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Dogs, just like human beings, suffer from environmental and food allergies. Sometimes, dog owners might find it challenging to treat these conditions. For a long time, probiotics have been used to improve the general health of both human beings and dogs. This is, however, is changing, and probiotics are now being used to treat different medical conditions, including allergies.
Find out everything you need to know about dogs and probiotics. This includes how they work, how to choose them, and more!Click To TweetWhat are Allergies in Dogs?
Allergies can be defined as hypersensitivity of the dog’s immune system to something called an allergen. Allergens come from different things such as plants, food, other animals, and insects.
As the immune system tries to fight allergens, dogs often experience symptoms such as coughing, itching, sneezing, diarrhea, and vomiting. An allergy in a dog can present itself in many ways, making dog owners mistake them for other medical conditions.
Using the best probiotics for dogs with allergies is one way to ensure that your dog does not suffer from any of these symptoms.
How to Treat Dog Allergies
One of the most important things when treating allergies in dogs is to make sure that you have avoided all the allergens that brought the allergic reactions to your dog. For instance, if it is a food allergy, you might have to change the dog’s diet.
If your dog is suffering from atopic dermatitis, then things like pollen and dust mites are the allergens that you need to avoid. You might also need to use different medications to deal with the dog’s shedding caused by allergies.
In situations where you cannot help the dog avoid the allergens, you can use treatments such as probiotics.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics can be defined as a mixture of different microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. These microorganisms are found in the body naturally and consist of both good and bad bacteria.
Most of the time, when a dog falls sick, chances are that the bad bacteria have increased and destroyed the balance. Probiotics are used to restore this balance since they are considered to be good bacteria.
Why Should Your Dog Use Probiotics?
The most important benefit is ensuring that the dog has an improved immune system and maintaining its gut health.
Probiotics are also helpful when treating various medical conditions in dogs. These conditions include parasitic infections, liver disease, obesity, allergies, diarrhea associated with antibiotics, and bowel syndrome.
How Do Probiotics Treat Allergies?
Even though people do not fully understand how probiotics help dogs with allergies, scientists are making good progress with some theories. We know probiotics promote gut health and regulate how the immune system responds to allergies.
So, they can be helpful for dogs with allergies because they help to restore balance in the gut and reduce inflammation throughout the body, which may be disrupted in dogs with allergies.
How Much Probiotics Can You Give to Your Dog?
Depending on the condition that your dog is suffering from, your veterinarian should advise you on how much probiotics you should give to your dog.
Probiotics come in different forms, with pills, powders, and food supplements being the most popular. You can ensure that your dog takes probiotics between meals or even with meals. Always remember to consult a veterinarian when administering probiotics to your dog and follow the product labels’ dosage suggestions.
How Do You Pick the Right Probiotics for Your Dog?
If you’re looking for a way to help your dog with allergies, probiotics are an excellent option. The key is finding the right one that will work best for them.
It is important to note that probiotics can be made of different bacteria strains, meaning that you need to pick the ones that best meet your dog’s needs. Better yet, choose a multistrain probiotic to reap the most benefits.
In the end, it is important to remember that not all probiotics are created equal. The best thing you can do for your dog and their allergies is talk with a veterinarian about which probiotics will be most effective in treating them. It may take some time and effort but we’re confident that if you stick with it and find the right solution, there will be an improvement in your pup’s quality of life.
Can you recommend any natural prebiotics and probiotics for dogs that you like?
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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This really helps out a lot. Thanks so much..
Glad to hear probiotics work for your dog
This is very helpful information if your dog has allergies! I know that a lot do have skin allergies, I have had a dog in the past that did. I did not realize that they could take probiotics though.
Yep, probiotics come in easy chews for dogs. My dogs love them!