I don’t know when probiotics suddenly became popular. Not only are people eating them, they are also popular in the pet industry. Nutritional tablets, tooth cleaning powder, pet yogurt, cheese paste, whether it is the health product section of a certain store or the dry goods recommendation copy of a certain book, you can see that probiotics have made their C-level debut! As long as the product contains the three words "probiotics" With just one word, the shit shoveling officials will join the grass planting list like crazy. Probiotics, which seem to be a cure-all, are really the more the merrier?

Take a certain gastrointestinal product that we can easily search on the Internet. Its soft ingredients mainly revolve around more than 20 billion total bacteria and added lactobacilli and yeasts, which can effectively control diarrhea, diarrhea, and bad breath. Recommended for long-term consumption, etc. However, the test results show that the number of bacteria is only over 1 billion, and no lactobacilli and yeasts are added! Therefore, long-term consumption of this type of product can easily cause "bacterial imbalance" for pets.

Image of intestinal flora

In addition to certain pets, the keyword "prebiotic" can also be seen in the product details of many probiotic products. What are the differences between them? Let us first briefly understand them.

What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?

There are billions of bacteria in your pet's digestive system to keep their stomach healthy. Probiotics refer to these microorganisms (bacteria and yeast) that are beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract of pets. They can help digest food, resist potential pathogens, produce nutritional vitamins, and increase the immune system. Many probiotics are now available as supplements for pets in many forms, such as powders, capsules, tablets, liquids or sprays.

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that can stimulate and promote the growth and activity of healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are the most common type of prebiotics. Oligosaccharides, arabinogalactans and lactulose are also known as prebiotics. Legumes, fruits, grains and vegetables are all great sources of prebiotics.

In general, probiotics are good bacteria, and prebiotics play a great role as a booster.

Is it necessary to take probiotics for a long time?

Although there are no reports of side effects of taking probiotics, can probiotics really cure all diseases? I believe that many parents will use probiotics for cats when they are constipated. In fact, there are many clinical cases of pet constipation at home and abroad. In the diagnosis, there is no solution for probiotics to treat constipation.

And some probiotics contain pancreatic enzymes, and cats will secrete digestive enzymes themselves. Therefore, if a healthy cat consumes this type of probiotics for a long time, it will easilyEasy to become dependent!

When is it appropriate to use probiotics?

·Inflammation and impaired intestinal motility

This kind of situation is usually accompanied by diarrhea, which is mainly caused by bacterial flora disorder. Probiotics can help maintain the balance of the intestines and improve the diarrhea symptoms of cats. However, the main treatment method should be to prescribe the right medicine, and probiotics can only be used as an auxiliary. use.

· Vomiting caused by hair balls

Cats that vomit hairballs more than twice a month are suffering from hypotension, also known as chronic hairballs. Probiotics can restore improved intestinal bacterial motility. Although probiotics are important, they are not a panacea. We also need to help them solve their symptoms by improving our daily eating habits.

·Chronic gastrointestinal diseases

Probiotics are ideal for cats with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, neoplasia or food allergies.

How to choose probiotics correctly?

· Ensure channel security

First of all, we must ensure that the probiotics meet national standards. Secondly, we must check whether the additional additives are safe. For example, many probiotics contain some allergenic substances. If a cat who is allergic to such substances eats probiotics, it will be equal to no harm. It's useless.

· Choose the right format

Choose dry powder as a probiotic supplement. Compared to liquids, tablets, pastes or snack products, powder is the most stable form. A scoop of powder contains more natural probiotics than any other supplement form. Storage under appropriate conditions can also better maintain activity. Generally speaking, good strains include Bifidobacterium, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, yeast, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Clostridium butyricum, and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

· Avoid too many strains

Bacteria are active. When they are attached to the intestines, they will compete with each other to dominate the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in order to allow them to live together more harmoniously, it is recommended to choose less than 6 types of probiotics to ensure that five valuable species will not be diluted by others. Choosing a probiotic formula that is too complex may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in cats!

· Look for prebiotics in formulas

There are many materials used as prebiotics in formulas, such as fructooligosaccharides FOS, inulin fiber or gum arabic. Their main purpose is to increase the activity of Tianre probiotics and help them eat and reproduce. Prebiotics are a must for any probiotic!

·Choose the right dose

Cats are small and have a very efficient digestive tract. Research results show that there are about 500 million live bacteria every day to keep cats healthy. If the amount of probiotics you choose exceeds 10 billion, then it must be used by humans. However, when cats are in the recovery period after surgery, the amount of probiotics can be used 2-4 times.

· Reference to actual case sharing

Probiotics do not have any side effects, but whether they are effective depends on each cat. No matter what kind of troubles the owner has, he should search the Internet for relevant posts, because cats have different physiques, and the correct solution is to refer to parents’ experience sharing~

Tips:

Although probiotic treatment can be used as an auxiliary helper, healthy cats have the ability to regulate their own intestinal flora, so they do not need to take probiotics for a long time.