Hi
I am new here and enjoying reading all the posts. There seem to be a few nutritional experts on here so I would like to pick your brains.

I can understand the role of bacteria in the rumen of ruminants and in the colon of horses,and pigs. These animals are mainly vegetarian but what role do bacteria play in digestion of the dog. I feed my dogs a raw diet and I believe they are at low risk of salmonella or campylobacter because of the strong acid in their stomachs and the protease enzymes in the stomach and intestine. Therefore why are probiotic supplements not also killed?
I was just wondering what the benefit really is in dogs or if it was an extention from human medicine.

thanks
helen

LOL

We also have hydrochloric acid in our own stomachs, only reason it doesn't harm us is that we produce a mucous coating on the lining of our stomach, if this is disrupted we quickly get ulcers.  Interestingly Helicobacter pylori appears unaffected by stomach acid, so possibly beneficial bacteria are capable of surviving too.

Hi thanks Dill,
I have read somewhere that wolves do not need any bacteria in their gut so I wondered what the benefit of probiotics were in dogs. It is not important I just wondered why people advise them so often.
Helen

Hi Shevock,

Unfortunately (for dogs ;) ) modern canines do not eat the same diet as wolves, unless they are very lucky to be fed raw meat and vegetables/fruit.  The modern canine diet usually consists of commercial dog foods, most of which are very high in cereals (wheat, barley, oats, rice) and fairly low in meat, even the highest quality dog foods have only around 30% meat and the lower quality ones can have considerably less.  As the carbohydrate content of cereal requires different digestion to meat it has been found that probiotics have been useful in keeping digestive processes 'normal'

Dill

Thanks Dill
That does make sense. I prefer to feed my dogs a raw diet and try to avoid cereals as much as possible

the guts of all animals are populated by intestinal flora/bacteria the balance of which changes from day to day according to diet and from individual to individual.

Imbalance can be caused by unwanted bacteria, infections, inappropriate foods, stress and antibiotics etc etc etc.

Also age can have an effect on the efficacy of the digestive system and there are those with leaky gut syndrome, SIBO, colitis, cushings disease etc etc

Probiotics may indeed by killed by the stomach acids hence when using them microencapsulated forms are recommended but their addition to the diet where dogs are fed commercial foods (over 50% cereal), on ABs, have digestive or metabolic disorders can only aid digestion including those on a raw diet occasionally.

Probiotics and prebiotics are beneficial to all animals.