Results of Six Week Test With Dog Probiotics

We came, we saw, we dropped: Dropped as in Probonix droplets onto our dog’s food and Women’s Probonix probiotic into our daily regimen. If you are considering adding dog probiotics to your pup’s diet, here’s our results after a six-week trial run. We learned a lot, saw some interesting results, and the females of the family joined in the test.

 

What to Know About Dog Probiotics

Not all probiotics are created equal. I met the folks at Humarian, makers of Probonix, at a pet bloggers conference in April. After talking to their team, trying the product myself, and asking a wag-zillion questions (because after all, my dog is going to ingest this stuff, so I need facts), I decided to give the Humarian line a try.

I kept reading all about CFUs in reference to probiotics. CFUs are colony forming units. You want them in the millions in a probiotic at a minimum. Probonix for Dogs has 45 BILLION (yes, billion) CFUs per bottle. High marks on CFUs to team Humarian for this.

For dog parents who are like me, you want facts and not just what a company says is true. At Humarian, they back their numbers up with solid fact and data. When I met the team in person, they told me that pets and people both prefer firm poops. I mean, who isn’t obsessed with that poop emoji guy? My dog mom friends and I talk poop often.

“How was Coco’s poop last night?”

“Good, a little soft, but formed. And Dex?”

“Oh, it’s good, firm and easy to pick up.”

It’s 2018. Poop talk is in.

So Probonix is good for digestive health since the digestive tract of dogs comprises about 70 percent of his immune system. Healthy gut = healthy dog. The body of a dog benefits from the good type of bacteria that the gut needs. A healthy gut means healthy bacteria lives there and that means invaders like bacteria are thwarted off.

What goes in must come out, and it starts with a dog’s mouth. I am all about brushing a dog’s teeth at least once a day. Probonix competes with both plaque on the teeth and bacteria that is nasty and lives in the mouth. Better oral care = happier, healthier dog.

Our Journey With Probonix

My dog had pancreatitis twice in 2017, as the result of steroids for an immune disease for which he is now in remission. I knew that I wanted to add something to his diet to help his digestive tract recover but I did not want to overwhelm his already delicate system. Meeting the gang at Humarian started a conversation wherein I told them all about my dog, Dexter.

I also let them know that I was willing to try the cherry or grape flavored version of their women’s probiotic. If you’ve read this blog for any period of time, you know that I won’t feed nor use anything on or in my dog that I would not use, eat, or try myself. Like mother, like son.

To start, I noted my dog’s weight, his coarse coat and how fluffy it was, and that he had moderate to high energy (more when exercising, walking, and playing ball). His stool was good, but I told the folks at Humarian that I’d be elated if his stool was a bit firmer.

At the 6-week mark, here’s the Dexter Probonix report card:

It is important to monitor your dog’s weight, the condition of his coat, his energy level, and the quality of his daily stool. The reason is that each dog reacts differently and you’ll want to journal the findings. I took photos of the poop, guys. I can’t remember everything, and for me, seeing is believing.

Dexter never turned his nose up at the food. I added six droplets to his dinner time meal each night. Since the formula is liver flavored, it’s a doggie dream come true “taste” wise. There is nothing medicinal about it. Yes, I tasted the dog version of Probonix. I always give an honest and accurate assessment of products we try.

What strains are in the pet version? Of course, I had to know, and if you want the details on the strains, click here.

The Moms Factor

My wife and I decided to start our Probonix journey with Dexter. Neither of us is a millennial and both of us agree that good gut health is super important. I can’t eat a bag of Doritos at 10 pm without middle-of-the-night repercussions. Our guts need to stay in good shape for overall physical health. I received two bottles of the Women’s Probonix in Cherry flavor. It also comes in grape.

Each of us just used the dropper provided to place eight droplets on our tongue each day with our breakfast. You may choose to put it in an unheated drink if you prefer. For us, everything is stable. Right after the conference we attended and where we met the Humarian team, both of us came down with pneumonia and bronchitis, aka post conference crud. We were not the only attendees to get sick.

We are both grateful for starting Probonix for Women because our doctor ordered some mighty strong antibiotics. All the women reading this know what antibiotics can do to a female’s system and it isn’t fun. I truly believe being on Probonix helped my wife and I keep the good bacteria in our gut while letting the antibiotics do their job of eradicating the nasties.

Overall Assessment After 6 Weeks of Probonix

We are both very happy women and feel good about using Probonix daily. You don’t need a ton of strains when picking a probiotic, and that’s another thing we like about this brand. Some strains are better for some health issues than others. We like the strains and appreciate the insights and peek behind the green curtain from Humarian. They are transparent and I grilled them on this line. I even did a podcast and shared my thoughts.

CLICK THIS: ===> FIDOSE OF REALITY HUMARIAN PODCAST

The Probonix line does not need to be refrigerated. In fact, I took it on vacation and several road trips over the past six weeks with ease.

The way you take a quality probiotic does not matter as much as knowing that 80 to 99 percent of traditional unprotected live probiotic cells will be killed off before reaching your intestine because of how acidic the human stomach is and the bile being released from the gallbladder. The same holds true dogs and people. The dosing of droplets is super convenient and we are seeing measurable results in our family.

Probiotics are not regulated by the FDA, and when I asked for data, research, feedback, and what other pet parents are finding with Probonix, I could not find anything for cause of concern. I did discover that probiotics may be given short term or long term. I will be using the Probonix for Dexter for a few months, then taking a few off to rest his gut, and then will start it back up. I do the same thing for my own vitamin and probiotic regimen. This is a personal preference. You may choose to be on the product long-term as well as for your dog.

Follow the label’s instructions and monitor your dog and your own changes, if any. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before starting any supplements to your dog’s diet.

Let’s Shop and Save Together

I loved hearing learning about this product, so I decided to become an affiliate. You can order from Humarian for probiotics for your dog and all members of the family.

Snag 20 percent off your purchase using my special code of FIDOSEOFREALITY

Let me know if you start using this line for yourself, your family, and/or your dog. I will be back with another segment of going inside the dog gut and why it’s so very important to keep a dog healthy from the inside out.

Remember, never add too many supplements to your dog’s regimen and always check with your dog’s vet to confirm there are no contraindications to anything new you add to your dog’s diet.

Your Turn

 

Have you ever tried a probiotic for your dog(s) or yourself? Bark at us below. We are listening!

Don’t furget: CLICK THIS: ===> FIDOSE OF REALITY HUMARIAN PODCAST