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I have been a fan of probiotics for a while now. My whole family uses them, and Emma has been on the before during antibiotic use and during the treatment of her systemic yeast infections. I have recently came across a link on Twitter about probiotics being helpful for those with food and seasonal allergies, so I decided to do a little research.
First off, let’s discuss what probiotics are.
Probiotics are good bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms in the digestive tract. There are about 400 different types of probiotics that occur in the digestived tract, Lactobacillus acidophilus is the most common. Probiotics can be helpful in preventing diarrhea caused by antibiotics or stomach infections, they can help with stomach inflammation, and they can even boost the immune system. This is where they come in handy for decreasing your pets allergies.
In order to fight off allergies, your pets immune system needs to be in proper working condition. It’s been said that 80% of your immune system resides in the intestinal tract. If that’s true then probiotics will be a huge help to your pup during allergy season.
I’ve been giving them with every meal along with the Oil of Oregano and have seen great improvement with both Emma and Phoebe. Granted things have cooled off nicely here, which always helps but I think the combo has been helpful too. There has been less itching, no gas, and they’re blackened skin spots have faded away. Emma and Phoebe are taking a probiotic and enzyme combo from Pet Balance. Emma is using the powder form of both (more economical ) and Phoebe is using the easy to feed Probiotic/Enzyme combo tablet. I love these! I wish they were cheaper or were made to dose larger amounts of food ( 1 tablet treats 1/2 cup of food). These are perfect for Phoebe since she is so against anything in pill form, and she eats 1/3 c food AM & PM, so I give her a half tablet with each meal.
The enzymes are made to break down food so they are easier for you pet to digest. They can be helpful with excessive shedding, joint issues, weight problems, & stool eating. If you have a cat, they can be helpful with hairballs too!
I’ve used other types of probiotics and had pretty good luck, but I really do like this brand. I was so happy to find their website. My runner up suggestion would be the Plant Enzymes & Probiotics from Animal Essentials.
I hope this has been helpful for you and your pup. If you have any questions feel free to contact me here or on our Facebook Page. I would love to hear about your experiences with probiotics or anything else that has helped your pups allergies. Take care of yourself and your pup. Talk to you soon!
Andi
Dogs with Allergies on Facebook
Hi there!
I just wanted to let you know that I created a fan page for the Dogs with Allergies blog on Facebook. I would love it if you would stop over and become a fan. I’m hoping we can get a great community going, and share all of our tips for dealing with our pups allergies. You can click on the words “fan page†above, or click the link on the right. Take care and I’ll talk to you soon!
Andi
Dogs with Allergies
Hello everyone!
I hope that your spring has been well so far and that your pups are in good health. Emma and Phoebe are doing well for now. Just a bit of mild itching, and Emma has her low energy days every now and again due to her Addison’s.
I recently came across two brands of treats that are focused on beneficial, limited ingredients and I wanted to tell you about them. I have placed an order with both companies and they should be arriving at  www.goodthingsgreenthings.com soon! I think they will make a wonderful addition to our pet section. Here they are:
Max & Ruffy’s
Max & Ruffy’s makes 6 different flavors of vegan treats including 3 grain free options. All ingredients are certified organic. Their packaging is biodegradable and compostable, even in a home compost setting.
- Molasses Explosion 1919:Â Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil
- Five-Star Blueberry (Grain Free): Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Blueberries, Organic Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Ginger
- Powerhouse: Sweet Potato & Alfalfa ( Grain Free): Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Sweet Potato, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Sun-Cured Ground Alfalfa
- The Kelp Highway: Butternut Squash & Kelp (Grain Free): Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Butternut Squash, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Dried Kelp, Organic Parsley
- Mother Quinoa’s Pumpkin Patch (Wheat Free): Organic Pumpkin, Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Quinoa Flour, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Cloves
- W.P. Pizza: Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Organic Tomato Paste, Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Parsley, Organic Oregano, Organic Garlic
These treats have shipped out and are on the way to Good Things Green Things. They should be posted by early next week and you can find them in the Good Green Pets section under Treats and Supplements.
Barkwheats
I was thrilled to find Barkwheats dog treats for so many reasons. They source all their ingredients locally (Maine), with the exception of their Fair Trade Ginger that comes from Belize. They use buckwheat flour in their treats. Buckwheat is a berry, not a grain making it safe for those with grain allergies. Plus, it is very low glycemic and safe for dogs with canine diabetes. It is milled on a buckwheat only mill, so there is no chance of cross contamination. Also, their packaging is completely biodegradable and compostable in a home compost setting! There treats are available in four flavors:
- Blueberry & Lavender: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Blueberries, Honey, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Lavender
- Ginger & Parsley: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Honey, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Ginger*, Organic Parsley. *Fair Trade Certified
- Pumpkin & Sage: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Organic Pumpkin, Honey, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Sage
- SeaVegetable & Chamomile*: Organic Buckwheat Flour, Honey, Organic Eggs, Organic Canola Oil, Organic Kelp Powder, Organic Chamomile.
*Allergy Note:Â If your dog is allergic to ragweed, you should also avoid Chamomile, as it is a member of the ragweed family.
I’m hoping to have the Barkwheats treats at Good Things Green Things within the next two weeks. I will keep you posted, and let you know as soon as they get here! I’m so happy to have found healthy, treats for our sensitive pups. I can’t wait to share them with you, and to hear how your pups like them.
Take care and we’ll talk soon!
Andi
Dogs with Allergies
http://www.goodthingsgreenthings.com
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