Benefits of probiotics for dogs. And how long does it take for probiotics to work in dogs?

Pets Can Smile – 19 May 2024

Your dog may sometimes suffer from diarrhea, anxiety, pain, digestive issues, and more. 

Luckily, you can help your poor doggy – with probiotics!  

• But what are the exact benefits of probiotics for dogs?
• And how long does it take for probiotics to work in dogs? 

The short answer is that it takes between 4 to 7 days for probiotics to work in dogs. 

But for probiotics to be effective, you need to know what you’re doing. It’s critical. 

You need to know:

• Signs your dog needs probiotics
• Probiotic dosage for your dog
• How to give your doggy probiotics 

But there is more!

You also need to know:

• How long it takes for probiotics to work for your dog specifically
• What to consider when buying probiotics for your dog
• Are there any risks or side effects?

Let’s do this. 

Let’s improve your dog’s health and happiness!

What are probiotics for dogs?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) that live in your dog’s gut. 

Unfortunately, not all microorganisms living in your dog’s body are good for your dog. Some may even seriously harm your dog.  

Luckily, you can give your pup probiotic supplements, which will increase the number of beneficial microorganisms in your dog’s body. 

A probiotic supplement will join the probiotics already existing in your dog’s system. 

This will increase the number of beneficial microorganisms and decrease the number of harmful microorganisms. 

This will greatly reduce the risk of infections, gastrointestinal problems, and other health issues. 

Probiotic supplements will also alleviate the existing health problems (more on this later). 

So, how long does it take for probiotics to work in dogs?

In general, your dog should get better within 4 to 7 days of ingesting probiotics. 

For example, constipation or irritable bowel should decrease in severity within a few days.

But some conditions will take longer to resolve or improve. 

For immune health, your dog should experience a positive impact within 4 weeks.

For anxiety, your dog should get better within 6 weeks. 

It’s worth noting that probiotics may start working a few days later than usual if your dog suffers from a chronic or severe health condition.

And remember that patience is key. So stick with a daily dose of probiotics for at least 2 months. 

Make sure to contact your vet if you don’t notice any improvements or if symptoms worsen.

Signs your dog needs probiotics

Your dog may need probiotics in the following cases. 

Recovering from illness

Dog gut health can be negatively affected after illness. 

For example, your dog may need to rebuild its gut microbiome following an infection (viral, bacteria, fungi, or parasitic).  

Changes in the diet or certain allergens can also disrupt your dog’s gut health. 

Taking antibiotics

Your dog may need to take antibiotics to fight a bacterial infection. 

Antibiotics will kill bad bacteria in your dog’s body.   

Unfortunately, antibiotics will kill both bad and good bacteria. 

This means that antibiotics may significantly reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome.

This may cause a significant bacterial imbalance in your dog’s gut and lead to health issues.  

Diarrhea

Consider probiotics if your dog is prone to developing diarrhea. 

As I mentioned earlier, my German Shepherd (Max) used to get diarrhea in stressful situations. 

After talking to my vet, I started giving my pup probiotics a few days before going to crowded places or attending any potentially stressful events. 

Great news, my German Shepherd no longer gets diarrhea before, during, or after stressful events. 

Probiotics also helped my dog with anxiety. Max no longer barks, jumps, and spins in stressful situations. 

My dog is also in a better mood most of the time!

By the way, I also have a Doberman puppy. 

Like many other puppies, my Doberman gets diarrhea after training classes or visits to the vet.

And guess what? 

Yes, I started adding probiotics to my Doberman puppy’s diet too (after talking to my vet). 

And yes, my puppy no longer gets diarrhea after training classes. 

Although my puppy still hates my vet (but that’s another story).   

Gassy & stinky

Can your dog clear a room with flatulence? 

If so, probiotics should help. 

Probiotics will help restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in your dog’s gut. This will help reduce gas and the offensive odour (stinky farts).

Constipation

Gut problems can also make your dog’s constipation worse. 

Probiotics should decrease the constipation severity within a few days.

