Do you have a pet at home then surely you have heard the words “probiotic” or “prebiotic”. This probiotics for cats is given as a medicine for them. Many times cat probiotics words are heard as a synonym for health in advertisements for yogurts or food supplements for human use and sometimes animal feeds contain them giving them a plus of quality. If you want to know more about them keep reading our post today.
A probiotic is a food that contains live microorganisms you see say it as best probiotics for cats. WHO defines it as “a set of live microorganisms that, when delivered in adequate amounts,promote health benefits in the host organism.” Probiotics should not be confused with prebiotics, which are not foods with live microorganisms, but foods with non-digestible ingredients (generally carbohydrates such as lactulose, fructoo ligo saccharides, inulin) whose function is to stimulate the growth and activity of the intestinal flora.
These live microorganisms are bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus, Bifido bacterium and Streptococcus, and yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces. If you have a pet then you will surely want to know how fast do probiotics work, you can see below and know more about the probiotics and cats.
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About probiotics for cats
The words probiotic and prebiotic come from the Greek “biotic” meaning “life”. Both words although they seem the same but do not specify the same thing and you have to differentiate them very well:
- Probiotics: They are living organisms, unicellular beings called bacteria. They are found in foods like yogurt and there are thousands of types of them.
- Prebiotics: Prebiotics are not living organisms, it is a type of fiber. This fiber favors the growth of bacteria and helps them live and proliferate.
There is controversy about whether the administration of these products are in a healthy organism, actually produces a beneficial effect. Normally we hear that someone advises us to take them when we have gone through a treatment of antibiotics or drugs that affect or damage our intestinal flora. Antibiotics kill bad and good bacteria equally so when we take them (us or our cats) they not only eliminate the pathogenic bacteria but our beneficial bacteria that inhabit our digestive system.
Even the healthiest kitten needs a little extra help in handling those occasional attacks with allergies, infections or unpleasant intestinal dysfunctions. The good friendly bacteria found in food with probiotics and concentrated supplements can help provide the additional assistance you need.
Probiotics and Digestion
Probiotics should be of special interest to unfortunate felines who seem to have more than their fair share of diarrhea, vomiting or constipation. The bacteria mentioned as “friendly”, which are found in probiotics work to promote intestinal health and helping your cat friend to digest the essential nutrients necessary for good digestion.
Probiotics and antibiotics
The use of probiotics can be essential if your cat is using antibiotics like buprenorphine cats. Antibiotics are like bombs for your pet’s bacteria while having the evil of killing the good bacteria in the explosion, which are lost along with the virus cells of many microorganisms. Probiotics are administered along with antibiotics that can help your body regain the balance of healthy bacteria.
Probiotics and allergies
Feeding your cat with probiotics can help your immune system maintain a healthy resistance to annoying foods or airborne allergies, such as high fever. Friendly bacteria work hard to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of allergy and can even help to prevent diarrhea caused by these allergies.
Sources of probiotics
The addition of probiotics to your cat’s usual easy diet and mixing a good brand of yogurt grown live, in your normal food, is one way to do it. However many owners and breeders find it easier and more efficient to use probiotic concentrated powder supplements which are available at most pet stores and online. Most of these supplements are almost tasteless and easy to accept when they are hidden with your kitten’s favorite dish.
Benefits of Probiotics
Benefits of probiotics are basically two:
- Re-balance the intestinal flora
- Improve the functioning of the immune system
Re-balance intestinal flora
Once the intestine is colonized, the probiotic bacteria produce acids. The acidification of the intestinal pH prevents the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. In addition the probiotic bacteria compete with other microorganisms for food and shelter “making life more difficult.”
An intestinal flora in equilibrium translates into:
- Good digestions therefore less gas and flatulence.
- Better absorption of nutrients from food.
- Calcium absorption is improved.
Better functioning of the immune system
Just as the skin protects us from the external aggressions of the environment the intestine constitutes a protective barrier against microorganisms that can enter through the oral cavity. If the intestinal bacterial flora is balanced in the intestine conditions are created that are not favorable for the proliferation of harmful bacteria which protects us from many infections. In this we can say how long for probiotics to work depends on the cats immune system. This is like how long does prozac take to work.
Other benefits of Probiotics
- Probiotic bacteria synthesize group B vitamins. Group B vitamins act as nutrition for the skin and hair and protect the myelin sheath of nerve cells.
- Cholesterol metabolism is favored.
- Slower cell aging.
What Probiotics do if I give my dog or cat?
There are many options to get Probiotics for Cats. They can be purchased at the pharmacy, herbalist, orthomolecular food supplements and veterinary clinics which are manufactured specifically for animals.
The important thing is that the bacteria contained in the product are alive, since its therapeutic effect is greater. Meanwhile see symptoms of feline leukemia in cats.
In what cases do I give probiotics to my dog or cat?
Actually Probiotics for Cats are always beneficial but especially they should be used in:
- Intestinal diseases: Diarrhea, indigestion, acute and chronic gastroenteritis, excess gas, changes in diet, inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption syndrome.
- Diseases related to malfunction of the immune system: allergies, autoimmune diseases, Leishmaniasis in dogs, cancer, chronic dermatitis and others.
- During a therapy with antibiotics. Remember that antibiotics taken orally kill the microorganisms that cause the infection, but also destroy the bacteria that are in the intestine (be “good” or “bad”).
- As preventive: 2-3 times a year, in spring and autumn or in summer and winter.
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Conclusion
Finally With this hope you have got an idea of Probiotics for Cats. We cannot exactly say how long does it take for probiotics to work, but this mainly depends on cats health. For more information on cats you can simply visit our catsfud website. Get all information on pets.
