# Antibiotics and Probiotics



## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

This is Iris. She has just had a foxtail removed from her body and she is pretty miserable. She belongs to some friends of mine and she, along with her brother, Zeus, are used for guarding livestock. She is a genuine "farm dog" and lives with the sheep. 

She is on antibiotics and they are interested in the whole probiotic thing as well. What should they be giving her? How often? And what are the advantages to feeding probiotics during the antibiotic period?

Thanks, everyone.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

My vet recommended taking probiotics while one of my dogs was on flagyl for a bout of colitis; and I understand more and more vets are recommending it. It used to be thought that a probiotic would reduce the effectiveness of the meds, but now they say to just give it spaced apart by 3 hrs. I bought Jarrow Pet Dophilus - they make mostly human probiotics and are well thought of; but their pet version keys in on the correct strains for a dog's gut flora. Pet Dophilus

I gave the flagyl with breakfast and dinner. I gave the probiotic powder separately mid-day and later in the evening by shaking some on a bit of food like a mushy banana piece. Now that my dog is no longer on the flagyl, I give half the daily dose with breakfast and the other half with dinner. 

I hope Iris improves quickly. She can't be feeling too good at the moment.


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## imthemonkey (Aug 8, 2011)

Mercola has the best pet probiotics i have seen so far: Pet Probiotics | Probiotics for Dogs & Cats - Mercola.com It has 14 different strains, most of them have like 3-7.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

PDXdogmom said:


> I hope Iris improves quickly. She can't be feeling too good at the moment.


From what I hear, she is one miserable pup. They thought it was a cancerous tumor at first until they opened it up and a foxtail popped out.

Her family cares about her though and when I suggested the probiotics to their daughter before I came here to ask for more info, she immediately told her parents what I had said.


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## dustinshaw98 (Feb 22, 2012)

Aaaaw, I'm so sorry about your pet. Dogs hate cones....


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## ShanniBella (Jul 1, 2011)

There are advantages to using pre and probiotics in general but even more needed while on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill all the bad bacteria as well as all the good so probiotics will help keep some what of a balance. Antibiotics also lower and weaken the immune system so I think it's a must to replace whats being eliminated.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

imthemonkey said:


> Mercola has the best pet probiotics i have seen so far: Pet Probiotics | Probiotics for Dogs & Cats - Mercola.com It has 14 different strains, most of them have like 3-7.


I went on line to read about this product. I don't see that there is any complete ingredient list. Is there inulin in the product? Also, what are the "other ingredients" beyond the probiotics? - that small list that all products have but which sometimes make me not choose them depending what they are.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

The last time I gave Snorkels antibiotics i also gave her probiotics. Of course, it was a bad probiotic - fortiflora - who knows if it helped or not. She felt like crap for 2-3 weeks so i don't know if it was the antibiotic or the probiotic that did it.

hard to believe a foxtail could do that. Ouch and ouch. Those things are nasty, especially for dogs with thick coats.


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## imthemonkey (Aug 8, 2011)

PDXdogmom said:


> I went on line to read about this product. I don't see that there is any complete ingredient list. Is there inulin in the product? Also, what are the "other ingredients" beyond the probiotics? - that small list that all products have but which sometimes make me not choose them depending what they are.


Other Ingredients: Cullulose, Silica

The label link is at the bottom of the product page (annoying) but here it is
http://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/product-labels/Pet-Probiotics-web.pdf


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

Thanks - I don't think I would have found that without your link.


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