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Natural Pet Care:Holistic Veterinarian

The Microbiome



We all have a vast population of bacteria, yeasts and viruses in our bodies which if they are balanced help to keep us alive and healthy. This also applies to our pets.
This is a recent area of exciting research in medical research which is coming on in leaps and bounds in the past 10 years and I am going to introduce to you when I get chance.
A healthy microbiome is essential for a healthy gut, brain, skin , bladder and more organ we suspect. So many causes of illness in people and animals are thought to be caused by a "leaky gut" allowing inflammatory substances to move out of the gut to cause so many symptoms and syndromes.

Leaky Gut

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Healthy Gut

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How can we restore a healthy gut biome in our pets?

3. Give access to natural pre and probiotics in nature
Avoid drugs and Chemicals such as Antibiotics and Insecticides
Probiotics

Fidospore (see below)
Kefir
Yoghurt
Pet Plus
Vets are often asked -
Why does my dog / cat chew grass?
Is is OK for him to eat soil

Test are both natural sources of probiotics its normal and in the vast majority of cases good for them. Avoid access to plants treated with pesticides and good organic soil is best!
The dogs who bury bones and dig them up have a healthier gut microbiome than those who do not
Try to minimise the amount of antibiotics, that your companions receive and if they have to have them to treat life threatening disease then give probiotics afterwards to get the biome back to full health as soon as is feasible

FidoSpore™

fidospore
FidoSpore™ is the first probiotic supplement clinically shown to support digestive health and reduce leaky gut in dogs.FidoSpore™ contains a unique blend of Bacillus subtilis HU58, Bacillus licheniformis (SL-307), and Pediococcus acidilactici mixed with irresistible defatted, grass-fed beef liver for flavor and aroma. In fact, a recent study exploring gut dysbiosis in dogs found that FidoSpore™ dramatically reduced inflammation, diarrhoea, and vomiting in as little as 30 days.2
I have found that this product has helped many patients, when used in the correct circumstances. It is a highly potent sporulated probiotic which rapidly populates the canine intestine and can bring a balance to the immune system via the microbiome.

I have found it helps with Atopic Dermatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Diseas, Bladder infections and just the general health of many pets since I stated prescribing it. It is a highly potent product and may not suit all patients so consult your holistic veterinary surgeon.

Where can I get the supplement?

Natural Pet Care, Bella and Duke

Learn More

Leaflet to download
Having a dog is not only good for the human psyche but also incredibly beneficial for the human gut microbiome. Dogs can strengthen the human gut microbiome by going out into the environment, collecting microbes in their nose and fur, and bringing them back into your home. By doing this, they can help to diversify and strengthen your gut microbiome, but don’t forget that dogs have their own gut microbiomes. Did you know that dogs can get leaky gut too? Or that this could be the underlying cause of their recurring rashes, diarrhea, bad behavior or poor wound healing? If the lining of your dog’s intestines begins to deteriorate, then this opens the door for unwanted toxins and pathogens to enter circulation, triggering immune responses such as inflammation and allergic reactions anywhere in the body.

What causes leaky gut in dogs?
Dogs, like humans, have sensitive GI tracts that are unfavorably affected by artificial food products, antibiotic overuse, gut infections, and glyphosate found in the air, water, and soil.1,2 As carnivores, dogs are evolutionarily designed to eat meat, yet the main ingredients in most pet foods include wheat, corn, soy and low-quality animal byproducts. These foods, medications, and environmental toxins can irritate an animal’s GI tract, causing damage to the protective lining of the gut. Dogs love to get into things they aren’t supposed to, like garbage, roadkill, and animal droppings they find on the side walk. This puts them at risk of acquiring a GI infection, which can have negative long-term consequences on gut health. In fact, overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli are shown to cause inflammation and deteriorate the gut barrier, leading to leaky gut in dogs.3

What's inside?

FidoSpore™ is the first probiotic supplement clinically proven to support digestive health and reduce leaky gut in dogs. Bacillus subtilis HU58 and Bacillus licheniformis (SL-307) are both spore-forming probiotics that produce digestive enzymes, strengthen the immune system, produce short-chain fatty acids, and maintain the gut barrier. Pediococcus acidilactici is lactic acid-producing bacterium that has a wide range of benefits in dogs.4 It has been used to treat dogs with digestive symptoms like constipation and diarrhoea, as well as dogs infected by parvovirus. P. acidilactici is also known to crowd out unwanted pathogens like Shigella species, Salmonella species, Clostridium difficile, and E. coli. FidoSpore™ also contains defatted grass-fed beef liver extract added for flavor and aroma.

A recent study examined the effects of FidoSpore™ on the occurrence of dysbiosis and leaky gut in dogs.5 Researchers at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Romania administered a daily probiotic supplement containing the strains Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici to 11 dogs for a total of 30 days. Dogs were divided into two groups: healthy dogs with no GI distress and dogs with gut dysbiosis experiencing diarrhea and vomiting. Results indicated that in dogs with gut dysbiosis, GI symptoms were greatly reduced, or disappeared entirely. Total body inflammation and leaky gut markers were also dramatically reduced. In addition, probiotics did not produce adverse symptoms in healthy dogs and appeared to reduce flatulence.
Probiotics for pets have remarkable abilities to improve digestive health, particularly in dogs. In contrast to antibiotics, probiotics work with the animal’s immune system to improve overall function, rather than simply killing off pathogens and many beneficial microbes in the process. Research highlights that probiotics like FidoSpore™ are effective, safe, and more cost effective than many conventional treatments.

But not only that I have seen and heard of improvements in other inflammatory conditions such as skin problems, behaviour and bladder health.

Dosage


DOGS: Add 1 capsule to your canine’s food once daily. Capsule can be opened and sprinkled onto food or consumed whole.

Research


1. HALL EJ, BATT RM.

Abnormal permeability precedes the development of a gluten sensitive enteropathy in Irish setter dogs. Gut. 1991;32(7):749–753.
2. KILIAN E, SUCHODOLSKI JS, HARTMANN K, MUELLER RS, WESS G, UNTERER S.

Long-term effects of canine parvovirus infection in dogs. PLoS One. 2018;13(3):e0192198.
3. SCHMITZ S, SUCHODOLSKI J.

Understanding the canine intestinal microbiota and its modification by pro-, pre- and synbiotics – what is the evidence? Vet Med Sci. 2016;2(2):71–94.
4. HERSTAD HK, NESHEIM BB, L’ABEE-LUND T, ET AL.

Effects of a probiotic intervention in acute canine gastroenteritis – a controlled clinical trial. J Small Anim Pract. 2010;51(1):34-8.

5. TEFANU, CL.

Evaluation of The Effect of a Probiotic Product With Sporulated Bacilli On Endotoxemia In Dogs With Intestinal Dysbiosis – Pilot Study. University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca. 2019.
© Graham Hines
Graham Hines MRCVS
Dee View Road, Connah's Quay
Flintshire, CH5 4AY
& Bangor Gwynedd L57
Tel:(+44) 07903268439
or 01244 810731
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