Treating Digestive Issues with Probiotics for Pets

Examining IntelliFlora: Happy pets have healthy digestion!

Let’s face it: raising a pet can get messy sometimes. Who actually enjoys cleaning up that smelly “accident” found on the living room floor?

As gross as poop duty is, it’s a necessary evil sometimes; however, a well-trained pet shouldn’t be having many unexpected “accidents” without cause.

If you’ve been experiencing these stinky surprises, or noticed a change in the health of your pet’s bowel movements such as diarrhea, be sure that it’s not normal. There is something affecting your pet’s digestive track (also known as a gastrointestinal imbalance) and it shouldn’t be ignored.

Bacterial Imbalance Like humans, animals carry healthy bacteria in their systems which help with immunity, digestion and other bodily functions.

“The quality of the intestinal bacteria is determined for the most part by the presence of multiple stable groups of bacteria, the total quantity of each type of bacteria and their proportions in relation to one another.” - Gerrit de Weerd, Farm Food Dog Food

In short, a healthy intestinal track requires a healthy ratio of “good” bacteria, and a severe and consistent lack of these good bacteria is known to physicians as dysbacteriosis.

What causes bacterial imbalance in my pet’s GI tract?
When the balance of intestinal bacteria becomes disrupted, problems such as chronic diarrhea often occur. Conditions such as Dysbacteriosis are caused mostly due to the use of antibiotics, which kills off any foreign bodies living within your pet – even the good ones!

“Antibiotics alter the normal flora that serves as a protective barrier against pathogens. When these normal, beneficial organisms are killed off, harmful bacteria are free to multiply and cause disease. The best example is severe diarrhea that follows the use of certain antibiotics, which change the normal flora of the bowel.” – pets.webmd.com

So what’s a recommended treatment for the side effects caused by the use of antibiotics?Reintroduction of beneficial flora!

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According to Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN, “A daily dose of probiotics, such as Acidophilus and bifidobacteria, is helpful in maintaining the right ratio of bacteria in the intestines. This is especially important if you are taking antibiotics, as these drugs destroy both friendly and unfriendly bacteria indiscriminately.”

The good news is these little problems can be cared for in your own home without the expensive assistance of a veterinarian. Even better news: ProbioticSmart.com has an affordable solution!

IntelliFloraTM – Created and Approved by Veterinarians!

This is one of our most popular products. IntelliFloraTM is created in-house by our veterinarians for the intestinal health of your dog or cat. It comes in an enticing powder form, which you sprinkle on your pet’s food daily.

This wonderful product contains dehydrated living cultures of five different bacteria, which “come back to life” once they are warmed up in your pet’s intestinal tract.

According to our clinical research study, this probiotic is “designed to increase total lactic acid bacteria such as Enterococcus faecium and species of Lactobacillus in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) of dogs and cats.”
The graph below shows the efficacy and colonization of these bacteria in a dog’s GI tract. Examination of the fecal matter showed that the specific bacteria provided by Intellaflora increased greatly in numbers.

IntelliFlora was given daily to dogs as indicated in the directions. Fecal matter was collected after 3 days and analyzed for Enterococcus faecium by a specific microbiological plating method. IntelliFlora use shows dramatic increases of Enterococcus faecium in the fecal matter of dogs. These results are consistent with IntelliFlora for helping dogs that need to obtain a healthy GI tract and lifestyle.

Also present in this product is a variety of essential vitamins and nutrients including Vitamins A, C, E, Zinc and Manganese. These supplements are important to your dog or cat’s proper metabolism, vision and immune system function.

More information on this product can be found at the IntelliFlora Probiotics For Pets under the “Product Description” tab.

Ask an expert…
We asked our resident veterinarian, Dr. Vijay Sasi, DVM, MS, some typical questions our customers have about using this product. Please read below for his input and advice.

How do I know when my pet needs probiotics?
Most common reason to give probiotics is poor appetite, digestive upsets etc. related to stress, post antibiotic therapy etc. All these things are, in general, due to microbial imbalance in the gut. If the problem does not resolve with microbial supplements, talk to your vet for further investigation.

Should I treat my pet with IntelliFlora in conjunction with another product?
IntelliFlora is a microbial supplement and in general can be a stand-alone product. For specific conditions when the dog needs specialty food like low protein, low fat, low minerals etc. due to kidney/liver disorder etc. , it is a good idea to consult your vet for advice.

What can I expect when I give my pet this product?
• Improved appetite and digestion.
• Better attitude and energy
• Better stool consistency
• Over all improved health specifically following stressful situations

How long does it take to see results?
This depends on the condition. I have seen results as early as 12 hours. Sometimes it take about 5-7 days.

How long should I keep my pet on IntelliFlora? Is overdose possible?
It is a very safe product. If given in extremely large amounts, mild diarrhea is possible.

Can IntelliFlora spoil/go bad?
These are viable bacteria and they have a shelf life of 2 years when stored as directed. High temperature, moisture, etc., will destroy the bacteria and product will lose efficacy. Always replace the lid after use and store in a cool, dry place.

What are the causes of poor digestion in pets?
• Stress
• Enzymes Deficiency
• Low quality food
• Microbial imbalance

Special Instructions:
• If your dog becomes very ill and develops a fever, don’t waste any time getting him to a vet.
• Administering special intestinal bacteria preparations designed for humans will not benefit your dog. The pH balance (acidity) of a dog’s stomach is so low that virtually none of its intestinal bacteria will survive (unless they are acid-resistant types such as the tripe bacteria and the bacterial spores of ruminants).
• All dry feed is sterile (contains no bacteria). Also canned feed and other products that don’t require freezing are sterile and therefore do not benefit the accumulation and maintenance of intestinal bacteria.