What Is The Strangest Thing Your Lab Has Ever Eaten?

I’ve heard of some pretty strange things that labs have managed to eat – socks, rocks, even drywall. One man reported building a dog house for his lab and within a week, his dog had chewed through the roof and one of the walls! Of course, none of this really belongs in a dog’s stomach and they are much better off sticking to food meant to be eaten by dogs. Whether you have the drywall-eating type of lab, or the kind who never touches anything they shouldn’t, stomach health is important.

You may find from time to time your fur kid gets diarrhea, or isn’t quite as regular as they could be. These are both signs that the bacteria in their intestines may be out of whack. Personally, my dogs have usually been on a pretty regular potty schedule. Like clockwork, I know when I need to come with a poo bag in hand and when it’s just a tinkle break. So for me, it is very noticeable when one of my dogs is “off.”

So what causes a dog’s poo to be “off?”

A number of different things can cause your dog to get out of whack when it’s potty time. Stress, old age, infection, a change of diet (or eating something they aren’t meant to eat), even some medications can give your fur kid tummy troubles. Of course, if your fur kid has eaten something completely inedible, it’s best to check with your vet first to make sure they will be okay. With any obstruction issues ruled out, one of the most common culprits for diarrhea, intestinal infections, and irregular stool is harmful bacteria in the intestines. This harmful bacteria can also cause bad breath, gas, bloating, constipation, yeast infection, malabsorption and vomiting. This bacteria can be triggered by a number of different things, but the treatment for bad bacteria in the intestines all goes back to probiotics.

What are probiotics?

According to Whole Dog Journal, “Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive tract. There are a variety of different species belonging to genera that include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus (often abbreviated by first initial only in names). Some species, such as Lactobacillus, live primarily in the small intestine, while others, such as Bifidobactera, reside in the large intestine (colon).” Basically, their job is to fight the bacteria that can cause diarrhea and irregular bowl movements to keep the gut healthy and help support the immune system.

Additionally, probiotics help guard the body against disease and infection. They help promote absorption of vital nutrients by providing natural digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. They also provide support for dogs experiencing allergy, skin and coat conditions, hot spots, or urinary tract infections so all in all, probiotics are a great support to just about any dog’s immune system.

What about yogurt?

As much as we humans hear about yogurt and it’s ability to promote regularity in humans, many people are tempted to give it to their dogs in hopes of achieving the same result but yogurt just doesn’t do the same thing for dogs as it does for humans. In fact, azvets.com advises, “Yogurts (especially the “diet” kind) may contain an artificial sweetener called xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Full-fat and 2% fat yogurts may predispose your pup to pancreatitis and stomach upset. Also, the levels of helpful probiotic bacteria in yogurt are not high enough to be beneficial to dogs. It is best to stick to a supplement that contains very high levels of bacteria.” So when it comes to yogurt, you’re better off not sharing with your fur kid as it either doesn’t contain enough probiotic bacteria to have a benefit, or it could cause bigger issues of it contains xylitol. Instead, vets recommend you get a probiotic especially designed for a dog’s gut.

How do you know which one to get?

There are a bunch of probiotics on the market but the key to picking a good one is starting with organic and natural ingredients. When we are talking about the gut, it’s always best to go natural and organic whenever possible to get the purest form of support.

Next up, look for a probiotic made in the USA. You have have heard in recent years about the dogs who have died as a result of food, treats, etc. made in China. When it comes to anything your dog is meant to ingest, it’s always best to play it safe and stick to only feeding things made in the USA so you have a better idea of how exactly it has been treated.

It’s also important to look for a probiotic with a FDA inspected manufacturer so again, you know there is regulation to ensure all the ingredients are treated properly and the ingredients listed are truly what’s inside.

Next up, look for a probiotic with a balanced mix of Acidophilus, Plantarum, Casei, Lactis, Bifidum, and Fermentum for maximum benefit. This mix is what does the “heavy lifting” to help keep the intestines healthy and running smoothly.

You also want to look for probiotics that include nucleotides with PSB complex enzymes. According to psbcomplex.com, “Nucleotides play a critical role in the body in that they accelerate the cell proliferation process (the reproduction of cells). The production of new cells allows an animal to recover much quicker from the type of stress it is under (performance, illness, disease, injury, etc.).” This makes PSB complex enzymes a great addition to any probiotic.

Last but not least, look for a probiotic with kona berry included as kona helps provide the highest levels of free radical and inflammation prevention so this will help all the other ingredients run on all cylinders.

It can be tricky to find a probiotic that has the right balance of all these ingredients, but this one from Feed A Shelter Dog is my personal favorite. It checks all the boxes. It’s made with natural and organic ingredients in the USA, uses a FDA inspected manufacturer, and has the right balance of all the right ingredients resulting in a powerful probiotic. Plus, each purchase also provides 30 days of food for a shelter dog so it’s a win for your dog’s gut, and a win for a shelter dog waiting for their forever home. Get these probiotics here.

Questions? Comments? Comment below!