Does your pet need a pet probiotic? To answer that, I’ll need to tell you a story.
I once had a cat named, Mystique. It was the perfect name for her as she was full of mystery and quite a hard nut to crack. I had her for two years before she finally jumped into my lap and graced me with her presence.
I really loved that cat. I drove all the way to Ohio from Florida to rescue her when she was a year old because my nephew was terribly allergic. By the time “Stiquey” was almost seven she had developed what the doctor described as Kitty Crohn’s Disease.
My poor little girl went to the bathroom all the time and many times she couldn’t make it to the litter box. We tried all the doctor knew to do with steroids and changing her food and trying to manage her symptoms but nothing helped. It wasn’t long before Stiquey was severely underweight and I needed to try something different.
In 2006, I did what most people do now, I went to the internet for help. I started doing a lot of research and what I found was that cats and dogs can need help with their intestinal environment. They need a pet probiotic to help ward off the bad bacteria, keep a good gut bacteria ratio and keep homeostasis in the gut microbiome.
Along with a pet probiotic cats and dogs can also need digestive enzymes, especially if they are eating kibble. It helps to break down their food and utilize it’s nutrients. They need pet prebiotics as well, which act as a “fertilizer” for pet probiotics and helps to nourish the good bacteria that already exist in the gut. Some might even say pet prebiotics are MORE important than pet probiotics.
Once I knew I was looking for a good pet probiotic, I went on the search. Unfortunately, at the time I couldn’t find any companies that offered digestive enzymes and prebiotics for pets but I found a company, Pet Medicine Chest, that sold a variety of handmade herbal tinctures, vitamins, and pet probiotics. I ordered the probiotics and started sprinkling them onto her hard food. That didn’t seem to help so I began mixing it with a bit of water and syringing it into her mouth.
One morning, Stiquey didn’t quite make it to the litter box but instead squatted where she stood to poop, as I readied for the normal explosion out popped a solid piece of poop about three inches long. My eyes welled with tears as I stood there in amazement and thought, this is the first solid bowel movement my poor little girl has had in months.
Sadly, this would be one of her last bowel movements as her body was tired and severely malnourished from the months of diarrhea she endured. She passed quietly and peacefully, curled up under the chair at my desk as the morning sun shined through. That was 19 years ago and I still feel ashamed for not doing more sooner.
My experience doesn’t have to be your experience. Start your pet on a good intestinal health supplement now. Support their gut health and it may help keep illness at bay.
I would recommend Pet Medicine Chest, unfortunately, the FDA shut down the company because its owner, who was very passionate about pet health, would not change the name. The FDA would NOT allow her to use the term, “Medicine.” She also refused to take down the testimonials, like mine.
Today there are many great products on the market, you just have to keep trying new ones until you find the one that works. Whether you have a cat or a dog, you’re pet can most certainly benefit from a pet probiotic supplement!
By Shelly Allen
If you find you’re confused about your pet’s health and what you should or should not feed, go read this article now!
