What is the best probiotic to give a dog? Surprising Answer

by

Probiotics vs Prebiotics: Which One Does My Dog Need?

Many supplements like prebiotics and probiotics are showing up in dog food today, and sorting out what your dog actually needs can be a headache.

Luckily, breaking down the necessity of prebiotics and probiotics is simpler than most.

To understand the importance of prebiotics and probiotics, you need to visualize their roles in your dog’s digestion. Probiotics are the microorganisms keeping your dog’s digestion balanced, whereas prebiotics are the food the probiotic microorganisms eat.

Think of it like deploying workers to your dog’s digestive system (probiotics) vs. lunch for his system’s existing workers (prebiotics).

Ideally, your dog should receive both prebiotics and probiotics to keep his system running smoothly, which is why you’ll frequently find them together in probiotic supplements.

Some dogs receive enough prebiotics through their diet, so added ones aren’t necessary, but there’s no harm if they happen to be in your chosen probiotic supplement.

Why you should trust our reviews

  • Dr. Erica Irish helped us formulate this list — Using her knowledge of probiotics, Dr. Irish reviewed every product on our list. She chose a favorite and provided us with her likes and dislikes for each supplement.
  • We ordered and paid for these products — None of the products on our list were sponsored or gifted to us. Our team used our own resources to research and purchase these probiotics so that we could review them objectively.
  • We sent them off with our product researcher to test in the field — We sent each probiotic to our product review expert Sara Ondrako. She tried them with her dogs and did additional research with a veterinarian to provide her honest feedback.

    • Our product tester gives Premium Care Probiotic Chews a go : Sara Ondrako

    We scoured the internet for the most popular and highest-rated probiotics on the market. Veterinarian Dr. Erica Irish helped us narrow down our list before we ordered each option and sent them off to our product reviewer. After a thorough review, our team chose a “top pick,” the product that ranked the highest in all of our criteria.

    Sometimes we decide we don’t want to recommend a product to pet parents after reviewing it. For this reason, some popular products didn’t make our list, and we think it’s important for pet parents to know why.

    On paper, here’s a glance at how the probiotics stack up against each other.

    Product Price Form (chew or powder) Price per chew/serving
    Premium Care $24.96 Chew $0.21/chew
    Zesty Paws $26.97 Chew $0.29/chew
    Proflora $19.75 Chew $0.29/chew
    Native Pet $29.99 Powder $0.50/serving (varies by pet weight)
    Nusentia $39.99 Powder $0.22/serving (varies by pet weight)
    Purina $30.99 Powder $1.03/serving

    *price at the time of our review

    We worked with our product expert and veterinarian to determine the most important criteria when it comes to choosing a probiotic for your pup. Based on their insight, we selected six criteria that we graded each product against.

  • Safe ingredients. We reviewed each option carefully to make sure it was safe for dogs and didn’t contain any harmful ingredients.
  • Bacterias. We questioned whether the bacteria strain(s) in each product were beneficial and well-researched.
  • Palatability. Sara tested each probiotic on her own dogs to determine how much they enjoyed the taste. She also noted whether or not the powders mixed well with food.
  • Recommended dosage. Vets recommend between 1 and 10 million CFUs per dose of probiotics. With this in mind, we noted the dosage on each product to see how they compared.
  • Veterinarian-formulated. We sought out answers to whether or not the product was formulated by a veterinarian or clinically tested. In some cases, this involved reaching out to the company.
  • Packaging. We considered how easy the packaging was to open and close and whether or not there was more plastic waste than necessary.

    • This popular probiotic is found all over the internet and has been recommended by others out there. However, after reviewing, we decided not to include it on our list. Here’s why.

    Dr. Irish DOES NOT want to recommend the Amazing Probiotics for Dogs product due to the fact that she wasn’t familiar with some of the ingredients listed on the packaging. While the joint supplement aspect of this product could be beneficial for older dogs, she didn’t feel comfortable giving this option her stamp of approval.

    Honorable Mention: PetHonesty Digestive Probiotic Chews Review

    If you’re looking for an alternative to powders or pills, these PetHonesty’s probiotic chews with enzymes help support digestive health, immunity, and nutrient absorption. They come in two flavors (duck or pumpkin) and don’t contain wheat, corn, soy, dairy, harmful chemicals, preservatives, or artificial flavoring. Each chew contains five strains of bacteria, a prebiotic, and three billion CFUs.

    Made in the USA in a Good Manufacturing Practices-certified and FDA-approved facility, you can trust you are giving your pup a trusted daily supplement. They have a money-back guarantee and subscription option to save 20% on recurring purchases. You can also save 10% if you bundle three together.

    Recommended use: Best when taken on a full stomach after mealtime. One chew per day per every 25 lbs of dog’s weight.

    Probiotics included: Inulin (prebiotic), Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. brevis, L. fermentum, L. lactis, and L. plantarum.

    Pros Cons
    All-natural with no wheat or dairy Contains fewer strains than our top 3 picks
    Promotes healthy digestive and immune systems
    3 billion CFUs per chew
    30-day money-back guarantee
    Save 20% with auto-shipping
    Made in the USA

    You can save 20% off the following price with auto-shipping.

  • $26.99 for a one-time purchase (90-count)

    • ✅Top 5 Best Probiotics for Dogs Review in 2022