Anxiety

If your dog is barking, jumping, and spinning in stressful situations, probiotics will help calm down your dog. 

Probiotics can also improve your dog’s mood!

Digestive upset & bloating

Probiotics can also help reduce symptoms of indigestion and bloating in dogs.

Give it a try. 

Probiotics helped my German Shepherd with indigestion. 

Bacterial and viral infections

Yes, probiotics can also help dogs with bacterial or viral infections. 

And yes, you can give your doggy probiotics while your dog is taking antibiotics (more on this later). 

What to consider whey buying probiotics for your dog?

When you’re shopping for a probiotic for your dog, consider the following:

• Probiotic type (strain) – more on this later
• The number of microorganisms in a probiotic (more on this later)
• Taste
• How the probiotics are administered (powders, capsules, or chews)
• The specific function you want to support (e.g. boost the immune system)
• The specific health issue you want to address

How to give your dog probiotics – personal experience

As I mentioned earlier, my dog (German Shepherd) used to get diarrhea in stressful situations. 

So I started adding probiotics to my dog’s diet (after talking to my vet). 

The vet also recommended very specific steps for introducing my dog to probiotics. 

Here are the steps I followed for my dog. 

Introduction

In the first week of giving your pup probiotics, you may notice cleansing or detoxifying symptoms, such as increase in gas or changes in stool. 

In fact, a little increase in gas is a good thing! It means that probiotics are working. 

Still, if your dog develops diarrhea, water stools, or starts vomiting, you may be feeding your dog a wrong strain of probiotics (or a wrong dosage). 

If you think it’s the wrong dosage, cut the recommended dosage to half (or even quarter), then increase the amount slowly over the next 7 to 10 days. 

Observation

In week 2 of taking probiotics, your dog’s colon and digestive tract are still in the balancing process – various toxins and bad bacteria are still being purged. 

In this phase, some dogs may experience softer stool.

Softer stools are fine, so continue with the same dosage as in week 1. 

Again, if your dog develops diarrhea, water stools, or starts vomiting, make sure you’re feeding your dog the right type of probiotics and at the correct dosage.  

Getting into a routine

By week 3, your dog’s system should start settling down after the introduction of probiotics in week 1. 

So keep the probiotics dosage steady. 

Seeing improvements 

Many dogs will experience improvements in the first couple of weeks of ingesting probiotics, especially if digestive enzymes are included.

But by week 4 or 5, problems like diarrhea, loose stool, and excessive gas will likely be gone. 

I can confirm that by week 4, I noticed that even some mild skin issues that my dog was suffering from were starting to clear up. 

Fortified & balanced

By week 6 to 8, most dogs will show clear benefits of taking probiotics. 

This will manifest, for example, as an improved digestive health as well as healthier skin and coat. 

Flourishing

By week 9, your dog’s digestive and immune systems have been improved and fortified. 

Any allergies and itching should be greatly minimized – or even completely gone! 

So continue giving your doggy probiotics to ensure continuous benefits. 

Probiotic dosage for dogs

So, what’s the right probiotic dosage for your dog? 

In other words, how many CFUs per scoop should you give your dog? 

CFU means colony forming units.  

The number of microorganisms in a probiotic is measured in billions of CFUs.  

The greater the CFUs, the more of a particular organism there is in a given probiotic.

Vets recommend introducing a dog to probiotics by under-dosing first to allow a dog’s system to adjust to probiotics. 

After your dog’s system has adapted to probiotics, you can increase the dose to the recommended by the manufacturer’s daily amount. 

The correct dose of probiotics will largely depend on the specific health issue you want to address for your dog.  

A lower CFU count (between 1-3 billion CFUs) should be enough for the daily ingestion of probiotics to maintain digestive and immune health.

A higher CFU count (between 4-10 billion CFUs) is recommended for more severe health issues, such as inflammatory bowel disease, post-antibiotic treatment, or food allergies. 

What types of probiotics should I give my dog?

Every type of a probiotic supplement offers different health benefits to dogs.  

