Does your dog often suffer from bloating, indigestion, or constipation? Well, he probably needs probiotics! Adding a reliable probiotic supplement to your dog’s wellness regime may help him achieve a healthy and cheerful life. These powerful supplements may support your pet’s gut health, contributing to a more functional immune system.
If you are searching for a highly effective probiotic supplement for your furry kid, we have got you! In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the three best dog probiotic supplements in 2022. Let’s delve deeper!
Our Top 3 Best Probiotics for Dog
- Holistapet – Overall Best Probiotics For Dogs, Editor’s Choice
- Honest Paws – Most Popular Probiotics For Immune System
- Pupper Digest – Best Soft Chews For Digestive System
#1. Holistapet– Overall Best Probiotics For Dogs, Editor’s Choice
Holistapet is a well-admired US-based brand. Its primary product line includes CBD supplements and treats for cats, dogs, and horses. Many pet parents recommended this brand for its cost-efficiency and transparency. All of its products include 100% organic ingredients. Sometimes, they may contain popular superfoods like blueberries, flax seeds, and other healing herbs.
The company started its journey in 2016 with a mission to increase awareness about the possible benefits of CBD on animals. Later, it decided to include some additional specially formulated supplements in its product line. All of its products, however, are dedicated to pet use.
Holistapet’s exclusive probiotics chew for dogs is delectable. It features sweet potato and pumpkin flavors, giving your pup the additional push to maintain excellent digestive health. These chewy sticks may help keep digestive issues at bay. In addition, they may increase the beneficial microorganisms in your dogs’ gut, helping them to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in their intestinal tract.
Besides comforting your dogs’ stomach troubles, Holistapet Probiotics Soft Chews may help promote your pup’s overall health. These heart-shaped chews sport a proprietary blend of nine beneficial bacteria strains. Besides, the supplement packs a total of 3 billion CFU.
Highlights
Pure Ingredients: Holistapet Probiotics Soft Chews packs only naturally derived ingredients. It’s a powerful proprietary blend including healthy bacteria strains like lactobacillus acidophilus, l-Plantarum, etc. Besides, the product contains chickpea flour, natural flavor, distilled water, glycerine, calcium, etc.
Available In Different Sizes: Holistapet Probiotics Soft Chews are available in three different sizes. You can choose from individual, two-pack, or three-pack alternatives. Each bottle contains 30 chews. You can also buy subscriptions to enjoy additional savings.
Amazing Discount: Holistapet probiotic dog chews allow you to enjoy mind-blowing saving opportunities. For instance, you can expect a whopping 20% off on your first order. Besides, you can also leverage their subscription discounts.
Features Dosage Guidance: The manufacturer provides clear dosage recommendations to help you avoid the chances of making your puppy overdose on the supplement. If your dog is under 20 pounds, you should give him one chew a day. For big babies over 20 pounds, two chews a day is ideal.
Pros
- 100% natural
- Made in an FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility
- Doesn’t contain additives
- Cruelty-free and non-GMO
- Lab tested for purity and safety
- 30 days money-back guarantee
- Free shipping across the US
Cons
- Some pups may find the pumpkin bend excessively intense
=> Click here to visit the official website of HolistaPet
#2. Honest Paws– Most Popular Probiotics For Immune System
This up-and-coming brand is well-known for its exclusive pet CBD product line. Recently, they have added digestives and other pet supplements to their inventory. Honest Paws’ website features numerous positive reviews from different pet parents. Fairly competitive prices and extraordinary customer service make them stand out in the crowd.
Honest Paws enriches its products with the goodness of nature. They tailor their products to address particular health issues or symptoms of your furry kid, helping them enjoy tangible effects.
Honest Paws manufactures its products in an FDA-approved facility in the United States. In addition, it sends them for rigorous third-party lab testing to ensure their purity and reliability. The brand strictly restricts the use of GMO, synthetic and subpar-quality ingredients. The Pre+ Probiotic supplement from Honest Paws is designed for dogs and cats.
Featuring naturally roasted chicken flavor and rice extract blend, these delicious probiotic treats may protect your pet from seasonal allergies and immune system disorders. Besides, it may offer robust cognitive support. This reliable probiotic blend packs five billion CFU and six healthy bacteria strains.
Highlights
Humanitarian Brand: Honest Paws strives to live up to its commitment to helping pets leave healthier, longer, and happier lives. Thus, they create their product with added care and caution. Besides, they have kept the price as rational as possible.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: The brand firmly stands by its product. Thus, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to return your product and claim a full refund. The refund process is pretty simple – you can reach out to their customer service agents for relevant assistance.
Easy to Consume: The Pre+ Probiotic supplement from Honest Paws comes in powder form. You can simply mix it with your cat or dog’s food, ensuring hassle-free consumption. The delicious roasted chicken flavor adds to the supplement’s deliciousness.
