Pros and Cons Of Giving Your Dog Probiotics For Allergies

Dogs can get allergies too. In fact, it’s the most common type of illness that attacks dogs. No breed can escape this. When your dog’s immune system is weak, then getting an allergy is more likely. Allergies are a reaction to a foreign substance. When the body’s immune system has a misguided reaction to this foreign substance then allergy happens. There are three main types of dog allergies. They are skin allergies, environmental allergens, and good allergies. Skin allergies are the most common type. It is easy to detect allergies in dogs. Itchiness, swelling of the face, vomiting, diarrhea, ad sneezing are the most common symptoms of allergy in dogs. The best way to treat an allergic reaction is by moving your dog away from the trigger. The veterinarian may also prescribe some allergy relief meds. But the most effective way of treating allergies is by giving your dog probiotics. Keep on reading to know more about probiotics and the pros and cons of giving your dog probiotics for allergies.

What are Probiotics for Dogs?

You may know probiotics as the good bacteria in your stomach. They make our immune system stronger so we don’t get sick easily. There are good bacteria and bad bacteria that naturally live in your body. There should be a balance of good bacteria and bad bacteria in your body so you stay healthy all the time. When you get an infection, bad bacteria increase in number and outnumber good bacteria inside your body. This now results in your system being out of balance. In order to restore this balance, you need to take in probiotics that can increase the number of good bacteria inside your body and make you healthy again. This is how probiotics help a human body and this is also how it works inside the body of your dog.

Probiotics are very effective in treating allergies in dogs. It increases the number of good bacteria inside your dog’s body and restores the balance between the good and the bad bacteria. It helps eliminate the symptoms that are associated with the allergy of your dog. It helps the immune system of your dog to become strong again and stop its over-reactivity to allergens. Probiotics only contain naturally-occurring bacteria.

The Pros of Giving Your Dog Probiotics for Allergies

Let’s now move on to the pros of giving your dog probiotics for allergens. There are more pros to using probiotics than its cons. Probiotics are really effective. It can save the life of your dog in case of a severe allergic reaction. It can effectively treat allergies in dogs. But it does more than that. It also helps in the production of lactic acid. This is needed in intestinal activity. No disease-causing bacteria will occur if the dog has high acidity levels. In short, probiotics help in keeping off diseases and other infections. It makes your dog have a stronger immune system. Probiotics also help reduce the effects of allergens. As good bacteria increases in their GI tract, an allergen will start to not matter anymore. Symptoms will diminish and disappear. And because probiotics only contain naturally-occurring bacteria, it has no side effects.

Canine probiotics help improve digestion in dogs and this means a lot of positive health impacts. When your dog’s digestive system functions very well, then you don’t have to worry about your dog getting fat. This is the same case with human beings. When we digest food properly, we gain no weight. This medication also results in healthier coats and skin. Your dog will also feel energetic every time of the day. They will always feel in the mood to play with you. All in all, probiotics are helpful in making your dog stronger and immune to many diseases and allergens. This is a worthwhile pursuit in times when your dog feels weak and you start to observe symptoms of allergic reaction in his body.

The Cons of Giving Your Dog Probiotics for Allergies

Probiotics are safe medication. This is for your information just in case you worry about it being illegal. If you feel like probiotics may not be safe and you still hesitate to give them to your dog, no worries. First of all, your feelings are valid. We only want the best for our dogs. We don’t take advice that is too risky because it can get the dog into a more dangerous situation. But you should know that probiotics are really advised for dogs with severe allergic reactions to foreign substances. The cons of probiotics for dogs now come into the picture. You need a go signal from your veterinarian before you can give your dog probiotics. This means that you can’t just buy probiotic capsules or tablets over the counter. You need to consult a vet first if you think your dog develops an allergic reaction to an allergen. The vet will examine your dog and prescribe the most efficient medication for your dog given your dog’s health condition and your situation.

Probiotics have unpredictable side effects. This is the only major downside of using this medication for dogs with allergies. The reaction to this medicine varies from one dog to another. Some dogs develop side effects such as temporary loose stools, constipation, thirst, and bloating after taking in probiotics. These are the most common side effects of taking probiotics in dogs. These are not severe and won’t be that stressful for you and your dog. If your dog has other medical conditions, then it would be better to consult the vet first if it’s safe for your dog to take in probiotics for its allergy. Other dogs have bad reactions to the ingredients used to make the probiotic supplements. If this is the case for your dog, then you should avoid probiotics. Another downside of giving probiotics to your dog is the difficulty in administering them especially if they are in tablet form. Tablets are hard to take in for dogs.

Final Thoughts

Probiotics are generally safe. They are very effective in treating allergies in dogs. But in order to get them, your dog must first undergo an examination from the veterinarian. The vet will know if taking in probiotics is the best medication. To avoid dangerous side effects, a prescription from the vet is a must. Probiotics have unpredictable side effects mainly because of the ingredients used to make the supplement. But all in all, probiotics are a must-try if your vet recommends them. Anything that can save the life of your dog is worth the try as long as it’s safe and recommended.