[tina b]

My 3 1/2 year old Lab, Major, has suffered from bloat and intestinal issues since he was 6 months old. He had GDV surgery at months’ when he bloated and his stomach twisted…he’s also had 2 bouts of HGE to date and has had daily issues with diarrhea, watery stools, bloat, smelly gas, rumbling intestines, etc.

Major doesn’t have SIBO or EPI…all tests come back negative for infections and worms. Major is basically “healthy,” but his vets conclude in addition to bloat he has either IBS or IBD. They want to confirm this diagnosis via biopsies…but I don’t see the need to put my dog thru that considering he already has issues with sensitive intestines.

Major has seen great success switching to Nature’s Variety Instinct. My vet put him on an Iams probiotic Prostora, it helped, but didn’t fix all of his ailments…and it is costly $$150 monthly, so the vet switched him to OTC Culturelle, and it seems to work at least as good as the Prostora. His diarrhea stopped when I added pumpkin to his daily diet (2T 3x daily) and Perfect Form by The Honest Kitchen (1 1/4 tsp 2x daily). He still has smelly gas and gurgling intestines, and I’m thinking I need to add digestive enzymes. Since Major sometimes strains to go to the bathroom, yet produces nothing…has had HGE…and has smelly gas (from fermenting protein)…I feel like the answer might be dietary enzymes.

Has anyone ever had a dog with these issues and used a dietary enzyme with success? If so, please recommend one…I’ve read a lot of information, but there are so many it’s hard to choose the “right” one.

Thanks for the help, Tina

[DieselJunki]

I know of quite a few people that have spoken well about the Mercola Pro-Biotics and Digestive Enzymes. I would use both on my dog but they are currently out of stock on the Enzymes. I know I also feed my dog Trippet (green beef tripe), Answer’s Goats Milk, and Kefir. All of these have some form of Enzymes and such in them. Kefir is really good if you can find it. Hound Dog Mom suggests it a lot and can be beneficial to any dogs diet. I of course switch up between the Kefir and Goats Milk but always add the Enzymes and Pro-Biotics to my dogs food. I split the daily dosages for the supplements up for his feedings.

Now as for whether this would fix the case of your dogs intestinal sensitivities and bad gas I am not sure as I have never had a dog that has had those issues. But it never hurts to add Enzymes and Pro-Biotics to any dogs diet.

[theBCnut]

I’m cuurently using Mercola to good effect, but I’m really liking what I’ve read about Swansons, and I’ll try them next. They are human grade and they actually cost significantly less.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I love Swanson’s. I recently discovered them a few months ago when I was looking for some supplements for myself, I liked the stuff I got so much I just ordered over $200 of supplements for the dogs the day before yesterday. I don’t give the dogs supplemental probiotics or enzymes but when I ordered their stuff I got “Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms” supplement for myself – 5 digestive enzymes, 15 soil-based probiotics, barley/oat/wheat grass juice and a 15 vegetable concentrate. Sounds healthy, would be great for a dog too that needed enzymes and probiotics – only 11 cents per capsule!

[InkedMarie]

I got Swansons the other day, thank you HDM LOL. Buy one get one free for the probiotic!

[puppylove]

We had similar issues with our dog and we purchased the Miracle Pack from Nusentia which actually did work miracles and we’ve just kept her on the combination for wellness… I’m reading a lot about Mercola, which I’ve never tried, but at first glance seem a little pricey and I’m not sure 14 strains of probiotics is necessary for a dog. Where do you find the Swansons probiotics for dogs? The only one I can see (Gentle Digest) is the one with Rice Flour and Chicory root as the first ingredients. The price makes me cautious and the ingredients look awful, but maybe I just am not looking at the right one?

[Hound Dog Mom]

You’re not looking at the right thing. Swanson’s may sell gentle digest but Gental DIgest is not their brand of probiotic and can be purchased elsewhere. Go to SwansonVitamins.com – Swanson’s has two probiotic supplements that I’ve used:

Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic with FOS. It’s $14.99 for 60 capsules and in addition to 15 strains of probiotics has FOS (prebiotic) and trace minerals.

Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms. It’s $9.99 for 90 capsules, has 4 digestive enzymes, wheat grass, oat grass, barley juice, a vegetable concentrate blend, trace minerals and 15 strains of probiotics.

The more strains of probitoics the better. Different probiotics have different functions and you want a diverse population the gut.

[theBCnut]

For gut health, it is definitely the more, the merrier. I won’t bother with a probiotic that has less than 9 strains. They have identified something like 16 strains and there is 1 strain that is different between humans and dogs, so 14 or 15 strains is superb and human is fine and cheaper.

[Jenny F]

I started to experience some of the issues posted here with my 2-year old Frenchie. He has been on Wellness dry and wet food since he was a puppy. About a month ago, he started vomiting bile in the morning before breakfast and had diarrhea for two days. First day, he didn’t want to eat anything during the day -no even cooked chicken which he loves – but will eat at night – right on schedule at dinner time. On second day – same thing vomited bile in the morning first thing then didn’t want to eat so I let him fast till dinner time. Around noon on second day, he was running out to the yard every 20 minutes or so due to diarrhea and I saw he was having trouble eliminating and when a little bit of it came out it was dark like dead blood. I rushed him to the vet and on our way there I could hear and feel his stomach rumbling with gas. At the vets run all sorts of tests for virus and x-ray since I thought he had something stuck in the intestines (he has a history of been a little vacuum cleaner since puppy) but since vet could not determine what was making him sick they gave him antibiotics in case it was some sort of virus until the culture came back. He tested negative for everything and did not have anything blocking his intestines. Vet also put him on IV since he was getting dehydrated and as we all know that is life threatening. In the meantime – I was feeding him just cooked chicken and brown rice with grated carrots and some fried eggs with just a pinch of olive oil – you can also fried eggs with water; that’s all he ate for a week. After that, I started cooking his meals and added some more veggies (chicken, green beans, brown rice, grated carrots or ground beef, chopped celery, spinach and potatoes boiled together – drained chicken/beef broth since too much can cause proteins to enter his kidneys – and put it in a container in the fridge I make enough for 6 meals breakfast and dinner for 3 days) and he has been doing better since then. Has puked probably twice since then – early morning – but just a little bit of white foam not bile. I know it is hard sometimes to cook even for ourselves due to busy schedules but I figured that I can make two meals with the same veggies and the basic chicken and ground beef for me in my dog by just adding salt. Makes me feel better to know that my little guy is eating fresh and natural food. Now, I am on my search for a good probiotic and enzymes to add to his meals since I know he definitely needs that and feel like that’s why he is having issues with his digestive system. In the meantime, I’m adding oatmeal gluten-free and a bit of barley to his diet. I would only feed barley during the day since tents to be heavy a night – even for humans. We’ve also found a store for treats called The Bone Appetite Barkery shop in New Jersey by accident. Their pumpkins treats are also good for digestion and taste delicious – yes I tried it! Lol they are all made with natural ingredients – I highly recommend it. Tip: ice cubes are good for when dogs are not drinking enough water. Hope this comment helps : )

[Haleybop]

Hound Dog Mom – It’s funny…I’ve been contemplating the Swanson Probiotics Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 16 Strain Probiotic with FOS all day because it’s B1G1 and an additional 20% off until the end of the day with code 20PERCENT. I hesitated because of the ConcenTrace® Trace Mineral Complex (from the Great Salt Lake, 72 naturally occurring minerals, plus other minerals found in seawater). I noticed the Soil-Based Organisms has that, too. Are those ok to give my dog without knowing what they are??? I went ahead and bought them because I figured if it’s not ok for my pup, I can use them. Also, she’s only 10 months and 25 pounds. Would I give her a whole pill. I do know I would only give her one or the other, not both supplements at the same time. I needed some probiotics, too! Thank you!

