Digestive Health

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The digestive health collection holds 26 probiotic and gut-support products — pastes, powders, capsules and chews from both veterinary and natural ranges. Most are labelled for dogs and cats together, but a few are species-specific: Protexin Veterinary Fibreplex and Bio-Lapis are written for rabbits, and Vetafarm Crittacare Herbivore is a hand-feeding formula for herbivores. These are supplements, not treatments. Ongoing diarrhoea, vomiting, blood in the faeces or weight loss needs a vet rather than a probiotic. Probiotic, prebiotic or both A probiotic supplies live bacteria. A prebiotic supplies the fibre those bacteria feed on. A synbiotic combines the two, and the products that do it usually say so — Okey Doggy Advanced Synbiotic Digestion Plus, Protexin Veterinary Synbiotic D-C, Vetafarm Synbiotic 180-S. Fibre on its own is a separate thing again: EAC Animal Care in-Fibre is straight psyllium husk. Live-culture products are the fussiest to store, so read the label for whether it wants a fridge, and check the use-by date rather than buying the largest tub on the shelf. Paste, powder or chew Syringe pastes such as Protexin Veterinary Pro-Kolin+ are made for short, measured courses and go in by mouth, which matters with an animal that has gone off its food. Powders — Big Dog Natural Probiotics, Auinpet Probiotic Powder, Natural Animal Solutions Gut Balance — scatter over a meal and are the practical choice for a long run or a large dog. Capsules and chews such as ZamiPet High Strength Probiotics+ Gut Protect and PAW by Blackmores Puppy Care Digest + Protect are the simplest to give day after day. Whichever you pick, introduce it gradually alongside the current food; an abrupt diet change is itself one of the commonest reasons for a loose stool. Brands on this page Protexin Veterinary has the deepest range here, with Pro-Kolin+, Pro-Kolin Enterogenic, Synbiotic D-C and the two rabbit products. Alongside it sit Natural Animal Solutions, Big Dog, ZamiPet, PAW by Black