This is why you need to choose the right probiotic type (strain) for your dog. 

This will depend on: 

• The specific function you want to support (e.g. boost the immune system)
• The specific health issue you want to address

Here are the most common types of probiotics you can give to your dog. 

Bacillus coagulans

Bacillus coagulans is a very effective probiotic strain against several types of infectious diarrhea.

Bacillus coagulans can also support a dog with: 

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Inflammation of the colon and large intestine (Clostridium difficile)

It’s worth noting that Bacillus coagulans has been approved by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and by the EU for over ten years. 

Enterococcus faecium

Enterococcus faecium can provide the following benefits:  

• Promotes higher levels of anti-inflammatory bacteria
• Inhibitory effects against Salmonella and other pathogens
• Can stop and even prevent diarrhea
• Improves microfloral balance in dogs affected by stress

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilus can protect your dog against:  

• Stomach pain
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni (foodborne pathogen)
• Bacterial disease causing cramping

Lactobacillus acidophilus can also provide these benefits: 

• Antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Prevents antibiotic-induced diarrhea
• Supports weight gain and growth in puppies
• Helps reduce cholesterol levels

Lactobacillus rhamnosus, fermentum, reuteri, and salivariu

These probiotic strains can prevent or reduce intestinal infections in dogs.

Bifidobacterium animalis AHC7

This probiotic strain can help with the following:

• Heal intense inflammation
• Resolves idiopathic canine diarrhea
• Improves gastrointestinal health
• Increases the number of good bacteria
• Protects against Salmonella infection

Soil-based probiotics for dogs

According to many vets, the best probiotics for dogs are soil-based probiotics, also known as spore-forming probiotics.  

This is because soil-based probiotics can survive harsh conditions, such as: 

• High temperatures (during dog food production)
• Acidic environments (in the dog’s system)

A great advantage of soil-based probiotics is that they are vegan. This eliminates allergy concerns. 

Here are the most common soil-based probiotics for dogs: 

• Bacillus coagulans
• Bacillus subtilis
• Bacillus indicus

Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis can help reduce antibiotic-induced dysbosis (yucky tummy due to antibiotics). 

Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis also provide digestive support in dogs. 

And yes, both Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis are tough enough to actually make it through your dog’s harsh stomach acids and will easily grow and thrive in the intestines. 

Did you know? Bacillus has been used to ferment human foods for hundreds of years. 

Dog probiotics benefits

Here are the main health benefits of probiotics. 

• Strengthen the immune system
• Create an inhospitable environment for bad bacteria
• Balance out good and bad bacteria (increase beneficial bacteria and decrease harmful bacteria)
• Reduce anxiety (less barking, jumping, and spinning in stressful situations)
• Boost mood
• Reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease
• Support digestive health
• Stimulate appetite and growth in puppies
• Improve absorption of vitamins and minerals
• Enhance metabolism
• Prevent or reduce diarrhea
• Prevent antibiotic-induced diarrhea
• Support dogs with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Help reduce cholesterol levels
• Prevent or reduce stomach pain and fever
• Stabilize upset stomach
• Reduce pain and swelling
• Increase protection against Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni
• Increase protection against bacterial and viral infections
• Strengthen the mucosal barrier in the gut
• Help with the removal of toxins

Here are some of the most common conditions in dogs that can be prevented or reduced with probiotics:  

• Allergies
• Anxiety
• Bad breath
• Stinky farts
• Skin disorders
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Diarrhea
• Immune disorders
• Intestinal inflammation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Chronic GI issues
• Liver disease
• Obesity
• Gas
• Bloating
• Bacterial and viral infections

Are there any side effects of probiotics?

With the correct dosage and monitoring, your dog shouldn’t suffer any serious side effects after taking probiotics. 

Still, here are some of the most common side effects of probiotics in dogs. 

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Infection
• Inflammation
• Digestive discomfort
• Bloating and gas

If you notice any significant side effects after giving your pup probiotics, stop giving your doggy probiotics and consult your vet.

