I
am
a
do-it-yourself
kind
of
girl.
I
don’t
like
paying
other
people
to
do
something
I
can
do
myself.
First
aid
and
simple
veterinary
care
are
a
prime
examples
of
my
DIY
philosophy.
Time
and
time
again
the
one
thing
in
my
medicine
cabinet
that
saves
paying
a
vet
call-out
fee
is
a
good
probiotic.
Out
comes
my
bottle
of
Dyna-Pro
probiotic
any
time
the
dog
turns
its
nose
up
at
food
or
gets
diarrhea,
the
horse
starts
to
colic,
or
the
cat
vomits
dinner
onto
my
pillow.
Probiotics
are
probably
the
least
known
miracle
worker
in
animal
(and
human)
health.
They
are
live
microbial
food
ingredients
that
support
healthy
digestive
flora.
Probiotics
have
a
long
history
of
safe
application
dating
back
to
the
biblical
times
with
mention
of
dairy
products
from
cultured
milk.
Even
before
the
discovery
of
microorganisms,
soured
milk
and
other
cultured
dairy
products
such
as
kefir,
koumiss,
leben,
and
dahi
serve
therapeutic
purposes.
The
term
probiotics
was
coined
by
Dr.
Élie
Metchnikoff,
Nobel
Laureate
(1908)
and
Director
of
the
Louis
Pasteur
Institute.
He
recognized
and
spoke
of
the
benefits
of
consuming
Lactobacillus
bulgaricus
and
Streptococcus
thermophilus
in
yogurt.
Probiotics
maximize
digestive
efficiency.
Travel,
competition,
breeding
can
cause
physical
and
psychological
stress.
Antibiotics
and
anti-parasite
products
given
as
treatment
can
dramatically
disrupt
an
animal's
digestion
by
destroying
or
depleting
beneficial
intestinal
bacteria.
These
bacteria
must
produce
all
the
enzymes
necessary
to
convert
food
into
a
form
that
the
body
can
use.
These
microbes
also
assist
in
vitamin
production
and
help
prevent
harmful
bacteria
from
entering
and
multiplying
in
the
digestive
tract.
Some
probiotic
formulas
on
the
market
add
one
or
more
strains
of
beneficial
bacteria;
the
best
ones
use
a
stabilized
fermentation
extract
which
nourishes
the
beneficial
bacteria
and
encourages
them
to
flourish.
Beneficial
gut
microbes
need
high
levels
of
B-vitamins
and
a
specific
pH
to
thrive.
A
good
probiotic
includes
these
vitamins
and
helps
establish
a
healthy
pH
level.
I
have
found
that
liquid
probiotics
work
faster
and
are
often
more
cost
effective
that
dried
or
paste
products.
My
personal
favorite
is
Dyna-Pro
by
Dynamite
and
I
use
it
and
sell
it
for
ALL
species
-
humans
to
birds
and
everything
in
between.
Other
well
know
probiotics
are
Probios,
Prozyme,
and
Fast
Track
gel
and
are
usually
available
at
feed
stores,
better
pet
stores
and
from
veterinarians
that
understand
nutrition.
Got
a
nasty
surprise
on
the
carpet?
Start
by
giving
an
initial
dose
of
probiotics
without
food
to
help
reset
the
gut.
They
follow
up
by
adding
it
to
all
meals
until
your
animal
is
digesting
properly.
To
prevent
problems,
give
probiotics
“just
in
case”
if
your
animals
are
about
to
travel
or
be
bred.
Any
time
you
give
an
antibiotic
it
is
a
good
idea
to
follow
it
up
with
a
probiotic.
The
antibiotic
doesn’t
just
kill
dangerous
bacteria
-
it
also
kills
beneficial
ones.
Resetting
the
beneficial
gut
flora
helps
prevent
stomach
upsets
and
is
part
of
the
bodies
first
line
of
immune
system
defense.
If
you
only
keep
one
thing
on
hand
to
handle
life’s
digestive
upsets
-
make
it
a
probiotic.
Your
animals,
and
your
wallet,
will
thank
you.
