Impact Of Prebiotics On Gut Health Of Your Furry Friend

Your dog is what he eats. A balanced diet rich in nutrients is important for healthy bodily functions. However, to ensure extra care for your dog, you need to keep an eye on his gut problems. Stomach bugs are most common among dogs, especially those who attend boarding or socialize with other dogs frequently. Usually, these bugs have mild infectivity and a healthy immune system can fight them off. However, if your dog’s gut health is disturbed, it can lead to frequent diarrheas and upset stomach.

What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are large insoluble molecules that can be fermented by bacteria residing in the dog’s gut. These bacteria are commonly referred to as “microbiota” and prebiotics are their food. Commensal bacteria are responsible for:

• Absorption of nutrients in the gut
• Strengthening the immune system
• Boosting energy levels
• Preventing harmful bacterial infections by competing with pathogens

Many stomach problems occur simply due to a disturbance in the population density of these bacteria. When their colonization diminishes, opportunistic pathogens take advantage of the situation. Prebiotics feed these bacteria and help them grow. This not only reduces the chances of infection but also enhances the absorption of beneficial nutrients. You can supplement the regular diet of your furry friend with prebiotics such as lactobacillus fermentum to improve gut function.  

How Do They Regulate Bowel Movement?

Prebiotics stop opportunistic stomach bugs (E. Coli, Clostridium spp.) from causing diarrhea by increasing colonization of gut microbiota. Apart from this, they also regulate gut motility. These are non-digestible materials (mostly complex carbs) and can resist the high acidic content of the stomach. Their rich fiber nature improves water reabsorption from the gut and modulates the peristaltic bowel movement. So, they can alleviate common motility issues like constipation (slow gut movement) and diarrhea (excessive gut motility).

How Do They Prevent Chronic Gut Inflammation?

Prebiotics are involved in mucous production that protects the gut from stomach acids. They also exert an anti-inflammatory effect. The inflammation of the gut can lead to chronic problems like inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and Cohn’s. These are due to the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae spp. and Proteobacteria spp. in dogs. They damage the brush surface of the intestines responsible for providing a high absorptive area to nutrients.

So, dogs suffering from IBD and Crohn’s cannot digest nutrients and start losing weight quickly. The pain is also debilitating for your canine friend. This whole fiasco, however, can be alleviated by adding prebiotics to the diet. They help the immune system kill these pathogens and trigger a local anti-inflammatory effect to protect the gut from chronic inflammation.

Pro Pup Probiotic Supplement: Pro Pup by Pawlife (www.pawlifepets.com) has a complete combination of probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes to ensure the healthy gut of your canine friend. The ingredients like lactobacillus fermentum, lactococcus lactis, and lactobacillus acidophilus guarantee the balance of microbiota and its healthy growth. This prevents bloating, gas, infections, and upset tummy.