Can I Give My Dog Probiotics During Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are very important for dogs when the situation requires with them. Dogs get microbe infections and illnesses that can only be given antibiotics just like we all do.
Antibiotics can save your dog's life. However, they are doing have some harmful side effects, which means you shouldn't give your dog antibiotics unless it's essential.
For one, bacterial strains are becoming resistant against antibiotics, that could be a serious problem if we exhaust antibiotics to deal with certain pathogenic bacteria. Bacterial resistance occurs because of doctors and vets overprescribing antibiotics when they're unnecessary, so ensure your veterinarian does testing to ensure your dog actually includes a infection before giving them antibiotics.
The other concern is that antibiotics have several harmful side effects on gut health and overall health in dogs.
So if your veterinarian has prescribed antibiotics for the dog, you might wonder “can I give my dog probiotics during antibiotics?”
Probiotics are helpful in treating along side it effects of antibiotics and rebuilding the microbiome (the collection of microorganisms within the gut), that is essential for all around health.
Side Results of Antibiotics in Dogs
There are a number of common negative effects of antibiotics in dogs. Some include:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach irritation
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Loss of appetite
Do Probiotics Help with along side it Effects of Antibiotics in Dogs?
The negative effects of antibiotics occur because of how they disrupt the balance from the microbiome. The microbiome serves as a body organ that communicates through signals back and forth using the brain. It's unhealthy to have it be destroyed and can cause all sorts of digestive and other health problems.
Probiotic Strains for Dogs
These would be the probiotic strains which have been tested and recognized as effective in dogs:
- Bacillus coagulans
- Bifidobacterium animalis
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Enterococcus faecium
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus casei
- Lactobacillus plantarum
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus reuteri
So, Can you Give Your Dog Probiotics While on Antibiotics?
Yes, you will can and really should give your dog probiotics during antibiotics. The most typical side effect of antibiotics is diarrhea and probiotics have shown to lessen the harshness of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and how long it lasts.
There is one important thing to understand though: make sure to provide your dog probiotics at least 2 hours before or after the antibiotics. It is because is you don't want the two getting together with each other, because the antibiotics will get rid of the probiotics. Antibiotics kill all or most bacteria in their path, including good probiotic bacteria.
Don't Forget the Prebiotics
You've heard about probiotics, but have you heard of prebiotics? Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers which are a food source for probiotics. Prebiotics will also help to repopulate your dog's gut after taking antibiotics.
Some probiotic dog products contain prebiotics as well. Our top pick to find the best probiotic for dogs, BlueBiology's Probiotics for Dogs, contains both, for instance.
It's also a good idea to give your pet food containing prebiotics.
Which Probiotics to Give your Dog During Antibiotics
If you're looking for the perfect probiotics to provide your pet during antibiotics, we compared the best probiotics for dogs on antibiotics here. In short, we found that the very best probiotic product for dogs on the market is BlueBiology's Probiotics for Dogs.
Want to explore probiotics in dogs? The articles below may appeal to you:
- What Kind of Probiotics are Good for Dogs?
- Difference Between Prebiotics and Probiotics for Dogs
- Probiotics for Dogs with Diarrhea
- Probiotics for Dogs with IBD
- How to provide Probiotics with Antibiotics for Dogs
- How Much Probiotics for Dogs: What Dosage In the event you Provide your Dog?
- How Long Does it Take for Probiotics to Work in Dogs?
- Why Are Probiotics Good for Dogs?
- What do Probiotics do for Dogs?