Should Dogs Take Probiotics With Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are among the most commonly used medications for dogs. They treat bacterial infections, illnesses such as diarrhea and respiratory disease, and other conditions such as ear infections or urinary tract infections.
Antibiotics effectively treat many different types of infections and illnesses in pets. Still, antibiotic use can also impact a dog’s gut health, leading to an imbalance in the microflora colonizing the dog’s gut. Antibiotic resistance can also result if a dog uses antibiotics too often.
When our dogs are unfortunate enough to become ill and need to be treated with antibiotics, we as pet owners should be concerned not only about the effectiveness of the treatment but also about how to help them recover as quickly as possible after treatment to maintain gut health. Today, let’s explore an oft-repeated question: Do dogs need to supplement with probiotics after taking antibiotics?
Your Dog’s Intestinal Tract
Your intestinal tract is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the anus. The gut contains tens of thousands of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, with bacteria being the most prominent inhabitants. These microorganisms are closely linked to your dog’s health, affecting nutrient absorption, immune function, and the ability to fight pathogens.
When dogs have a good gut (a balanced gut microflora), their digestive system works properly. Gut microbes help your dog break down some of the complex carbohydrates that are difficult to digest, such as cellulose, converting them into absorbable short-chain fatty acids that provide an additional source of energy.
In addition to breaking down food, they are also able to inhibit the proliferation of harmful bacteria and fight off invading pathogens. So, dogs feel good and generally healthy when they are in good health.
What are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are a class of drugs that inhibit or kill bacterial growth. They have become a standard treatment in the veterinary industry. They are like precision warriors trying to rid the animal’s body of pathogenic bacteria.
Antibiotics need to be used carefully and wisely. Antibiotics are often required, but more often, they are not. Antibiotics kill both beneficial and harmful bacteria in your dog’s intestinal tract, leading to an imbalance in the microflora in your dog’s gut, and they also lead to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is a severe and dangerous problem. It means that otherwise effective medications gradually become ineffective, and treatment options become increasingly limited. The more antibiotics we give our dogs, the faster bacteria become immune. This can lead to ‘superbugs’ that are resistant to almost all drugs.
This is another crucial reason to use antibiotics only when necessary. Antibiotics should only be considered when a bacterial infection has been diagnosed and the infection is regarded as a substantial threat to the dog’s health. For example, blindly treating an adult dog with antibiotics in the face of a briefcase of mild diarrhea that lasts no more than a day is likely to do more harm than good. Instead of helping the condition, it may disrupt its natural recovery process and the steady state of the gut microflora.
Common Antibiotics for Dogs
If you need to check if the medicine your doctor has prescribed you is an antibiotic, double-check the medication. Below are some antibiotics commonly used in dogs:
Penicillin: This antibiotic has a long history and is widely used to treat various bacterial infections. Common ones include amoxicillin and ampicillin, commonly used for respiratory, urinary tract, and skin infections.
Cephalosporin: A derivative of penicillin, cephalosporin has a wider antibacterial spectrum and better tolerability. Examples include cefradine and ceftriaxone, which are commonly used to treat ear infections, skin infections, and certain types of respiratory tract infections.
Fluoroquinolones: These drugs, such as enrofloxacin and dafloxacin, have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and are commonly used to treat urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, and skin infections. However, it should be noted that fluoroquinolones may affect bone development in young, growing large-breed dogs and should be used cautiously.
Tetracyclines: such as Doxycycline and minocycline, inhibit a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and are indicated for skin infections and respiratory tract infections.
Macrolides, such as azithromycin and clarithromycin, are indicated for treating respiratory, skin, and soft tissue infections and are particularly effective against some pathogens resistant to other antibiotics.
The Role of Probiotics
When your dog is on antibiotics, probiotics appear as the guardians of the intestinal tract.
Probiotics are a class of active microorganisms that are beneficial to the host, and probiotic supplements for dogs usually contain a variety of probiotics that are best suited for dogs. They typically contain two forms of probiotic powder and probiotic tablets, and the probiotics will reach your dog’s body after your dog consumes them.
After the probiotics reach the dog’s intestinal tract, they rapidly multiply and occupy space, increasing the beneficial bacteria in the dog’s body. This improves the balance of your dog’s intestinal flora, which helps it digest and absorb food more efficiently and strengthens its immune system.
After your dog goes through antibiotic treatment, supplementing with probiotics at the right time can help rebuild the beneficial flora in the intestines, reduce the side effects of antibiotics, and speed up the body’s recovery. Best Probiotics for Dogs
Antibiotics and intestinal dysbiosis in dogs
Antibiotics in dogs can upset the balance of flora in the gut. Although antibiotics can kill harmful bacteria, this is a double-edged sword. Antibiotics are unable to distinguish between beneficial and harmful bacteria. This means that antibiotics also kill beneficial bacteria, which can cause the microflora in your dog’s gut to become unbalanced.
Most of a dog’s immune system is located in the gut, and poor gut health can lead to various ailments, including diarrhea, digestion, and nutrient malabsorption. Dogs can also experience weight loss, lethargy, and a lack of appetite, which can seriously affect their overall health.
A dog’s intestinal colonization balance usually takes about a month to recover after a single dose of antibiotics. There have not been any studies on long-term use in dogs, and it can take up to a month for a dog to recover from a single use. This can be very damaging to a dog if used long-term.
Does my dog need probiotics after antibiotics?
Hsviko recommends using probiotics designed for dogs during antibiotic treatment and recovery. Give the probiotic 2 hours after the antibiotic to avoid the antibiotic decreasing the probiotic’s activity. Give your dog probiotics for at least two weeks after the antibiotic course.
Numerous scientific studies and authorities support this practice. For example, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, probiotics during and after antibiotic treatment significantly reduced the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Additionally, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) recommends in its guidelines that probiotics be considered to maintain your pet’s intestinal health under certain circumstances, such as after antibiotic treatment.
Giving Dogs Probiotics With Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill harmful and beneficial bacteria in your dog’s body, while probiotics quickly replenish beneficial bacteria in your dog’s body.
Hsviko has designed a variety of probiotic supplements for dogs, including Probiotic Powder for Dogs and Probiotic Tablets. They are enriched with various probiotics and prebiotics, which promote the growth and activity of probiotics while inhibiting the reproduction of harmful bacteria.
You can then mix them into your dog’s food, whether a powder or a tablet, and they are straightforward to feed.
Not only do dogs on antibiotics need probiotics, but healthy dogs can also be fed probiotic supplements. If their diets do not contain enough probiotics, the intestines of healthy dogs, which usually include a high amount of probiotics, can also be supplemented by taking probiotics.
Conclusion
All in all, when our loyal buddies are treated with antibiotics for their illnesses, supplementing with probiotics at the right time is not only a way of caring for them but also a scientific way of caring for them. It helps them recover faster from the side effects of antibiotics and strengthens their body so that they are once again energized to be by our side. As pet owners, knowing and taking these steps is our silent but profound commitment to giving them the best care and protection in every moment of need.
Remember, before any supplemental treatment, talk to your veterinarian to ensure that every step taken is the best choice for your pet.
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