Remember when you were a kid and everyone would comment on how a dog’s mouth is so much cleaner than a human’s? Turns out that dogs’ mouths aren’t quite as clean as you think, but that’s actually a good thing. A recent study looked at the effects of kissing your dog on your probiotic levels.
Why Are Probiotics So Important?
In the natural health world, there seems to be a lot of focus on probiotics. Yogurt comes fortified with probiotics, there are drinks that are teeming with probiotics, and you can even get them in supplement form.
This is all for good reason. Probiotics play a big role in stabilizing and improving your digestive health, which as you know is a key part of your physical well-being. Probiotics is a term that covers of many types of good bacteria that kill bad bacteria to maintain balance in the gut.
How Kissing Your Dog is Good for Your Gut
The most recent study to come out of this subject looks at how a dog’s microbe, which is considerably different from that of humans, can have a positive probiotic effect on humans. Basically, researchers are looking to see if dogs can have the same effect as yogurt, kefir, or probiotic supplements.
The study will match humans over age 50 with a dog from the local shelter. Over a period of three months, researchers will test the gut microflora of both the humans and the dogs. Any changes that occur over the three month period will be studied extensively. Each human in the study gets to pick the dog that they live with.
Improving a Dog’s Probiotic Levels
Digestive health isn’t just important for humans. The focus of this study should prove that it is just as important for dogs. In fact, many types of conventional dog food do not provide dogs with the digestive support they need. This may lead to an increase in digestive symptoms, illnesses, and even digestive disorders.
If humans are going to benefit from the microflora in their dog’s digestive system, it makes sense that dogs should be in top digestive health. Many animal experts believe that dogs should be getting probiotic supplements, just like humans.
However, if you decide to give your dogs probiotics, do not look for them in dry food. While food manufacturers may try to benefit from the growing popularity of probiotics, your dog will get few to no quality probiotics in dry food. Probiotics are living bacteria, and so they must be kept in such a way that they are still living when they get to your dog.
In addition, it is important to make sure that you use dog probiotics for your pet, not human probiotics. Humans and dogs have significantly different digestive systems, and it is important to give your pet the probiotics that are best for his health.
In case you needed another reason to love your canine friend, now you know that your dog may even be good for your digestive health. Next time Fido comes up for a kiss, let him lick your face!
Sources:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/kissing-your-dog-could-improve-your-health-scientists-say-10122388.html
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/26/advantages-of-using-pet-probiotics.aspx
http://www.medicaldaily.com/mans-best-friend-also-mans-best-medicine-dogs-may-have-probiotic-effect-gut-bacteria-326632
http://www.uadogstudy.org/
This Site Was Inspired By An Interest in Protecting the Environment
We had the privilege and joy of learning from Dr. Charlie Stine who instilled a love for the natural world through incredible field trips with the Johns Hopkins Odyssey Certificate program in Environmental Studies. At the time, the program was endorsed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Sadly, after Dr. Stine retired, the program was phased out. We hope that we honor his legacy by shining a bright light on environmental issues and sharing good news about the success of various conservation programs when possible.