Diverse Product Line: Honest Paws is one of the few companies catering particularly to pets. Hence, they have excelled in this area. You can find a diverse range of products for different sizes of cats and dogs. They include digestives, soft chews, dog biscuits, peanut butter, CBD oil, etc.
Pros
- Up to 15% discount on subscriptions
- Unique reward system
- It may help maintain appropriate gut flora
- 100% natural formula
- Allergen-free
Cons
- Lab tests don’t look for mycotoxins, residual solvents, and pesticides
=> Click here to visit the official website of Honest Paws
#3. Pupper Digest– Best Soft Chews For Digestive System
Pupper Digest is one of the buzziest pet supplement brands today. Its scientifically proven products aim to improve your pet’s overall health. The brand equips dog owners with the essential information they need to make the right decision for their canine children.
To live up to this promise, they have weighted every step of their supply chain. Their products pack the quality and purity of chemical-free, natural ingredients like basil, turmeric, papaya, ginger, etc.
The Digestive Support Formula from Pupper contains a robust blend of nine effective bacteria strains. Leveraging the gut’s fast-healing nature, this unique supplement helps reduce oxidative stress in the gut. In addition, it may help your pet to combat different gastrointestinal issues. Furthermore, it helps prevent dehydration, keeping your pup active and healthy.
These reliable probiotics aim to build healthy microbiota and enhance gut barrier integrity. Furthermore, it’s thought to be effective in strengthening the local immune system and destroying pathogens in the intestine.
Highlights
Transparent Return Policy: The brand offers a full refund for all unopened products. You just need to ship the product within 30 days of purchase. The manufacturer may provide you with a shipping label upon request.
Extensive Knowledge Base: Pupper’s website features adequate FAQs and other relevant information. Hence, if you are confused about anything related to your dog’s health, you may refer to Pupper. For your convenience, Pupper provides easy-to-comprehend dosage guidance for each product.
Different Sizes Available: Pupper’s dog’s gut-enhancing digestive formula comes in three sizes. You can choose from single, two-pack, and four-pack options. Bulk purchases and subscriptions may help you save up to 20%. On the other hand, you can enjoy a 10% discount on your first purchase.
Trusted Brand: Pupper Canine Health is a trusted manufacturer of dog supplements. They design their products keeping the varied needs of your canine child in mind. What’s more, they don’t contaminate their product with unhealthy, synthetic elements. Pupper’s products are free from additives, artificial colors and flavors, and other impurities.
Pros
- Pure, science-backed ingredients
- It may help improve your dog’s digestive system
- All-natural formula
- Diverse product range
- Manufactured in FDA and GMP-approved facility
- Thoughtful and cost-efficient canine supplement plan
Cons
- No tested for solvents and pesticides
- A little expensive
=> Click here to visit the official website of Pupper Canine
How We Made the List of best dog probiotics
We independently researched and tested numerous products before producing the ultimate recommendation list. Initially, we picked up the most popular pet probiotic supplements and then tallied them against our stringent quality guidelines. In this quest, we removed the supplements which failed to meet our quality thresholds.
Additionally, we talked with domain experts and avid consumers to understand the chosen products’ efficiency. After hours of exhaustive research and analysis, we finally got the three mentioned in this guide.
What We Looked For
When cross-varying the quality and efficiency of our selected products, we carefully checked a few crucial factors. They include the following.
- Content: Each of our vetted recommendations packs 100% organic ingredients. The manufacturers of these products source natural probiotics from specific foods. In addition, they don’t infuse their products with binders, artificial sweeteners, colors, and other additives. We have also checked the prebiotic content of our chosen products to determine their relevance. We mindfully eliminated supplements with foggy ingredients. Most importantly, we have picked up products that undergo stringent independent lab testing.
- Cost Justification: We have verified our chosen products’ cost efficiency to help you make justified investments. All of our selections feature interesting discounts and adequate supplies. Above all, they come with a stipulated satisfaction guarantee.
- Performance: A probiotic supplement’s CFU count determines its efficacy. Typically, higher CFU levels guarantee better results. Considering this factor, we have carefully checked the CFU count of our selections, ensuring efficiency.
- Method of Delivery: Beneficial bacteria remain alive in specific conditions. These microorganisms can’t withstand excessive heat. However, when delivering, they are often exposed to high heat. Given this, we have chosen brands that promise to deliver the probiotics live. Leveraging strategic delivery methodology, they protect the bacteria from humidity and high heat, guaranteeing live delivery.
How to Pick the Best Probiotics for Dogs
Choosing the perfect probiotics for dogs may be a little tedious with hundreds of alternatives available. Despite their wide availability, not all supplements guarantee quality. Therefore, you should consider a few essential factors when choosing the right dog probiotics. We have listed them below for your convenience.
