Roundworm-A Serious Zoonosis

Top Ten Reasons for Pets To Take 

Probiotics

DH DeForge, VMD

www.AnimalDocAMMultiMedia.blogspot.com

21June2013

"I can't believe they bought all of this pizza for me!"

“Mainstream human medicine would be way different if they focused on prevention even half as much as they focused on intervention…”  ~Anonymous

It is time that veterinary medicine, also, makes a commitment to spend more time on nutrition during all Stages of a Pet's Life.  Good nutrition is a preventive medicine and can lead to the extension of a pet's life.  Raw diets are the "fad diets" of the New Millennium.  They should be avoided. Please read below comments from the ASPCA and AVMA about  raw diets in our pets.

ASPCA experts say raw food diets for pets that include raw meat, eggs and milk may be dangerous for your furry friends.  We typically recommend that pet parents opt for well-balanced, high-quality commercial and cooked foods instead.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) agrees! In studies published in AVMA’s journal, homemade and commercial raw food diets for dogs and cats were found to contain dangerous bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, just to name a few. Other tests showed that unprocessed food diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies or excess that can cause serious illnesses in pets. Also, pets chewing on raw bones can lead to obstruction or perforation of their gastrointestinal tracts, and fractured teeth.

Become your pet's dietary advocate!  Begin studying more about the foods that you feed and the supplements that are available for your pet.  Consider speaking to a Veterinary Board Certified Nutritionist.  Contact Dr. Lisa Freeman, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists at Tuft's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Call Tuft's and get an estimate for a phone consultation with Dr. Freeman.  Also, start a journey, today, in discovering the positive effects of adding a Probiotic supplement to your pet's diet. 

What is a Probiotic?  Probioitcs are live organisms that normally live in your gastrointestinal tract.  At times, they are deficient in number. By adding a Probiotic, a beneficial effect occurs.  People confuse Prebiotics with Probiotics all of the time.  Prebiotics are dietary substances  that serve as food for the Probiotic bacteria and therefore enhance the effect of the Probiotic.  Some Prebiotics are complex sugars such as Inulin and Lactulose and the carbohydrates found in fruit.  Natural Prebiotics for animals are oatmeal, wheat, barley, legumes, bananas, berries, leafy greens, and leeks.  People never consider adding these Prebiotics to commercial dog foods or feeding them separately as a treat. Prebiotics are super foods that should be considered partners to Probiotics. 

Probiotics recolonize the small intestine with good or helpful bacteria that can be reduced by stress, sickness, or with the usage of antibiotics.  Probiotics produce substances that inhibit harmful bacteria and stimulate the body's immune system.  Never rely on Probiotics to treat a condition that your pet might be affected with at home without consultation with a veterinarian.  A thorough physical exam with appropriate diagnostic testing, in sick animals, must be accomplished to guide appropriate therapy.  In healthy animals, it is this author's opinion, to make Probiotics a part of daily life.

Veterinary medicine has produced no studies that definitely prove when and for what reasons Probiotics should be used.   However, there are a plethora of clinical cases that have drawn attention on the positive effects of the use of Probiotics in companion animals.

Here are 10 REASONS that I utilize Probiotics in my General Practice.   Consult with your veterinarian before using a Probiotic for any of the reasons listed below.

1. Extended Antibiotic usage-always give your Probiotic 2 hours after your antibiotic
2. Aging-The Geriatric Patient
3. Illness-poor health; unthrifty; and debilitated pets
4. Poor diet in the past that is now being corrected under veterinary supervision
5. Urinary Tract Infections
6. Stress situations like traveling and pet boarding
7. Seasonal Allergy and Dermatitis in general
8. Intestinal Parasites
9. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
10. Food Allergy Colitis

The question I am commonly asked is: Which Probiotic should I use?

Presently, two veterinary Probiotics are available:

• See NestlePurina.com-Fortiflora
• See Iams.com-Prostora

If you visit a health food store, you will find a wall totally dedicated to human Probiotics.  Many human Probiotics can be utilized in animals. The human Probiotic must contain bacteria shown to survive passage through the stomach.  Products in capsules and tablets must be able to break down in the small intestine and not just pass undigested into the stool.  Go to www.ConsumerLab.com and read about Probiotics.  Most importantly, discuss your choice of any human Probiotic with a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist or with your local veterinarian.  Read about the track record of the manufacturer of the Probiotic you are looking to purchase.  For the dosage of your Probiotic, it is essential to have a meeting with your family veterinarian or a Board Certified Nutritionist.

Probiotics are becoming very important in human nutrition circles.  We should consider their beneficial properties in animals just as important.  Always speak to your doctor before starting any supplement in the pet that you love.

20June2013

Don DeForge, VMD

Medical Director-Silver Sands Veterinary Center

17 Seemans Lane-Milford, CT 06460

1-800-838-3368

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Editor: AnimalDocAMMultiMedia.blogspot.com

Dr. DeForge welcomes your questions and comments at DonDeForge@aol.com