YOGHURT FOR DOGS?

My Cleo had a bad tummy for over a month recently, and although we've been to the vet nothing seemed to really help. It wasn't diarrhoea per se, but she had runny poo every morning. Yucks...

We discovered, after a stool test, that Cleo had a bacterial infection with a bug that was relatively hard to get rid of, and the poor girl had to endure quite alot of medication. The last bit of medication that she had was really the last straw as it was a really foul tasting liquid, and it didn't help that her condition was not really improving. Her dose of medicine was completed about a week ago, and she still had runny poo...

Unfortunately I had completely forgotten that in cases like this, you should actually give your dog yoghurt. Of course you have to be very careful of the type of yoghurt that you administer and you must be sure that your dog is not allergic to dairy - although most dogs with intolerance to dairy can consume plain natural yoghurt.

You should only give your dog PLAIN NATURAL YOGHURT with no added flavours or sugars etc. The yoghurt should also contain live bacteria cultures.

In Malaysia, I only know of one brand that is very good and inexpensive - Sunglo Fresh Yoghurt (There may be others but the local variety is always best as the bacteria cultures would have been harvested locally, which is what is needed). Generally the bacterial cultures from imported brands will help but are not as effective as local culture.

Cleo's tummy improved overnight literally! She started taking two very large table spoons of yoghurt twice a day 15 minutes before her meals, and the very next day her runny poo stopped. So I am going to carry on giving her yoghurt as a dietary supplement.

Should you give your pet yoghurt?

Your dog or cat can benefit from "local" natural yoghurt as it will have a unique blend of live, active, and probiotic cultures. That’s because these animals need some of the same friendly intestinal cultures that we do (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei). So if a poor diet, illness, or medication has upset your pet’s digestive health, try serving them Plain Natural Yoghurt.

You can also serve yoghurt for daily health maintenance. Like humans, pets can benefit from regular servings of these beneficial cultures. They can even help with "doggy breath." And though your dog or cat might not be able to tolerate other dairy products, Natural Yoghurt is different, because the billions of cultures help break down the lactose, making it more digestible.

Who Needs It? Natural Yoghurt can help:

*dogs or cats recovering from poor diet, illness, antibiotic use, or other medications (tranquilizers and pain killers, for example, can really upset a pet’s digestive system)
*any dog or cat who has had diarrhea
*young dogs and cats if they’ve been ill or eaten something they shouldn’t have
*dogs or cats with sensitive systems that are easily upset by changing diets, travel, or stress (ask your vet about changing foods gradually, replacing the old food with the new in growing increments over the course of a week or longer)
*adopted pets or recovered strays who may have had less than desirable diets in their previous homes or shelters
*puppies or kittens who need a little help getting the right microbial balance started
*older pets whose systems are slowing down—aging can diminish natural levels of beneficial cultures in the digestive tract

How Much?

Always discuss your options with your veterinarian before feeding yoghurt to your pet. (Although it must be noted that most Malaysian vets are not terribly keen on alternative healing methods)

Only serve your pet all Plain Natural Yoghurt. Even though our flavored yoghurts are also all natural and sweetened with only pure crystalline fructose, your pet does not need the added ingredients. Fortunately, most pets find Natural Yoghurt highly palatable.

Decide the fat level (Full Fat, Lowfat, or Fat Free) based on your pet’s overall dietary needs and specific circumstances of the ailment. Your veterinarian knows best which fat level is appropriate. Fat has flavor and some pets, especially those with weak appetites, need that extra flavor to entice them. In these cases, try Full Fat. But some ailing or recovering pets can find high-fat foods hard to digest. In this case, try Fat Free or Lowfat. Additionally, if your cat or dog is older, overweight, or less active, you might prefer Lowfat or Fat Free.

Doses:

a. For adults dogs, serve 1/3 cup once or twice a day for medium-size dogs (less for smaller, more for large). See how your pet tolerates the first dose before offering the second. Ask our vet how to adjust the dose for puppies.

b. Serve 1/3 cup once a day for daily maintenance for adult medium–size dogs.

c. For adult cats, serve 2 teaspoons once or twice a day for medium-size cats (less for smaller, more for large). Again, cats can’t digest most dairy products, but the proteins in yoghurt are more easily digestible because they are broken downd. Serve 2 teaspoons once a day for daily maintenance for adult medium-size cats. Ask your vet on how to adjust the dose for kittens.