Probiotics for cats
What are cat probiotics and when to give them to your cat? In our online pharmacy you will find several probiotics for cats, but how exactly do they improve your cat's gut health?
On this page you will find the answer to a number of frequently asked questions about cat probiotics:
- What are cat probiotics?
- When does my cat need probiotics?
- What is the difference between pre- and probiotics?
- Which probiotics are best for cats?
What are cat probiotics?
Officially, the definition of probiotics is as follows: probiotics are living microorganisms with a beneficial effect on their host's health, when sufficiently administered. So cat probiotics are good bacteria that will benefit your cat if it gets enough of them. Probiotics for cats are not medicines, but are considered food supplements. Although first results seem positive, certainly more scientific research into the effect of probiotics on the health of dogs and cats is needed.
When does my cat need probiotics?
In healthy cats, good and bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract balance each other. Together they are called the intestinal flora. Unfortunately, the balance between good and bad bacteria can be disturbed, for example:
- If your cat is sick
- If your cat is going through a stressful period
- If your cat gets different food than before or has eaten something wrong
- If your cat gets antibiotics
- If your cat is old, sick or had surgery
A disturbed intestinal flora can lead to gastrointestinal problems in your cat, such as diarrhea, flatulence and a bloated belly. If you notice this, probiotics may help to improve your cat's gut health. The good bacteria inhibit the growth of poor bacteria and thus help reduce these symptoms. Good intestinal bacteria are also involved in the absorption of vitamin K and vitamin B12.
In addition to gastrointestinal support, you can also give your cat probiotics to prevent gastrointestinal problems in stress situations, during treatment with antibiotics or for extra resistance in old age.
What is the difference between pre- and probiotics?
As explained above, cat probiotics are good bacteria with a beneficial effect on your cat's intestinal flora. Cat prebiotics help these good bacteria survive: these are fibers and sugars (saccharides such as FOS and MOS) that serve as a food source for the good bacteria. Prebiotics are not digested in the stomach and small intestine, so that the good bacteria in the colon can do that. For example, prebiotics help stimulate the number of good bacteria and bad bacteria get less chance. Many probiotics for cats therefore also contain prebiotics for the best possible effect.
Which probiotics are best for cats?
It is good to know that much is still unknown about the composition of the intestinal flora in cats. Unfortunately, many types of intestinal bacteria are not, or difficult to investigate. Within the bacterial species that can be investigated, differences have already been found between dogs and cats, different breeds and ages. In the future, probiotics for cats probably will be much more adapted to your pet's situation, for the best results.
At the moment the lactic acid bacterium Enterococcus faecium is most commonly used in probiotics for cats. In powder form it is available as a Purina Pro Plan Fortiflora Cat, which you can easily mix through your cat's feed. Micro-capsules protect the bacteria in Fortiflora Cat against the sour juices in the stomach. This ensures that a large part of the Enterococcus bacteria in Fortiflora reach your cat's intestines alive and can be effective there.
PUUR Probiotic contains different types of good bacteria, namely Bifidobacterium lactis, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarius and Lactococcus lactis. In addition, it contains fructo oligo saccharides (FOS): prebiotics that feed these good bacteria. Like FortiFlora, PUUR Probiotic is also a powder that can be given through the feed.
Newborn kittens can be supported with Bene-Bac Plus Pet Gel, a gel with both probiotics and prebiotics for a good start to their intestinal health.
