Prebiotics for Dogs

What Are Prebiotics for Dogs?

Your dog’s gastrointestinal tract has a rich community of microbiota consisting of bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses, and protozoa.^1,2

The bacteria involved in this system can be beneficial (probiotics) or harmful (pathobiotics). A healthy canine gut is characterized by a higher number of probiotics than pathobiotics.² One way to help give the probiotics in your dog’s gastrointestinal system a leg up is to ensure your dog is getting plenty of prebiotics, the “food” that probiotics eat.

Prebiotics are chemical compounds that cannot be digested by your dog. Instead, they travel to the large intestine and promote the growth of probiotics and their metabolites. These metabolites extend beyond the gut and intestine and into the immune system.^3,4

Once in the gastrointestinal tract, prebiotics undergo fermentation, causing a decrease in the pH of the colon, which promotes the growth of probiotics and increases antimicrobial impacts on pathobiotics.³

Prebiotics in the Diet

Prebiotics can be found naturally in high-fiber foods that are safe to give to your dog, such as mushrooms, fermented foods, dandelion root, pumpkin, and burdock root. You may see these listed as ingredients in commercial diets, or you may include them in a balanced homemade diet, or use them as toppers.

Many dogs can get the prebiotics they need from their diet. If your dog could use a little more prebiotic support, for example, after a round of antibiotics, using food to supplement their prebiotic needs might be helpful.

By adding small amounts of a wide variety of fiber-rich veggies to your dog’s diet (a bite or two of a different veg each day in rotation) you can promote the growth of many different types of beneficial gut microbes.

Giving these small but mighty additions to the diet would also provide myriad other phytonutrients that have health benefits. There are many foods that provide prebiotics:

• Mushrooms
• Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir
• Dandelion root
• Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain pumpkin)
• Burdock root
• Asparagus
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Green bananas
• Apples
• Carrots
• And more!

Using food as your source, rather than focusing on only one or a few species with one fiber source in a prebiotic supplement (see below), makes it less likely you will need your veterinarian’s help or supervision. Using foods also usually avoids constipation or diarrhea (again, see below).

However, foods may not be able to fully meet your dog’s needs, particularly if he cannot eat enough. If your veterinarian determines your dog needs more prebiotics than her diet is providing or has performed a microbiome analysis and has pinpointed a needed probiotic, a supplement can help deliver some high impact prebiotics.

Evidence for Efficacy for Using a Prebiotic Supplement

Prebiotic supplements certainly appear to positively affect immunity and immune system function.

For example, a recent study evaluated the effects of prebiotics in different concentrations in healthy adult dogs and concluded that the prebiotic galactooligosaccharide at 1.0% concentration improved the overall immunity of the dogs studied.⁵

While still not fully understood, research strongly suggests that your dog’s microbiota and their cancer are connected. In a study of 12 dogs with lymphoma and 21 without, the two groups had significantly different microbial communities.¹ Bacterial families generally associated with gut health (Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae) along with a bacterial family generally associated with modulating the immune system (Faecalbacterium) were lower in dogs with lymphoma than those without.

In regard to helping treat cancer, prebiotics reduced the incidence of mammary tumors in rats6 and feeding fructooligosaccharides to 28 female Beagles with cancer reduced cancer cell growth and resulted in a smaller proliferation zone.⁷

Prebiotics may also aid in recovery and symptom management for dogs undergoing conventional cancer therapies like surgery. The administration of symbiotics, or giving both probiotics and prebiotics, reduced postoperative mortality and complication rates in canine cancer patients undergoing surgery.⁸

Common Uses of Prebiotics for Dogs

The use and efficacy of prebiotics remains understudied in dogs. However, the ability of probiotics to support the immune system, and the role of prebiotics in feeding them, makes a prebiotic supplement potentially applicable to all cancer types.

More specifically, at least one study has demonstrated the efficacy of prebiotics as a treatment therapy for colon cancer in dogs.⁷

Safety and Side Effects

Unfortunately, many prebiotic products marketed for dogs lack proper quality control standards.⁹ Commercial product labels may not provide sufficient information about the prebiotics they contain or their amounts.

