Probiotic Gel for Pet Dogs (and Cats!)

Some pet parents prefer specific brands of pet probiotic gel. I researched and found that different yogurt brands can have different sets of life cultures. So I wondered if this may be the same case for pet probiotic gel. Here’s what I found out from two different tubes of probiotic gel for pets that I got from the vet. Both dogs and cats can use these probiotic gel.

Pet Probiotic Gel 1 – LactoGold Gel

Pet Probiotic Gel 2 – Bene-bac Plus Pet Gel

LactoGold vs Bene-bac Plus Pet Probiotic Gel

Here’s a table for easier comparison of the two.

Key takeaways of pet probiotic gel comparison

1. CFU is not the only factor

I assume LactoGold Gel (500 million CFU/ml) has greater colony forming units than Bene-bac Plus Pet Gel (20 million CFU per gram). Even though comparing /ml with /gram may not be an apple to apple comparison.

However, that doesn’t mean that 20 million CFU per gram is definitely too low. Or that a higher-strength probiotic is necessarily better.

A high-strength probiotic doesn’t necessarily provide the best benefits. High-strength probiotics have more than 10 billion CFU (colony forming units) per dose, said Ms Reutens (Ms Reutens, head dietitian and founder of Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants). …Only the viable organisms are considered to be probiotics. There is no consensus on the minimum number of micro-organisms that must be ingested to obtain a beneficial effect, said Ms Reutens. Ms Wong (a dietitian at the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics)  agrees. Effective levels range widely, she said, depending on the probiotic strain. Some products are effective with 50 million bacterial cells, while others require more than one trillion per day.

Today Online, Benefits of Probiotics

Note: The above quote is given in the context of humans, so the thresholds may be different for dogs but I should imagine the concept is applicable.

2. Some strains of bacteria may work better than others depending on the individual dog

Each probiotic supplement contains one or more types of bacteria and/or yeast that can carry out a variety of different functions. For instance, certain strains, such as Bifidobacterium, are known to be helpful in slowing down the duration of diarrhea in dogs and for their overall immune boosting properties. Other types, like Lactobacillus, have shown benefits in helping dogs to increase the absorption of nutrients and to optimize their digestive systems.

PROBIOTICS FOR DOGS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BY PETMD.COM

Therefore a multi-strain product formulated specifically for dogs can be a more effective choice than a human-grade product formulated for humans.

There is no one probiotic supplement that is best for every dog and every health condition,” says Dr. Jennifer Coates, Veterinary Advisor for petMD… Dr. Coates reports that the following probiotic strains have some scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy in dogs:

– Enterococcus faecium
– Lactobacillus acidophilus
– Lactobacillus casei
– Lactobacillus plantarum
– Bifidobacterium bifidum
– Bifidobacterium animalis
– VSL#3

Probiotics for Dogs: what you need to know by PetMD.com

Note that Bene-bac Plus Gel has more of the different strains of bacteria listed above compared to LactoGold Gel.

Conclusion

Both tubes of probiotic gel discussed above were dispensed to Donna by different vets. As a pet parent I wasn’t too concerned about their safety or effectiveness given this context. That said, if you are looking to buy a probiotic gel independently, it’s probably a good idea to consult with your vet for more information.

This was one of the probiotic pet gel that we used for Donna – Bene-Bac Plus Pet Gel. It was originally dispensed by our vet.

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 “A few studies have shown that most commercial veterinary probiotics do not contain what they claim to contain—both the species that are present and the numbers of viable organisms,” he explains. For this reason, it is important to do your research and talk to your veterinarian to make sure that you are giving your dog a probiotic supplement from a trusted and reputable brand.

PROBIOTICS FOR DOGS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BY PETMD.COM

Alternatively, you can consider existing yogurt products that contain high CFU amounts that you already have on hand in your refridgerator.

The yogurt products above may not have as many strains as the two probiotic gel discussed earlier. But if your dog is not sick and need high doses of multi-strain probiotics, yogurt like Mundella with bifido bacterium and lactobacillus may perhaps be good enough as an everyday supplement for helping absorption of nutrients, optimising digestive systems and helping immunity. PLUS, IT’S YUMMY!!

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