Pro- and pre-biotics for dog

Does anyone have any recommendations for a pro-/pre-biotic that is not overly expensive? My dog seems to have a pretty sensitive nature and can vomit or not eat, and the vet just thinks she has a sensitive tummy. I’m wondering if a supplement will help her. She’s a year-and-a-half-old Malinois.

Here is a pic of the culprit. :slight_smile:

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I love the Probiotic 8 by Omega Alpha. It has greats strains in it and I’ve always been happy with them. I purchase mine on Amazon

What does “not overly expensive” mean?

FortiFlora is fantastic, and there are some other brands that are similar

Have you tried to see if this is a good allergy issue?

Sweet potato or canned pumpkin (100% pure, not a pie mix) or actual pumpkin meat (when in season) is also great for sensitive stomachs

What does she eat now?

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I would be very careful if using Purina FortiFlora. You probably won’t since it’s expensive and prescription only, but I tried it per my vet. Gave my girl instant diarhhea and I only used a half dose packet. I waited a few weeks and tried it again, using 1/4 of the dose and same result. I went online and read MANY reviews that this happened. Threw away the $35/mo. product. I’ll feed one TB of pumpkin puree or psyllium husks.

It’s OTC, I get it all the time (cat too)

Not single product is going to agree with every single animal (or human).

I don’t go by the majority of reviews online, as voluntary reports tend to be either overly good, or overly bad. I’d bet most people who use things like this don’t go reporting how well it worked, but they’re VERY happy to report how poorly it affected their animal

Amazon has 83% 5-star reviews
Chewy has 89% 5-star reviews
PetCo has 84% 5-star reviews

Clearly it works for 1000s and 1000s of dogs

Not all GI issues are a biotic issue, so adding something like this, for that, could potentially make things worse or, more likely, just not help. More, is not always better

Bentonite clay is also something that could be tried. I wouldn’t use it long-term, but if it stopped the problem, it could be a useful diagnostic

Have you tried pepcid?

I pull it out for any inappetence and it works great. A lot of these “sensitive” critters have a real actually pathology that can be corrected, and they feel (and eat) a lot better if it’s addressed.

No, but my vet did say to try famotidine, which we do use.

JB, I don’t really have a definition of “too expensive”, but rather a sort of, I’ll know it when I see it. Sorry that’s probably not at all helpful.

Thank you all for the comments. I appreciate it.

Pepcid = famotidine :slight_smile:

I understand the cost deal, sometimes you can’t quantify it until you see it :slight_smile:

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Oh, duh. Can you tell I’ve been on vacation? My brain is off, haha. I mix up my generic heartburn drugs – there are too many. :yum: Thanks, again.

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I have had good results with the Purina ProPlan Fortiflora powder. Now, caveat, we also switched our girl to ProPlan Sensitive Skin & Stomach kibble at the same time and we have never turned back. That combo works for the old girl. At the time of the switch we were going through extensive vet work for 5+ weeks of diarrhea and/or vomiting.

Cost: its ~$30 for a 30-day supply via Chewy, so about a dollar a day. We sprinkle it over her kibble with a little warm water to make it stick. We call it her ‘special gravy’.

(At this point I should either buy stock in Purina or get a Purinia sponsorship to maintain the lifestyle my dog, cat and horse are accustom to. :roll_eyes:)

ETA: No prescription needed for Fortiflora

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@JB Other posters have recommended famotidine for a …now…different issue my old dog has. Do you know the dosage of human pepcid if I wanted to give it a trial…say for a 55lb Carolina Ditch Dog?

“Famotidine Dogs: 0.5–1 mg/kg, PO or IV, q 24 h”

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/antiulcerative-drugs

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There’s a really nice chart here:

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Does it help?

Sometimes it’s worth bumping up to omeprazole if pepcid isn’t cutting it. Might be worth a shot.

I use Fortiflora for my coonhound who seems to have a sensitive stomach. I also gave it to my elderly bloodhound when she was taking doxycycline and prednisone as those tend to be hard on the stomach. I have continued her on it as it’s supposed to be an appetite stimulant. The coonhound is not eating grass or exhibiting pica any more and his stool is firmer.

I have no suggestions for pre/pro biotics, but I wanted to stay,

HOLY COW INTENSITY! I can feel her viberate though the photos!

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I feed Pet Lab Co probiotics but the cheapest option is plain yogurt.

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I’ve been using Proviable on my vet’s recommendation with my sensitive tummy GSD, who also had the tendency to go on hunger strikes, vomit bile, and occasionally have diarrhea. But what really helped getting her eating (after a diagnosis of chronic, antibiotic-responsive diarrhea once she turned 8) was switching to a veterinary diet. Being a GSD, we weren’t surprised with the diagnosis of gastrointestinal issues, but wish vets earlier would’ve suggested the veterinary diet when she’d go on hunger strikes regularly.

Science Diet I/D had brought her so much comfort, and she has a ferocious appetite now. I still supplement with Proviable, and now Cosequin and fish oil for her joints. My current vet thinks that all along she had an upset tummy.

I’d keep this in mind - it may be worth food trialing a veterinary diet before chasing supplements. I don’t know if Malinois are disposed to gastrointestinal issues like GSD’s, but it makes me suspicious that a hard working dog isn’t readily eating.

She is quite energetic! :grin:

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Thanks, all. You’ve all given me things to think about. Our previous malinois what not nearly as sensitive. Now, Juju (current) will eat all her meals for a week – then not eat. Or eat the vomit. There are days she begs to go outside and then immediately eats grass. Not every day, but enough to make you wonder what’s up. We’ve been working with our vet. I do have trouble with a lot of foods in that they need to be high calorie (see photos :)). Most are in the 375 calorie/cup range, and that’s not enough for her. She’s currently on Native 4 food. I can’t just double the food of the lower-calorie kind because she only has so much belly space and appetite. She was on Canadae salmon and barley at 525 kcal/cup, but it’s getting harder and harder to find. We can still ship it in.