Check the Species
When choosing a dog probiotic, you should pick the ones suitable for your dog’s gut. Such products contain the best strains of bacteria. Ideally, you should look for probiotic products with a guaranteed label of live probiotic strains. You can check this information from the product packaging.
Ease of Use
Dog’s probiotics supplements are available in various formations. They include chews, powders, tablets, capsules, and even sprays. However, you should pick up one that your dog likes the most. For example, some dogs may love to consume a probiotic powder mixed into their food. On the other hand, some may prefer chews.
Thus, try determining your furry’s preference before investing in a supplement. You may also pick up probiotics with pre-measured doses as they eliminate the necessity of measuring spoons.
Expiry
Like human probiotics, dog supplements should also have a definite expiration date. Remember, dog probiotics contain live organisms. Hence, it’s crucial to ensure their usability. It’s worth knowing that Column-Forming Units (CFU) may lose their effectiveness over time. Therefore, you should avoid buying supplements that are going to expire soon.
Besides the expiry date, you should also check the instructions for storing them. While some products require refrigeration, others remain healthy in a cool and dry environment.
Functions
Probiotics for dogs should offer a few dedicated health benefits. They should promote the overall health of your dog’s gut. Besides, they should boost the secretion of digestive enzymes and maintain the flora of your furry’s digestive system.
Furthermore, such supplements should boost the production of different primary vitamins like B and K. Most importantly, they should crowd out harmful bacteria and boost the production of fatty acids, discouraging the growth of health-damaging pathogens and microorganisms.
Above all, a good probiotic for dogs should efficiently support the immune system. Do your chosen probiotics offer the stated benefits? Find out the answer before proceeding with the purchase.
Manufacturer
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate probiotics. Many manufacturers leverage this loophole and pack their products with low-quality ingredients. Hence, you should always turn to a reliable brand to ensure the legitimacy and safety of your chosen product.
When choosing your manufacturer, check well if they comply with GMP guidelines. Besides, they should hold a good reputation. Typically, every trusted brand sends its products for third-party lab testing. Besides, they strive to live up to their promise of delivering the best.
Quality
You should carefully check your supplement’s quality before sealing the deal. Don’t miss checking the CFU count, prebiotic content, and coating of your chosen product. An ideal dog probiotic should pack the certified amount of CFU, ensuring the better survival of this gut-friendly bacteria. Furthermore, always rely on probiotics with enteric coating. This will help them withstand hard stomach acids.
Additionally, you should check the prebiotic content of your chosen probiotic. Prebiotics allows the probiotics to propagate when reaching your dog’s stomach. When checking the prebiotics, also verify their sources. If they contain gluten or any other allergen, you may consider avoiding them.
Fillers and Additives
Your supplement shouldn’t contain additives, fillers, or colors. These synthetic substances may cause substantial damage to your dog’s health in the long run.
Budget
Probiotics for dogs are available at different prices. Indeed, you don’t need to make a big hole in your pocket to buy the product. Likewise, you shouldn’t expect the product to be unbelievably cheap. Ideally, you should do a little research to understand the justified price of high-quality supplements. This will help you set up a rational budget.
Objective
Different probiotics may have different purposes. For example, some probiotics may help prevent diarrhea and indigestion, while others may address bowel-related issues. Identify your pet’s requirements before betting on the product. You may consult your vet if you find it difficult to figure out.
Frequently Asked Questions : Best probiotics for dogs
- What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are expected to provide numerous health benefits. The said benefits include improved immunization, better gut health, improved mood, and much more. You can find probiotics in fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, yogurt, etc. Additionally, a few dietary supplements also come with probiotic properties.
- Are probiotics safe for your dog?
Yes, they are. Daily probiotic consumption may help improve your dog’s digestive system. In addition, probiotic supplements can combat issues like leaky gut, weakened immunization, and irritable bowel syndrome. Furthermore, probiotics may also crowd out the bad bacteria in your dog’s gut. Additional benefits include reduced stress and alleviated mood.
- How long can you put your dog on probiotics?
Dog probiotics typically aim to improve the function of their gastrointestinal tract. If your dog has diarrhea, there may be several reasons behind the disease. It may be a dietary indiscretion, antibiotic therapy, stress, or infection.
Whatever the reason, diarrhea in dogs may persist even after the initial issue has been resolved. This typically occurs because of an imbalance between two types of gut microorganisms. First, that encourages healthy gastrointestinal functions, and the other that releases toxins.
Dog probiotics may help boost the number of good microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, helping them to out-compete the bad ones. This is a continuous process; probiotics don’t live in your canine’s stomach forever. Therefore, you should give your dog probiotics regularly. This may help you to keep them healthy, active, and happy.
- When should you give probiotics to your dog?
