You Need to Know About Dog Food with Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

Introduction

Many dogs have gut issues; the gut is the largest internal environment in the animal body and one of the richest living environments for the microbiome, which influences the brain's cognition, mood, and behavior by regulating the gut's immune, neural, and endocrine systems. Feeding foods that nourish the microbiome can heal and repair an inflamed, biologically deficient gut.

Mucinophilic Ackermania is one of the number one star probiotics in the canine world. This bacteria has been shown to protect the intestinal mucosa and support gastrointestinal health, thus promoting overall health and slowing the effects of aging. It also protects against gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. Mucinophilic Akkermania's favorite foods are inulin-rich vegetables and bananas. Studies have shown that the more Mucinophilic Ackermania in the body, the younger they will be.

Dog Food with Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

1. Lettuce, chicory and purple lettuce

All vegetables in the chicory family can be used as ingredients in basic foods, they are rich in prebiotic fiber, which provides nutrients to the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

2. Dandelion

The flowers, stems, leaves and roots of dandelion can be eaten and are rich in prebiotic fiber, which has a purifying effect on the liver and blood. Dandelions are more nutritious than kale and are rich in VCVK and potassium.

3. Okra and Asparagus

Not only are they rich in prebiotic fiber, but also many vitamins. Asparagus is even one of the few foods that naturally contains glutathione. Glutathione is the brain's favorite major internal antioxidant and detoxifier. It can be eaten raw and sliced or steamed.

4. Cruciferous Vegetables

In addition to being rich in prebiotic fiber, they also contain vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Broccoli in particular contains diindolylmethane and radicicchioidin, which can increase glutathione levels. One of these, diindolylmethane, can help regulate a healthy balance of hormones and anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties. Radish thiols stimulate apoptosis in your dog's body, which is vital when the body needs to kill bad cancer cells.
Iodine deficiency requires less intake of cruciferous vegetables to avoid causing hypothyroidism.

5. Jicama

Rich in prebiotic fiber inulin and VC.

6. Ginger Ghost Ginger

From the sunflower family, rich in inulin.

7. Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables are natural prebiotics and can be fermented with apple cider vinegar, lactobacillus or sea salt. Note: Fermentation needs to be kept sterile and dogs eating fermented vegetables for the first time should eat small amounts to avoid intestinal upset.

8. Probiotics

Fermented vegetables and unsweetened yogurt are excellent food sources of digestive enzymes with probiotics. If the dog is willing to eat they can be supplemented with them for digestive enzymes with probiotics. If not it is recommended to rotate different brands and types of probiotics (products with higher CFU values and a blend of different probiotics) to nourish your dog's gastrointestinal microflora.

Noora Probiotic Supplement is also available for dogs. 

9. Others

Green bananas, asparagus, asparagus, pumpkin are all rich in prebiotics and kiwifruit is rich in kiwi alkaloids which are good for the gut. There are also apples and papayas.

Physiologic Characteristics of the Digestive Tract in Dogs

The digestive tract physiology of dogs is significantly different from that of ruminants and monogastrics. Dogs belong to the mammalian class, carnivorous animals, after a long period of human domestication, its food by carnivorous gradually transformed into omnivorous. Canine teeth pointed, bite force strong diet faster. The stomach of the dog is pear-shaped, with a large expansion. Compared with ruminants or other monogastric animals, the dog's intestines are shorter and thicker, generally 4 to 6 times the length of the body. The surface of the mucosa of the small intestine has evolved to form many wrinkled walls and densely growing villi. The villi of the small intestine are the longest in dogs of all domestic animals, which increases the intestinal absorption area to some extent.

Gut Microorganisms in Dogs

The microorganisms present on the surface or in the body of an animal form a unified organism with the animal organism's own cells, which has an important influence on the host's adaptation. Using modern biotechnology, it was found that the composition of the flora of different intestinal sites in dogs varies somewhat. The flora in the small intestine of dogs is mainly dominated by parthenogenetic anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, and the flora in the large intestine is mainly dominated by anaerobic bacteria. Intestinal flora plays a vital role in the metabolism of the animal body, digestion and absorption of nutrients, physiological functions and immunity. When the animal body is in a healthy condition, the intestinal flora convert carbohydrates into beneficial short-chain fatty acids through fermentation and other related metabolisms to provide energy for endothelial cells.

Sub-healthy conditions or imbalances in the gut flora can lead to a variety of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel disease in dogs and cats is usually caused by poor diet or bacterial infection. When animals are in a state of disease, intestinal health is jeopardized by decreased mucus and antimicrobial peptide secretion, increased permeability of intestinal endothelial cells and bacterial translocation. The dynamic balance of the gastrointestinal microecosystem is influenced by the diet of the animal organism, genetic background, and feeding management practices throughout the life cycle.

