kibble or one billion CFUs per cup of raw food. For more information go to http://total-biotics.com/

I don't portion the raw diet by the cup.  It is by the pound.
 Personally, my dogs maintain their gut flora just fine without a probiotic supplement.  It is when they are on anti-biotics that they would need a boost to get the flora back to normal.