Probiotics

My dog Varg, a polar dog, probably has quite a sensitive stomach. He’s had a few bouts of diarrhoea, even though he’s only nine months old. I’ve tried Mush, your chicken recipe, but it’s all resulted in diarrhoea. Now he’s on saithe and sweet potato, which is going quite well. He might react slightly to the high amount of wheat germ oil. But he eats everything he can get his paws on, so it’s hard to say whether it’s the food or something else he’s getting in. Would it be a good idea to add a probiotic?

• It sounds as though Varg has a slightly sensitive stomach, but at the same time it’s hard to know whether the reactions are due to the food or all the exciting things he manages to get his paws on during his own adventures. The good news is that he seems to be doing quite well on pollock and sweet potato, so I’d be careful about making too many changes at once. When a young dog has had several episodes of diarrhoea, it can be helpful to support the gut flora while keeping the diet as stable as possible. A probiotic may therefore be a sensible measure. Saccharomyces boulardii is one of the options I often recommend for recurrent diarrhoea, as it is a beneficial yeast that can help stabilise the gut environment and support the intestinal barrier. I would therefore continue with the food tha…