[USA]

I’m a big fan of probiotics for gut health and for overall immune system benefits. The one I use is expensive but if you calculate the cost per billion cfu’s it is the least expensive. I take one daily and I split one between my 2 dogs. Each capsule contains 100 billion cfu’s and 34 different strains of probiotics.

http://www.vitacost.com/garden-of-life-raw-probiotics-ultimate-care-30-vegetarian-capsules-2

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Servings per Container: 30

Replenish Blend – 100 billion CFU

ISS Bif™ Bifdobacterium lactis (SD-5219), Lactobacillus acidophilus (SD-5221), Lactobacillus paracasei (SD-5218), Bifidobacterium lactis (SD-5220), RAW Whole Food Probiotic Blend: Bulgarian Yogurt (milk) Concentrate, Eastern European Wild Kefir Culture containing Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, lacotbacillus brevis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus kefirgranum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacilus kefir, Lactobacillus parakefir, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactococcus lactis biovar diacetylactis, Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc cremoris, Leuconostoc dextranicum, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Brettanomyces anomalus, Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces unisporus, Saccharomyces turicensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharmomyces exiguus, Torulaspora delbrueckii

Protein Digesting Enzyme Blend – 50 mg
Protease, Acid Protease, Protease S

Eastern European RAW Fruit and Veggie Blend – 45 mg
Red Bell Pepper (Fruit), Green Pea (Seed), Carrot (Root), Plum (Fruit), Cherry (Fruit), Strawberry (Fruit), Raspberry (Fruit)

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Haleybop –

You wouldn’t want to give both the Dr. Stephen Langer’s and the Soil Based Organisms at the same time – you’d want to do one or the other.

The addition of concentrace isn’t anything you need to be concerned about -imo. There’s such a small amount of it in each capsule that it shouldn’t pose any issue. If you want to read more about concentrace and what’s in it here’s a link to the actual product descriptor.

I prefer to use products with soil-based organisms versus regular probiotics as I’ve been reading quite a bit about the benefits of SBO’s. Another good product with soil-based organisms NOW Foods Probiotic Defense – it’s slightly more expensive than the Swanson Brand but still reasonable. It contains fermented grasses, 13 strains of beneficial bacteria, alfalfa, kelp and dulse.

In my opinion these products provide the best bang for the buck. There are definitely some better products out there, they’re just extremely expensive. Garden of Life’s Primal Defense is great and there’s a company called Prescript-Assist that makes a 29-strain SBO product but you’d be looking at spending upwards of 5 times as much.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[InkedMarie]

I have to check that one put, USA Treats. Us humans use Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra.

[Haleybop]

Hound Dog Mom – I got my Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms and put one in my pup’s food. She is a dog that actually chews her food. You guessed it, powder everywhere and a very confused look on her face. Will the acids in her stomach destroy the product before it gets a chance to get to her intestines if I open the capsule and sprinkle it on her food? I know one of the concerns with probiotics is getting them to the right place for them to be effective. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

[USA]

Dr Mike someone deleted my post on probiotics 2 minutes after I wrote it. That is disrespectful and rude. Why would you allow someone to delete a post where I took the time to compare the prices of different probiotics that were talked about in this thread on a cost per CFU basis?

[crazy4cats]

That’s too bad. I would have like to have seen it. Maybe it can be retrieved somehow. I didn’t think anyone would have the capability to delete it.

[theBCnut]

If it had links, it probably went in the spam filter. Email Dr Mike about it.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by theBCnut.

[Dori]

I too would like to see USA’s post. Hopefully as BC said, maybe it’s in the spam filter waiting for approval??

C4C. Mike, I think, is the only person that can actually delete a post or maybe, with his approval, someone else on his staff. No one else can I wouldn’t think. Anyway, I’m going to keep an eye out for his original post in hopes it returns.

[USA]

Thank you crazy4cats, theBCnut and Dori!

Dr Mike, I’m sorry if I jumped to conclusions!!! I will repost it later on if it’s not stuck in the spam filter or something. I didn’t save it so it will take a little time to do it again.