An imbalance in intestinal health may be triggered by several circumstances. It can be stress, changes in the environment, food, etc. Usually, puppies and older dogs are more prone to the said imbalances, and so are the dogs who take antibiotics regularly.
Given this, you should carefully observe if your dog shows symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, nausea, stress, or lack of appetite. These symptoms may indicate something wrong with your dog’s digestive system, and it’s probably the best time to put him on a probiotic regime.
- How long do probiotics take to produce results?
It completely depends on your chosen probiotics’ formula. Depending on the ingredients and the bacteria strains, probiotics may take a few days to a few months to produce results. Besides, different issues may need different duration to improve.
For example, when giving your dog probiotics for digestive issues, you can expect positive results within a few days. On the other hand, if your dog is taking probiotics for immunization, it may take up to 4-5 weeks.
- Can you give human probiotics to your dog?
Dogs may take human probiotics, and they won’t be harmful. However, they may not benefit your dog’s digestive system like a species-specific supplement. Dogs’ system synthesizes dog-specific bacteria easily, ensuring better results. Therefore, to promote a healthy gut and improved immune systems in dogs, you should ideally turn to a dog-specific probiotic supplement.
- Can you mix probiotics in your dog’s food?
Yes, you can. However, not all dog probiotics are ideal for mixing with food. Typically, supplements that come in powdered form blend well with your dog’s food. You should check the manufacturer’s recommendations for capsules or tablets to understand whether you can mix them with food.
- Can you give yogurt to your dog as a probiotic?
Human foods like yogurt, fermented vegetables, kimchis, etc., may also benefit dogs. However, you should carefully read the food labels to pick up unsweetened varieties of the said foods. You should especially check for xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is highly toxic for canines. Furthermore, you should limit the quantity of the said probiotic foods.
For example, puppies should not eat more than one teaspoon of yogurt a day. Medium-sized adult dogs may have up to two teaspoons of yogurt daily, and larger or giant breeds can eat up to three teaspoons daily.
- What’s the ideal time to give your dog probiotics?
Ideally, you can give a probiotic supplement to your dog when he is on an empty stomach. The high levels of stomach acids may destroy probiotics. The glands lining in the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid in the presence of food. Therefore, stomach acid levels remain significantly high when your pup has just finished his meals.
Given this, you should always provide your dog with probiotics before breakfast. You can also consider the time right before bed. Depending on your schedule, you can divide dosage between morning and night for best results.
- Should you refrigerate dog probiotics?
Most products available in the contemporary market are shelf stable. The manufacturer freeze-dried them, placing the moisture levels in a dormant stage. However, some probiotics may call for refrigeration.
You may refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the right storage directions.
Remember, besides heat, bacteria can’t withstand excessive moisture and oxygen. Thus, always store your product in an airtight container and handle it with dry hands.
- Do probiotics cause any discomfort in dogs?
Probiotics are thought to be effective in supporting your dog’s digestive system. However, mixing them with poor-quality commercial dog food makes them hard to synthesize. Consequently, the substance passes slowly through the intestines, allowing specific fecal plaque to accumulate in your pup’s intestinal walls. Gradually, the plaque thickens, causing blockages.
However, when you continue giving probiotics to your dog, they gradually dissolve the accumulated fecal matter. Eventually, this helps clean the microbes and pathogens hidden in the layers of the accumulated fecal matter. In this process, your dog may experience a few episodes of nausea and diarrhea.
These symptoms may take up to a few months to disappear, depending on the intensity of the build-up. To avoid this issue, you can bring a little change to your dog’s food habits. You can switch to a fibrous and protein-rich diet. Besides, you can reduce the dosage of probiotics according to the tolerance level of your dog.
- What is the best probiotic formula?
Probiotics supplements that contain high-quality, organic ingredients are considered safe for your dogs. When choosing your dog’s probiotic supplement, you should avoid products with impurities like fillers, binders, and additives.
Given this, you can refer to your chosen manufacturer’s product labels or official website to determine if they contain safe and pure ingredients. Remember, a probiotic supplement may optimally support your dog’s digestive system and immune functions when it packs a clinically proven, natural formula.
- What if your dog overdoses on probiotics?
If you accidentally give your furry kid an excess dose of probiotics, don’t worry! Your canine’s body will only use what they need and excrete the rest. However, overdosing may lead to diarrhea, bloating, or flatulence. In any circumstances, overdosing on healthy probiotics won’t cause life-threatening issues.
Conclusion: What is the best probiotic to give a dog?
To conclude, effective dog probiotics may help your dog combat digestive issues. In addition, they may help your pet achieve an improved quality of life. However, there are many unscrupulous probiotic manufacturers in the market. Thus, you need to be extremely careful when choosing a probiotic for your furry baby.
You can refer to our detailed buyer’s guide to enjoy an informed purchase. Besides, you can walk with our well-researched recomme
