Probiotics: Equine Wellness tip

Probiotics are an important part of my Wellness program with my horses and dogs and even myself! Probiotics are, if you don't know, microorganisms that are beneficial for overall health and wellness.

Probiotics have been shown to:
 

• Enhance the immune system's ability to fight infections throughout our tissues
• Provide a source of Vitamin K
• Control bowel toxicity
• Reduce gas production.
• Reduced incidence of Colic
• Improved digestion, nutrition absorption and food utilization.
• Reduced inflammation
• Reduced Candida (thrush) symptoms.
• Reduced allergy response.
• Rebalance the gut when administering Anti-biotics
• Rebalance the gut after de-worming
• Beneficial to prevention and healing of Ulcers

Specific Probiotic strains and strengths are beneficial for certain health issues. It is good to know which ones are in the products you select and how many viable organisms are in each serving. For starters you want about 2 billion minimum. See some general Strains listed here:

Bacillus coagulans 

This strain can be helpful for Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Chronic Intestinal inflammation which is becoming more common in horses. This probiotic strain can also help with immune response against viral challenge.

Bifidobacterium
This strain is beneficial to digestion and vitamin absorption as well as Chronic diarrhea. It can benefit allergies and immune response. Can also help reduce stomach ulcers.

Lactobacillus acidophilus 

Best for Candida albicans (Thrush/Yeast infections) and helps reduce allergic response. Compared to other probiotics, Lactobacillus acidophilus survives the best in the conditions of the gastro intestinal tract when compared to other strains.

Lactobacillus casei

Is another strain that supports digestion, Nutrition absorption, and GI inflammatory issues. 

 I use Probiotics as a regular part of my Immune, Anti-Ulcer, Anti-Colic, Optimum nutrition approach. If you are looking for support for a specific health concern, check which profile may be best for best results. Here is the link to some high quality, different blends of Probiotics from Earthsong ranch:

http://www.earthsongranch.com/Equine-Yeast-+-38p359.htm

http://www.earthsongranch.com/Equine-Zyme-3p225.htm#details

http://www.earthsongranch.com/Equine-Zyme-Plus-3p230.htm

Here is another good site for Probiotics

http://udoerasmus.com/products/probiotics_en.htm