[Jude s]

Hey! I was going to make a thread on this topic, but I saw this one….I hope it’s ok if I can ask my question on here 🙂
My 2 month old puppy has really soft stool, foul smelling, some mucus, and always seems to push kind of hard. He doesn’t whimper, he still eats and plays just fine.
I checked for worms, or any white specs, but he’s clear. I’m thinking he’s just having some irritation. I was thinking on putting him on some digestive enzyme supplements, I saw the suggested ones above, but not sure if those are ok for my puppy. I also saw the honest kitchen had supplements as well (Perfect Form & Pro Bloom).
Also if this helps he is a pitbull/chihuahua mix and about 7.5 lbs. He is eating Wellness puppy kibble, but I will be introducing raw foods sometime this month.

[tina b]

Hi, Jude…

It’s not unusual for young pups to have soft stools…I wouldn’t be too concerned unless it’s more of a diarrhea consistency. If it IS diarrhea-like, and it’s been a couple days…I’d probably take him to the vet to be tested for worms and to 100% sure there isn’t something else going on internally. The soft stools might also be a reaction from recent vaccinations…if it is, it should pass fairly quickly.

I have used Perfect Form and 100% pure pumpkin for Major (the Lab with bloat and IBS)…with some success. I have not had any real luck with probiotics or digestive enzymes…but that’s just my dog. I have, on the other hand, had GREAT success with Olewo carrots. Since introducing the carrots daily, Major hasn’t had any diarrhea! This may not seem like much, but I was dealing with diarrhea at least weekly.

Best of luck…Tina

[Bobby dog]

Hi tina b:
How long have you been using Olewo carrots? Have you tried any of Olewo’s other products? I was checking the carrots out a while ago and I haven’t come across anyone who has used any of their products, other then the Whimzeez.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Bobby dog.

[tina b]

Hey, Bobby Dog… 🙂

I put Major, and my other 3 Labs, on Olewo carrots a little over 3 months ago. I called and spoke with Ina, the US distributor, for a half hour…and picked her brain on whether or not it could help Major. Just so you know what I was dealing with…Major has suffered bloat (daily, to some extent) and IBS since he was about 4 months old….he’s 5 1/2 years old now. He had diarrhea all. the. time. A few years ago, I switched him to a premium (grain free) kibble and it helped…it helped even more when I switched to 100% raw almost 2 years ago. Major’s diarrhea would range from cow patty to brown water…it was horrible for him. I tried different probitics and digestive enzymes…with no real improvement to speak of. When I added the carrots to his diet, the diarrhea all but disappeared!

I gave Major 1 Tablespoon of carrots mixed with 1/2 cup water on his breakfast. For the next 10 weeks…he had 5 days in which he had diarrhea. When I say “days”…I mean one bad stool each of those days…not and entire day of running outside to pooh (which was not unusual). I spoke with Ina and shared the outcome, she suggested increasing his carrots just a bit. I started adding 1/2 Tablespoon carrots to his 1 Tablespoon of beets for his evening meal 4 weeks ago, and he has not had a single episode of diarrhea since!

I rescued a diabetic Lab 2 years ago…he’s 10 years old now. From the time we brought him home, he would generally pooh only once a day…and his stool was so dry, it would crumble when it hit the ground. No joke. Since adding the carrots to his meal (1 Tablespoon each morning)…he pooh is firm and glossy now and he goes twice a day most days. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.

I added the beets to my dogs’ diet 2 months ago…mostly for the anti-inflammatory benefits for my older dog’s arthritis and for Major’s inflamed intestines. It’s to soon to tell if it’s helping the arthritis, but Major’s intestines aren’t nearly as swollen as they were…we could literally see them swirling in his stomach when he’d lay down. Poor guy.

I can’t recommend the carrots enough…and I’m a picky person when it comes to feeding my dogs.

[Bobby dog]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write your experience with these products. The beets caught my eye a few months back. I have a healthy pup at this time, but was checking it out for his skin and coat. A year ago his skin and coat was a mess. I have since resolved his issues with diet changes and other supplements, but I am always on the lookout for any natural supplement.

