Poop Matters. ‘Fess up, you always look at your dog’s poop because it is an indicator of health. (As is yours!) When aging, when not feeling well, just as a preventative measure, probiotics and digestive enzymes can help. However, these are NOT the same. Digestive Enzymes (DE) breakdown and deliver nutrients from chewed food to bodies. Probiotics replenish the gut with good bacteria. Some products put both together in a capsule, but it is important to understand how much and what kinds of enzymes are present.
Digestive Enzymes
Digestion and systemic problems appear as gas, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, skin conditions, allergies and more. Digestive Enzymes, for us and our hounds, can help utilize the best and most nutrients from the food we eat. Of course, eating whole foods vs processed is always best. Raw food vs kibble.
The four key enzymes are:
- Protease breaks down Proteins
- Amylase breaks down carbs, starches, sugars
- Cellulase breaks down fibers in fruits and veges
- Lipase breaks down fats and oils
- Bromelain, Malt Diastase, Lactase, Cellulase, Hemicellulase, Invertase, Phystase, Pectinase are other enzymes
Processed food (kibble) destroys enzymes. Stress can wreak havoc on our immune system. Supplementing with enzymes can help sick and older hounds and doesn’t hurt younger dogs either. It’s fabulous for you too. Human digestive enzymes are exactly the same as ‘dog’. Prozyme, marketed for dogs, doesn’t even have the enzyme to break down protein, and has limited amounts of the enzymes. Greyhound Gang does not offer it anymore.
More info here about reading labels and understanding how Digestive Enzymes can help systemically and digestively.
The best digestive enzyme I’ve found. I take it and I give it to my hounds, too.
Probiotics – different than Prebiotics
These live bacteria and yeasts are good for overall health and the digestive system. They are often called ‘good’ or ‘helpful’ bacteria because they help keep the gut healthy. And they help minimize greyhound flatulence.
You and your pet’s digestive systems are home to hundreds of different species of both beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria. These intestinal bacteria exist in a delicate balance which influences the way your pet and you digest food and absorb nutrients. Friendly bacteria play a critical role in immune responses. Fighting toxins, resisting infection, and keeping good bacteria in the gut to balance out the bad are all good.
Adding a probiotic to your pet’s food helps friendly bacteria thrive. This is particularly important after using anti-biotics, which destroy all the good bacteria. High quality products do not have to be refrigerated and will selectively feed the beneficial, native bacteria in your and your animal’s systems. Please read labels and find products with billions and many strains of probiotics. Bifidobacterium strains – Bifidum, Lactis, Breve, Longum – are excellent strains. Lactobacillus – Acidophilus, Casei, Rhamnosus, Plantarum, Paracasei, Bulgaricus, Lactis – are the strains.
This is the best probiotic I’ve found for humans and hounds. I take it. My hounds take it. There are 25.5 Billion Live Cultures. There are 14 strains. I just found this Probiotic America link on Facebook. Very educational, and they are selling their item at the end. Allegany Nutrition’s Probiotic is better and less expensive, with proceeds helping hounds. What’s not to like?!