"My dog has bad gas" It's a common complaint. You may have started him up on a probiotic supplement hoping to stop your dog's gas, but to your surprise, his gas increased.
The first instinct is to quit the probiotics after these first few days, but this is an unfortunate mistake that many people make. Often, the symptoms may worsen before there is a big breakthrough. Make no mistake probiotics are likely to be the answer to your pet's GI problem, but here's why you're seeing an "upset" reaction.
Why Loose Stool, Excess Gas, or Diarrhea Can Initially Appear With Probiotics
1. Increased Gut Activity
Probiotics are microorganisms that have been shown to have the ability to improve gut health and gut function. When they are ingested they increase the overall microorganisms in the gut and the overall gut activity. Because of this, there can be an adjustment period where your pet is actually having excess gas, or what seems like a worsening of symptoms.
Probiotics encourage the purging of toxins which can make dogs fart a more than usual temporarily.
2. Your Dog is Detoxing
During this "adjustment period" after starting probiotics, your dog's gut begins to purge the harmful bacteria as it's crowded out by the new healthy bacteria you're supplying. Some dogs are sensitive and will have a reaction if this purging (or detoxifying) period is brought on too quickly. In extreme cases, the dog may react with vomiting or diarrhea. While this is far from an ideal situation, it can be remedied by cutting the probiotic dose in half or even less, then increasing the dose slowly as your pet adjusts.
3. You May Have the Wrong Probiotic
While some increase in bloating, gas, loose stool and even diarrhea can be normal after introducing probiotics, if the situation lasts longer than a couple of weeks, you may want to reconsider the product you're using. Many products on the market are actually intended for humans, yet marketed for pets. These products are easy to identify as they generally contain super-loaded doses (10 Billion+ CFU) and multiple competing species of bacteria (12 or more). Your dog's digestive tract is not the same as your own, and he requires a probiotic supplement made just for him.
Related: How to Choose the Right Probiotics for Dogs
How to Help Your Dog Adjust to Probiotics
By cutting the probiotic dose in half (around 500 million - 1 billion, twice daily), you can extend the adjustment period that occurs after starting a probiotic regimen. This helps your dog's gut to balance out and purge the harmful bacteria more slowly and makes this period more comfortable for you and your dog.
Your dog's digestive tract is not the same as your own, and he requires a probiotic supplement made just for him.
Why Your Shouldn't Stop Giving Your Dog Probiotics
The healthful benefits of probiotics can take as little as 2-3 days or even up to five weeks depending on the severity and duration of the problem. But rest assured, probiotics will have an effect on gas, loose stool, or diarrhea for your dog.
In most GI related disorders in dogs, such as excess gas, loose stool, or diarrhea, the main cause is dysbiosis. This is an imbalance in the gut bacteria, which favors pathogens (unhealthy bacteria). The reason probiotics work so well is that they counteract the bad bacteria when provided in voluminous amounts. Every dog is different, so adjust your dog's dosage as needed. Probiotic Miracle® makes it easy to dose up or down for your pet as each scoop contains 1 Billion CFU of live bacteria.
With years of success in helping dogs with GI and other related issues, Probiotic Miracle® has been leading the way.
"I decided to try the probiotics. My English Cocker who is going to be 14 this month began to stink in the worst way after about two weeks of starting them. I called and was asking for a refund, but your staff asked me to wait for two more weeks and assured me he was detoxing. I was skeptical but persevered. The smell got worse, then suddenly totally stopped. He rarely farts and rarely scoots any more, I am now ordering my 3rd jar. My 15 yr old Border Collie is also on both products and neither have any digestive problems."
Ultimately, the gut will get back to balance, the canine GI problems will be gone, and your pet will have a foundation for continuous health and wellness. Probiotics are some of the most powerful and effective nutrients that can be taken for humans and pets alike to favorably affect health.
Make sure to give probiotics adequate time to work their magic against gas, loose stool, and diarrhea.
Read: 5 Situations When Probiotics are a Must
For natural, trusted pet health supplements with proven formulas to improve your furry friend's overall health, visit Nusentia, a brand trusted by veterinarians and pet parents alike since 2008.