This is how probiotics work for dogs

Probiotics work by balancing out good and bad bacteria. 

In other words, probiotics increase the number of beneficial bacteria and decrease the number of harmful bacteria. 

Here’s how probiotics work for dogs in more detail. 

Competitive exclusion

Probiotics compete with bad (harmful) bacteria for nutrients in your dog’s body. Probiotics also compete with bad bacteria for attachment sites on the intestinal lining. 

This competition helps prevent the colonization and growth of bad (pathogenic) bacteria. 

This reduces the risk of infections and gastrointestinal issues. 

Production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)

Probiotics (good bacteria) also break down dietary fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). 

This is great because SCFAs function as an energy source for the cells that are lining the intestinal wall. 

SCFAs also help maintain the intestinal barrier function. This prevents harmful substances and pathogens from entering your dog’s bloodstream.

Modulation of immune function

Probiotics also interact with the dog’s immune system. This enhances immune responses against bad bacteria and other harmful pathogens. 

Probiotics can also help regulate inflammatory responses. This can greatly reduce the risk of chronic inflammation and associated health problems.

Support of digestive processes

Probiotics also assist in breaking down (and fermenting) complex carbohydrates. 

This makes it easier for dogs to absorb and utilize key nutrients. 

It also helps reduce symptoms of indigestion, gas, and bloating.

Restoration of gut flora balance

Probiotics can also help restore the balance of gut flora after significant disruptions caused by things such as stress, antibiotics, or dietary changes. 

Furthermore, by reestablishing a healthy microbial balance, probiotics support healthy digestion, nutrient absorption, and gut health.

Dog probiotics while on antibiotics

Yes, you can give your pup probiotics while your dog is taking antibiotics. 

In fact, it’s recommended. 

This is because giving your doggy probiotics will help reduce the possible side effects of taking antibiotics.

As you may already know, antibiotics kill bacteria (or stop bacteria from reproducing). 

Unfortunately, antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria.  

This may significantly upset the number of good bacteria in the gut microbiome.

Giving your furry friend probiotics will repopulate the beneficial bacteria that have been killed by the antibiotics. This will restore and maintain the number of beneficial bacteria.  

Probiotics vs prebiotics

Both probiotics and prebiotics support a healthy gut microbiome. 

But they work in different ways. 

Probiotics introduce good bacteria directly into your dog’s digestive system. 

Prebiotics, on the other hand, provide nourishment to support the growth of the existing beneficial bacteria. 

In other words, prebiotics support (feed) probiotics. 

More specifically, prebiotics are a type of fiber that nourishes and promotes the development of good bacteria (probiotics).

Handling and storing dog probiotics

The correct handling and storage of probiotics for dogs is essential. 

This is because improper handling or storage may render probiotics ineffective.

So follow these guidelines to ensure your probiotics remain effective. 

Keep your probiotics in the original packaging or bottle. The original packaging has been designed to protect living bacteria. Moving probiotics to a plastic bag or glass jar may kill the bacteria and reduce the effectiveness of probiotics. 

But also:

• Store your probiotics in a cool and dry place
• Make sure your probiotics are tightly sealed
• Don’t open your probiotics until you’re ready to use them
• Discard expired probiotics
• Some probiotics may need to be refrigerated (check the label for more info on this)
• Never store your probiotics in a medicine cabinet located in a bathroom where you shower (heat and humidity will kill the bacteria in probiotics).

Conclusion

You may need to give your dog probiotics.

This is because probiotics can help prevent (or reduce) diarrhea, anxiety, pain, digestive issues, and more. 

But how long does it take for probiotics to work in dogs? 

The short answer is that it takes between 4 to 7 days for probiotics to work in dogs. 

But for probiotics to be effective, you need to know what you’re doing. It’s critical. 

This is why this article told you everything you need to know about:

• Signs your dog needs probiotics
• What to consider when buying probiotics for your dog
• Are there any risks or side effects?
• And more! 

Our team wishes your dog good health and appetite!