You should only purchase from reputable manufacturers to ensure the safety of your dog and the efficacy of the product you’re using to assist with their fight against cancer.⁹

The side effects of prebiotics will vary from dog to dog, but gas production is essentially inevitable due to the natural fermentation process that prebiotics undergo.¹⁰ Stomach discomfort, signaled by rumbling and cramping, may result.¹⁰

The duration of time that your dog receives probiotics will best be decided by your veterinarian. No negative side effects were reported in a study of dogs given a prebiotic blend for 60 days.¹¹

Can Prebiotics Be Given with Other Supplements and Treatments?

Always consult with your veterinarian before adding prebiotics to your dog’s current daily diet and treatment regimen, particularly if you are seeking it as an adjuvant therapy to their cancer treatment plan.

Prebiotics can be taken with conventional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and surgery. In a research study investigating the impacts of prebiotics on recovery periods of dogs who had surgery, those who were given prebiotics recovered faster.¹²

When used in conjunction with chemotherapy, prebiotics can ease common negative effects such as diarrhea.

Prebiotics feed probiotics, so supplying your dog with both simultaneously may pack a powerful punch. Many commercial supplement options include both, though your dog’s needs will ultimately determine whether a focus on one of the two, or the administration of both, is best.

When to Not Use Prebiotics for Dogs

Prebiotics are generally safe to use for your dog, but caution is advised for dogs that are immuncompromised.⁹

The labeling included on the prebiotic packaging itself will help alert you when to not use that particular product. For example, some products state that they are safe for puppies 6 weeks or older, while others require that puppies be 12 weeks or older.

Packaging will also likely warn against using the product in dogs that are pregnant or nursing.

Be sure to check all of the ingredients that are in a commercial prebiotic. These products are typically mixtures, and you want to double-check that your dog is not allergic to any of the compounds included.

How to Give Prebiotics to Dogs

Prebiotics can be sold singularly or as a blend.

You may find that there are more prebiotic options for humans than there are for dogs. While human prebiotics can be given to dogs, these are not nearly as effective. Canine and human digestive systems are very different, as are the probiotics that prebiotics are meant to feed, so species-specific formulas are best.

The effective dose and dosage period of prebiotic supplements is not well known.¹² Different factors such as your dog’s breed, size, age, and diet will likely influence their optimal dosage.¹⁰

One study that evaluated the effects of a prebiotic blend on 24 dogs found that the 60-day study period was not enough to influence measurable products in feces or in the immune system.¹¹ Given the longer duration of time used in the study, it’s likely that a higher concentration may have been needed.¹¹

Of studies that have determined influential doses of particular prebiotics, it was suggested that 4 to 8 g of fructooligosaccharides and inulin were effective.¹²

Figuring out the appropriate product, dose, and time period will best be sorted by talking with your veterinarian and keeping them updated on any developments. For example, constipation or loose stools may indicate an incorrect dosage amount, which your vet can help remedy^.9

What If I Miss a Dose?

If you miss a dose, simply treat it as a skipped dose and continue your dog’s regimen as normal for the next dose. Do not give your dog any extra prebiotics to make up for the skipped dose. This could be too much at once, and could upset your dog’s stomach.

Storage and Handling

Storage and handling directions may vary by product, so be sure to follow its specific instructions.

For example, a powder version of a commercially available prebiotic and probiotic formula says to refrigerate it after opening or store in a cool dry place.

Keep in mind that prebiotics can go bad, so it’s important that you follow label directions and adhere to the “Best By” date.

Our Take on Prebiotics for Dogs

A healthy microbiome has countless benefits for your dog’s well-being and longevity. Using a variety of fiber-rich foods to boost healthy probiotic populations may be a good choice in general.

Prebiotics help ensure a robust array of helpful microbiota by contributing vital nutrients necessary for probiotics to flourish. These organisms not only work to improve the gut health of your dog, but can also heighten proper immune system function.

The connection between disease and the microbiome is clear, but understanding of its role in canine cancer, and how prebiotics can help, is still in its infancy.

Nevertheless, existing research suggests that carefully selected prebiotics from reputable companies can be a game-changer for your dog’s health when dosage amounts and timelines are optimized.

Their accessibility, ease of administration, and multiple benefits make the use of prebiotics worth a conversation with your veterinarian.