
Probiotics
You’ve probably heard about probiotics—perhaps you already incorporate them into your own diet in an effort to live a healthier life. But did you know that they’re equally important for the health of your pets as well?
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that work with the “good” bacteria already living in your pet’s gut. In addition to aiding with digestion, they support the body’s immune system as well as helping to protect against “bad” bacteria.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Probiotics can also help with “leaky gut syndrome,” a gastrointestinal condition that may cause or aggravate a wide variety of symptoms in your pets, including itchy skin, a dull coat, yeast infections, unpleasant odors, and allergies.
Because probiotics work to replenish the beneficial bacteria in your pet’s gut, along with keeping the growth of more harmful bacteria in check, they get at the underlying cause of the symptoms (i.e. the “leaky gut”) rather than treating just the symptoms themselves. Probiotics are therefore extremely helpful in returning both your pet’s intestines and digestion to a healthy state.
Ganeden BC 30
The specific probiotic we use in all our dog food recipe is Ganeden BC 30. Studies have shown that in addition to supporting your pet’s digestive and immune health, it is able to withstand extreme temperatures, which some other probiotics can’t do.
This tolerance of extreme temperatures allows Ganeden BC 30 to delay germination and growth until it actually reaches your pet’s intestines, where it will be able to have the most impact.
Prebiotics
So if probiotics are “good” bacteria for your pet’s gut, then what are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are food ingredients that pass through to your pet’s colon without being digested, where they are converted into something called short chain fatty acids, or SCFAs. These SCFAs feed the bacteria in your dog’s gut, thus working hand in hand with probiotics to keep your pets healthy.
Prebiotic is a type of dietary fiber. By feeding the beneficial bacteria in your pet’s gut, it aids with digestive health as well as helping your pet more effectively absorb vitamins and minerals from their food.
Our Philosophy
By including pro-biotics in our dog food recipe, we at Underdog aim to help you boost your pets’ digestion—as well as their overall health—in a way that’s simple and natural.
And while probiotics can help your pets, it has been found that they tend to work best when combined with a nutritious, species-specific diet, particularly one that incorporates whole foods whenever possible.
As dog owners ourselves, we understand that you love your pets like family, and we strive to continue providing only the highest quality food to keep them happy, healthy, and thriving in the best way we know how.
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