What a time you have had with your guys! Nice to read you had the patience and knowledge to find a diet that works for your IBS dog, that’s half the battle. Your Sr. fellow sounds like he has benefitted from your care as well! 🙂

[Jude s]

Hi Tina!
Thank you for responding to my question. Well my pups aren’t vaccinated yet, they have an appointment on Wednesday. I just came home from running errands, and Opie pooped but it was almost diarrhea like. I also saw a little bit of mucus and blood. No worms, and no signs of worms. I hoping it’s nothing serious 🙁
When I go to the vet, and find out its nothing too serious, I’ll definitely give those carrots a try!
Thank you so much again Tina 🙂

[theBCnut]

Hi Jude

The worst types of worms are microscopic, so make sure that your vet does a fecal exam. Any time you see blood in the stool it should be looked into. Blood and mucous can be those microscopic worms or a food reaction.

[tina b]

Jude…please let us know what the vet says about your pup. Best of luck, Tina

[Kathleen C]

It was recommended that I try a probiotic for Jack’s gas and Kefir was suggested. Since I drink that anyway I got him some plain and have given it to him for several days. Now he’s stinking worse than ever. Really fuming up the house and car. A friend says he’s probably not into dairy so can anyone suggest how to get rid of this smell and the regular gas too?

[theBCnut]

GasX works on dogs too, but if your dog hasn’t always been gassy, I would just move on to a new food. Gas is a sign of food intolerance.

[Kathleen C]

Are most dogs milk intolerant? I never knew there could be a problem. I called and the vet will have the Forti-Flora (sp.) tomorrow morning so I’m just going to hold off doing anything until then. I have the little green soft gels of Safeways Gas X but not sure how much to give him. Not sure they can be cut. Thanks for getting back to me. I’m going to keep some of the FF handy for future since he’s a Boston Terrier and they always seem to have gas problems. This is from the dairy product though I think. Much worse! Uck.

[theBCnut]

Most dogs don’t have issues with milk, but there are still quite a good number of them that do. And it’s not necessarily lactose intolerance either. I don’t know why many of the “bully” breeds, even the little ones, seem to have digestive issues resulting in room clearing gas. I sure hope the FortiFlora works for you!

[Kathleen C]

Me too. I think it’s because of their short noses and palates. There’s a name for it, but I can’t remember what it is right now. It’s too late. Thank you.

[Kellye P]

My hopelessly difficult poodle child loves this probiotic and it came highly recommended by his Traditional Chinese Medicine holistic vet.

http://www.caniotic.com

[Kathleen C]

If you’re sure there’s no dairy in it I’ll look it up and see what the vet thinks. I’m getting the Forti Flora today so hopefully this will help and the problem will run its course. I always appreciate the help I get here. Best $14.99 I’ve spent this year. 🙂 My holistic vet took off for Costa Rica so he’s gone.

[Dale N]

Hey, I found that there is a Canadian product that you may interested in. Mega 8 Probiotic Flora Plus Digestive Enzymes. It belongs to Pet Owners Choice Brands.

I got a coupon code (daisy20), but don’t use it. You can try if it works or not, it may end on Nov 15, 2014.

Hope this help 🙂

[Kathleen C]

Thanks Dale. The FortiFlora seems to have helped, now it’s just his regular Boston stink. I’ll look into the Mega 8 too.

[“Blue”]

I’m feeding NWC Naturals Total-Biotics and Total-Zymes which has greatly cut down the room clearing gas. And thankfully he has never had diarrhea. Anyone else try those? I think I learned of them here on DFA as I seldom go anywhere else.

[Kathleen C]

Thanks, Blue. Jack has again started clearing the room so I’m going to look into these ideas of yours. Something has to work eventually.

[“Blue”]

I started to culture milk kefir last December for myself and shortly thereafter began using it as a topper on the dry food when the NWC ran out. We now feed a good quality dry so it’s prolly not needed as a probiotic but it works well as a topper to add moisture and flavor plus the probiotics, and for cheap. Anyone else feeding kefir?

[Author]

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