Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics in Pet Food

Oct 29, 2024

Gut health is the secret to happy tummies and wagging tails. It’s also key to glossy coats, bouncy energy, and fewer of those embarrassing moments in the park when your dog decides to play “guess who left that” with their less-than-solid offerings.

To keep your furry friend feeling fabulous, it’s important to include a powerful trio in their diet: prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Together, they support digestion and boost immunity in both cats and dogs.

But what are prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics? Sounds like they’re forming a biotic boyband, but each has a unique role in helping your pet’s gut. Let’s break down the science and explain why these three amigos are essential for your pet’s diet, with a little help from the ingredients packed into our range of gut-friendly products.

THE GUT MICROBIOME: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of pre-, pro-, and postbiotics, it’s important to understand the gut microbiome. Your pet’s gut is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. These tiny tenants play a key role in everything from digesting food to supporting the immune system, keeping your pet’s digestive system ticking along like a well-oiled machine.
When the gut microbiome is balanced, your pet feels great! However, if the balance is off, that’s when trouble starts – think bloating, poor digestion, and an upset tummy (cue the frantic dash to the door for walkies). That’s why a diet packed with gut-boosting ingredients is so important, and where prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics come into play.

PREBIOTICS: FOOD FOR THE FRIENDLY BACTERIA

Let’s start with prebiotics, the gut’s equivalent of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Prebiotics are types of fibre that don’t get digested in the stomach but instead head straight for the intestines, where they serve as food for the good bacteria already living there. It’s like rolling out an all-you-can-eat buffet for your pet’s gut bacteria. Yum!
To help those good bacteria thrive, our dry food is often with prebiotic goodness. For instance, chicory extract is a fantastic source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic that’s particularly good at encouraging beneficial gut bacteria to grow. There’s also yucca schidigera and dried alfalfa – both rich in prebiotics – which help reduce the less pleasant side effects of digestion (less smelly poo).
For pets who prefer a softer bite, some of our wet food and treats also contain the soothing power of slippery elm bark, a prebiotic that helps support digestion and can calm down sensitive stomachs. If your pet’s tummy needs a little TLC, it’s the perfect addition.

THE BENEFITS OF PREBIOTICS:

Support healthy digestion by feeding the good bacteria in the gut
Help reduce inflammation and digestive discomfort
Can lead to firmer stools (which all pet parents will appreciate!)

PROBIOTICS: THE FRIENDLY BACTERIA THEMSELVES

Next up, probiotics. These are the actual living bacteria that make their way into your pet’s gut to give the friendly bacteria army a little reinforcement. Think of probiotics as the gut’s personal cheerleading squad – they get in there, rally the troops, and help create a healthy gut environment.
Our dry food is rich in the probiotic Enterococcus faecium and is a powerful way to introduce these live, friendly bacteria into your pet’s diet. Enterococcus faecium is included at a whopping 1 x 10⁹ CFU (that’s colony-forming units – basically, loads of good bacteria). Probiotics like this help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your pet’s gut, which is important for both digestion and immunity.
Stress, vet visits, or antibiotics can disrupt your pet's gut flora. Probiotics act as a reset button, gradually restoring balance in your pet’s gut flora after antibiotics getting your cat or dog back to their normal digestion.

THE BENEFITS OF PROBIOTICS:

Help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria
Aid digestion and nutrient absorption
Support a strong immune system (because over 70% of the immune system is estimated to reside in the gut!)

POSTBIOTICS: THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Now, let’s talk about the gut health newcomer – postbiotics. Unlike prebiotics and probiotics, postbiotics aren’t live bacteria or the fibre they feed on. Postbiotics include beneficial by-products of probiotic fermentation as well as inactivated microbes, both of which support gut health and immunity. It’s like the probiotic bacteria are saying, “We’re finished here, but here’s something useful for you before we go.”

These beneficial by-products include things like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and enzymes that can further support gut health, boost immunity, and even have anti-inflammatory effects. Postbiotics might be the “quiet ones” in the biotic world, but they pack a punch for your pet’s digestive health and overall well-being.

Postbiotic Nibbles are one way to introduce postbiotics into your pet’s diet, containing 4% postbiotic yeast product (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). These tasty treats support a healthy digestive system, making them the perfect snack for pets with sensitive stomachs, or for any cat or dog who deserves a little gut-friendly indulgence (which, let’s face it, is all of them). You can also find postbiotics in our meat-packed range of dry food for cats or dogs, making serving up those postbiotics completely fuss-free.

THE BENEFITS OF POSTBIOTICS:

Help strengthen the gut lining, reducing the risk of leaky gut
Support a healthy immune system
Provide anti-inflammatory effects for overall wellness

WHY GUT HEALTH MATTERS FOR IMMUNITY

So, why is gut health such a big deal? Well, aside from keeping your pet’s digestive system in tip-top shape, the gut is also home to a huge portion of the immune system. In fact, about 70% of your pet’s immune cells are in their gut, so a healthy gut means a strong immune system.

When you feed your pet a diet rich in prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, you’re not just looking after their digestion – you’re also giving their immune system a boost, which can help them fight off infections, reduce inflammation, and stay in peak condition. Who knew that what goes in one end could have such a big impact on the rest of their body?

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PET FOOD FOR GUT HEALTH

With so many options out there, it can be tricky to know what to feed your pet. But when it comes to gut health, a balanced diet that includes all three biotics – prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics – is the way to go. Whether it’s prebiotic-rich dry food, probiotic-packed meals, or postbiotic-enhanced treats, make sure to choose recipes that support your pet’s gut health every day.
And while no one can promise that your dog will never steal your sandwich again or that your cat will stop giving you that “I’m better than you” look, a gut-friendly diet will definitely keep their tummies happy.

KEYWORDS TO IMPRESS YOUR VET (OR JUST SOUND SUPER CLEVER)

Prebiotics: Think of these as the VIP pass for your pet’s gut bacteria – they feed the good guys.
Probiotics: Friendly live bacteria that help keep your pet’s gut healthy. They’re like the gut’s personal trainers.
Postbiotics: The cool by-products from probiotics that help support the immune system and reduce inflammation. Basically, the cherry on top of the gut health cake.
Gut Microbiome: A fancy term for the community of bacteria and other microbes living in your pet’s gut. A well-balanced microbiome is key to a healthy, happy pet.
CFU (Colony Forming Units): The number of live bacteria in probiotics. Think of it like counting the players on a football team – the more, the merrier!

So, next time you fill up your pet’s bowl, know that you’re giving their gut the TLC it deserves. By including prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics in their diet, you’re setting your furry friend up for a lifetime of tail wags, purrs, and, yes, much better poo. And if that’s not a reason to celebrate, we don’t know what is!