Not all bacteria is bad for you.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that help to keep your gut healthy. You can find probiotics in yogurts, fermented foods, or in drinks such as Yakult. Yakult contains the most common probiotic Lactobacillus. Probiotics are not just for humans. Veterinarians recommend giving your dog a probiotic if they have a gut or digestive health issues.
What Are Probiotics?
Simply put, yes. Dogs can drink Yakult. It is recommended to give your dog Yakult twice a week to digest their food and increase or improve their appetite. Yakult contains many good bacteria that are beneficial to your dog’s health.
Yes, they can, and they should.
In this article, you will learn the benefits of giving your dog Yakult and other probiotics, when and how to give them to your dog, and how they work.
Probiotics are good live-bacteria and yeasts found in foods and supplements that help keep your gut healthy. They are often recommended by medical professionals to restore good bacteria that is lost to help with digestive problems.
Good bacteria are broken into two groups and classified as probiotics. The two groups are:
- Lactobacillus– found in yogurt and fermented foods
- Bifidobacterium– found in some dairy products
The yeast found in probiotics is known as Saccharomyces Boulardii, which is used for diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
What Foods Contain Probiotics?
Foods that contain these super healthy bacteria include:
Yogurt
Kefir
Kimchi
Pickles
Cheese
Buttermilk
Tempeh
Miso
Kombucha
Sauerkraut
Some of these foods cannot be given to dogs. So giving your dog Yakult is the most beneficial way to provide probiotics to your dog aside from pills, powders, pastes, or solutions.
How Do They Work?
They work by balancing the good and bad bacteria in your body and assist with food digestion. You can find them in the GI tract in both dogs and humans. However, they get damaged or destroyed due to stress, diet, medications, and parasites.
What Is In Yakult?
Yakult contains 5 ingredients, skimmed milk powder, sugar, glucose, water, and natural flavoring, plus the probiotic lactobacillus. The sugar is used to keep the probiotics alive during shelf life.
How Does Yakult Work?
Yakult works by increasing the good bacteria in either you or your dog’s digestive system, which prevents the harmful bacteria from multiplying or taking over.
When Should You Give Your Dog Probiotics?
Probiotics should be given to your dog if you notice signs of a leaky gut or digestive problems. The signs that you should look for include:
Diarrhea
Gas
Cramping
Bad breath
Poor appetite
How Do You Administer Probiotics To Your Dog?
Probiotics for your canine are administered orally by placing in their food or wrapped in a doggie treat. However, you should carefully read the instructions to ensure that these good microorganisms are not destroyed before reaching the intestines.
How Do You Give a Dog Yakult?
Yakult is a drink that comes in mini bottles, and the dosage amount depends on the size of your dog. You can give the dog the recommended dosage in a bowl by itself or in their water bowl with a small amount of water.
What Are The Benefits of Giving Your Dog Probiotics?
Your dog can benefit tremendously from Yakult and other probiotics. Some of these benefits include:
- Healthier digestive system
- A boost in immunity
- Firmer stools by treating diarrhea
- Growth of good bacteria
- Reduction in gas
- Improved coat appearance
- Regulates bowel function
- Positive impact on obesity, liver disease, and mood
- Helps increase energy levels
- Can help reduce food sensitivities
Healthier Digestive System
A Boost in Immunity
Firmer stools by treating diarrhea
Growth of good bacteria
Reduction in gas
Improved coat appearance
Regulates bowel function
Positive impact on obesity, liver disease, and mood
Helps increase energy levels
Can help reduce food sensitivities
Are There Side Effects Associated With Yakult?
Since Yakult contains probiotics, there are side effects that can be experienced when giving your pup any probiotic. Some of the side effects that have been reported from probiotics include:
- Excess gas
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
These side effects are normal and are a result of the digestive issues that your dog is experiencing. However, veterinarians have stated that health issues worsen in the beginning because the canine’s GI tract is adjusting to an influx of good bacteria. Once the GI tract is adjusted, these issues should completely clear up.
There is sugar in Yakult, so if you give this to your furry friend, don’t exceed the recommended dosage. If your pup does experience side effects due to Yakult’s consumption, and the side effect is from an allergic reaction, you should discontinue using this probiotic-containing drink. Side effects can come from any type of probiotics, whether explicitly designed for a dog or human consumption.
Allergic Reactions
If your furry friend is among the one in a million dogs and humans that are allergic to probiotics, they will exhibit some or all of the following symptoms:
- Intense all over itching
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of tongue and lips
- Unsteady gait
These symptoms require you to immediately bring your dog to the vet for the proper care of an allergic reaction. However, once again, the likelihood that your dog will exhibit an allergic reaction from consuming Yakult is minimal compared to the health benefits of consuming it.
Conclusion: Can Dogs Drink Yakult?
The bottom line is that it is safe to give your dog Yakult. However, when it comes to all human forms of probiotics, you must carefully check the ingredients and read labels before giving them to your dog. Not all probiotics designed for humans will farewell with your canine companion.
Probiotics are something that lives in the GI tract of both humans and canines. Therefore, administering drinks or foods that contain this ingredient should relatively be safe for your furry friend. What you need to concentrate on is the other ingredients in foods, drinks, or supplements that you may give to your pup.
