How to care for probiotics for dogs
When shopping for probiotics for dogs, you must be aware that they are technically delicate living things. The American Kennel Club says that when you look at a probiotic, you are looking at live bacteria that has been adapted to living within the GI tract and exposure to air, moisture, or temperature extremes will damage their viability. For example, purchasing your probiotics for dogs on an extremely hot day and letting them sit in the car for a long period of time will probably nullify any effects they’ll have.
When should I give my dog probiotics?
Since probiotics are mainly given to help upkeep an ideal intestinal microbial balance, they’re good to give to a dog who is stressed or sick. When they’re in these conditions, the balance between the health and disease-causing microbes can be disrupted, leading to digestive upset, gas, cramping, and even bad breath.
This is not to say that you can’t give a healthy dog probiotics though. If you know they’re prone to things like digestive upset in stressful situations, you can give them probiotics a few days prior to help them through the process.