Benefits of Probiotics for Cats

April 16, 2019

Benefits of Probiotics for Cats

A probiotic a day can keep the fur ball away. Well, perhaps. In reality, cats are still going to cough up fur balls if they groom themselves excessively. However, probiotics will lessen the stress grooming and other factors can cause on your furry friends digestive system. Probiotics can help with numerous conditions and improve overall health for your cat.


Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD is common among cats especially in their adult years. IBD is an inflammation of the intestines. The causes of IBD are still unknown but food allergens and hypersensitivity to bacteria are believed to play a role. Frequent diarrhea and vomiting are symptoms of IBD and cat probiotics can help maintain normal gut health and improve these symptoms.

 

Diarrhea and Vomiting

Even if your cat does not have IBD, probiotics for cats can help improve their digestive health. Diarrhea can be caused by the food your cat consumes. You can try changing their brand of cat food, however, this does not always solve the issue. Cats are conditioned to eat kibble, but it isn’t actually a food found in nature. Excessive grooming can cause your cat to vomit fur balls along with their meal. Cat probiotics can help by balancing their digestive system.


Antibiotics

Some cats take antibiotics due to an illness or an infection. They may experience side effects from the antibiotics and some of these side effects include diarrhea, vomiting and a change in appetite. Antibiotics essentially strip the good microflora along with the infection from their body but cat probiotics help by restoring the gut with beneficial bacteria.

 

Shorter Intestinal Tract

Cats small intestines are shorter than a dog’s small intestines. This is why it takes a shorter amount of time for a cat to digest their meal. They are carnivorous in nature which means their diet should mostly consist of meat, protein and fat. It takes effort for the body to digest meat and fat. Their intestines are working hard to digest their meal. If your cat is older or has a change in their diet, probiotics can help ease their digestion process.

 

Immune System

Cat probiotics are beneficial to their immune system and overall health. Many vets advise pet owners to give probiotics to their cat when symptoms start. However, a daily cat probiotic supplement can help prevent the issue before it even begins. Cat probiotics will improve digestion and boost their immunity.


Safety

It is rare for a cat probiotic to have adverse effects. It is best to opt for a cat probiotic with two strains of bacteria. The two most common strains come from the Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus families. Bifidobacterium improves the small intestine. Enterococcus improves the large intestine and the colon. It is perfectly fine if they have more strains of bacteria than just the two mentioned above. Do not give your cat human probiotics. The microflora in our digestive tracts is different than the microflora in a cat’s digestive tract.


Whether your cat is experiencing these symptoms already or you are eager to take precautionary measures, a cat probiotic in their diet will only help them live a better and healthier life!

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 Strawfield Pets Natural Cat Probiotic Powder Supplements