Mechanism of Dog Food with Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

1.Regulate the micro-ecological balance of intestinal tract

When animals are born, the intestinal tract is in an aseptic state, and all kinds of microorganisms rapidly colonize the intestinal tract after a few hours. The order of colonization of intestinal flora is aerobic bacteria, parthenogenetic anaerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria. Most of the pathogenic microorganisms are aerobic or parthenogenetic anaerobic bacteria. When the intestinal flora is imbalanced, the high local oxygen concentration in the intestinal tract will lead to a large number of pathogenic microorganisms colonizing the intestinal microecology, resulting in intestinal microecological imbalance. It is found that adding probiotics into the canine basic diet or orally instilling probiotics can accelerate the colonization of digestive enzymes with probiotics in the intestine, consume the oxygen in the intestine, so that the oxygen concentration in the intestine can quickly reach the environment suitable for the growth of anaerobic bacteria, and promote the balance of the intestinal flora.

2.Promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients

Probiotics in the animal body can produce amylase, lipase and protease and other digestive enzymes to make up for the lack of digestive enzymes in the animal body, to promote better digestion and absorption of nutrients in the animal body. In addition, the growth and reproduction of digestive enzymes with probiotics in the host body can produce amino acids, vitamins, growth factors, short-chain fatty acids and other nutrients, which can be directly utilized by the host animal.

3. Enhance intestinal immune function

Intestinal barrier consists of mechanical (physical) barrier, immune barrier, microbial barrier and chemical barrier. It is found that the dysfunction of intestinal mucosal barrier is related to the dysregulation of intestinal flora. Probiotics enter the intestinal tract and compete with pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal tract for the adhesion sites of intestinal epithelial cells, forming a microbial barrier, resisting the invasion of harmful bacteria, and maintaining the balance of intestinal microecology. At the same time, digestive enzymes with probiotics can also stimulate the intestinal immune system, increase the number of mucus cells, improve the activity of lymphocytes, promote the secretion of immunoglobulin, reduce the expression of inflammatory immune factors, and improve the specific and non-specific immune response of the animal body.

Beneficial Effects of Probiotics on Dogs

1.Prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases

Diarrhea is a disease that often occurs in canine clinics, clinical manifestations of abdominal pain in sick dogs, loss of appetite, mostly seen in young dogs. Diarrhea will inhibit the normal absorption of nutrients, affecting the normal growth and development of the dog, and in severe cases, gastroenteritis, sepsis, and even death. Clinical application of atropine hydrochloride to treat diarrhea can achieve a better therapeutic effect. The use of drugs to treat canine diarrhea has a certain effect in the short term, but large doses or irrational use will make the pathogenic bacteria produce drug resistance, destroying the balance of intestinal flora.

Studies have shown that digestive enzymes with probiotics are effective in preventing and treating intestinal diseases. Chen Ruwang found that when weaned puppies were orally administered probiotics for 21d, the number of Escherichia coli in the intestinal tract was significantly reduced and the number of Lactobacillus was significantly increased, indicating that probiotics have a positive regulating effect on the intestinal flora, which in turn reduces intestinal diseases.Rose et al. found that the addition of probiotics to the diets of dogs significantly reduced the incidence of diarrhea.Gómez et al. found that the addition of probiotics to canine food significantly reduced the incidence of diarrhea. Gómez et al. found that the addition of probiotics to canine diets could normalize fecal patterns during diarrhea, reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal tract, and accelerate the recovery of the animal's organism. Yao Zilan et al. found that a quadruple probiotic preparation (Bacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bacillus sphaericus and Lactobacillus acidophilus) administered to diarrhea-prone puppies could significantly reduce diarrhea symptoms. Liu Xianjiao found that oral administration of probiotics containing Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus, and intestinal mucosal repair factors could greatly reduce the intestinal damage caused by bacterial diarrhea, viral diarrhea, parasitic diarrhea, and chronic diarrhea. It can be concluded from the above results that probiotics can regulate the dynamic balance of the intestinal tract, prevent and alleviate the damage caused by diarrhea to the animal body.

2.Enhance the immune function of animal body

The immune function is a physiological reaction of animal body to recognize and exclude “alien”, which is an important barrier to maintain the health of animal body. The intestinal tract has a dual function in the animal body, not only as an organ for nutrient digestion and absorption, but also as the largest immune organ in the animal body. If the intestinal tract is damaged, the overall health of the animal body will be greatly affected. Digestive enzymes with probiotics have immunomodulatory effects, and their colonization in the intestinal tract can interact with the host animal's immune system, stimulate the immune system to produce a variety of immune factors, inhibit the invasion and colonization of foreign pathogenic bacteria to improve the immunity of the animal body.

Sun Ning found that the administration of lactobacilli to puppies can increase the serum levels of antibodies to canine distemper (CDV) and capillomavirus (CPV), suggesting that lactobacilli are able to stimulate the production of immune responses in the animal body.Xu et al. found that, when feeding probiotics to dogs of different ages, the levels of serum IgG, IFN-alpha, and fecal secretion of IgA in the probiotic group were significantly higher compared with those of the control group, and that serum TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha, and fecal secretion of IgA in the probiotic group were significantly higher compared with those of the control group. Serum TNF-α levels were significantly reduced.

In addition, digestive enzymes with probiotics can change the intestinal microbial structure of aged dogs, significantly increasing the number of beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Clostridium pelliculare and decreasing the number of harmful E. coli and Sartorius.Strompfova et al. and White et al. found that the addition of probiotics to the canine basal diet increased the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. in the canine intestines, which was beneficial to intestinal homeostasis. Chengzhi Wang studied the effect of canine-derived lactobacilli on the intestinal flora and TLR5NF-kBNNLRP3 inflammatory pathway in pathogenic E. coli infected dogs and found that compared to the control group, the inflammatory cytokine content in serum and intestinal tissues of dogs in the E. coli group was significantly elevated, resulting in severe inflammatory responses in the animal organisms; compared to the E. coli group, the inflammatory cytokines in serum and intestinal tissue in the preventive group were The content of inflammatory cytokines in the serum and intestinal tissues of dogs in the prevention group was significantly reduced compared with that in the E. coli group, indicating that canine-derived lactic acid bacteria can alleviate and reduce the inflammatory response caused by pathogenic E. coli, and that they have a certain preventive effect on E. coli infected dogs.

3. Improve the growth performance of the animal body

At a young age, the immune system of the dog is not yet fully developed, coupled with the weakening of maternal antibodies after weaning, changes in the feeding environment and management practices can easily trigger intestinal dysfunction, resulting in weakening of the digestive and absorptive capacity of the animal's body to the nutrients, which affects the growth and development of the animal. Adding digestive enzymes with probiotics to the basic diet can effectively regulate the intestinal disorders caused by environmental and other stresses, promote intestinal peristalsis, and then promote the growth of the animal body. Probiotics are anaerobic, acid-resistant and heat-resistant, and occupy a dominant position in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal body after colonization, which can inhibit the growth and reproduction of aerobic pathogens, and promote the absorption of food by the animal body in the intestinal tract.

Xiang Dayu's research found that adding a proportion of 1.0% and 1.5% compound live bacterial preparation (mainly composed of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus faecalis) to the basic ration can significantly improve the growth performance of pet dogs Golden Retriever. The results of oral instillation of different doses of compound probiotics in puppies by Chen Ruwang showed that the weight gain of the test group (low dose 0.5g/kg, medium dose 1.0/kg, high dose 2.0/kg) increased by 12.55%, 20.71%, and 15.97%, respectively, as compared with the control group. Tian Qizhen et al. found that the addition of Lactobacillus salivarius TCSL1 to the basal diet promoted weight gain and reduced diarrhea rate in Chinese field dogs. Lu Jiang et al. had similar findings.

4. Prevent and improve the animal body obesity

Obesity is a nutritional metabolic disease by a combination of factors, and is most common in small animals in veterinary clinics. Dogs and cats are generally kept indoors, serious lack of exercise and feeding high protein, high fat, high energy food caused by obesity is increasing. Obesity restricts the activities of dogs and cats to a certain extent, and can cause hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, etc.

Derrien found that digestive enzymes with probiotics have the efficacy of regulating cholesterol and lipid levels, improving obesity and alleviating inflammation. Zhou Qichen found that adding microecological agents such as probiotics and prebiotics to basic diets has the effect of preventing and alleviating obesity in dogs and cats. Liu Jing et al. showed that Clostridium butyricum could improve the phenotype of obesity in dogs and reduce the content of lipid metabolism related indexes such as triacylglycerol, cholesterol, LDL and HDL in the blood.Alexander found that the relative abundance of thick-walled phyla in the intestinal tract of Beagles was increased, and that that of Ascomycetes was decreased by probiotic interventions. From the above findings, it can be concluded that obesity in animal organisms is associated with energy metabolism and inflammatory response.