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Zesty Paws; Vet’s Best; Vital Planet; Chewy/Business Insider
Adding probiotics to a dog’s diet can help reduce inflammation in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract, support digestion, speed up gut microbiome recovery after a virus, and ease diarrhea. The best probiotics for dogs can also offer benefits beyond digestive support. Research shows these beneficial bacteria may also help with issues such as itchy skin and potentially even anxiety.
To make our recommendations for this guide, we consulted veterinarians about what to look for in a probiotic supplement and evaluated dozens of products. Our experts say the most effective dog probiotics contain multiple strains of easily digestible bacteria with proven benefits for canine digestion and health.
Our top pick is Nutramax Proviable-DC Digestive Health Supplement, which can help ease short-term and chronic GI problems. We also included flavored chews and unflavored powders among our recommendations so you can choose the format that works best for your dog.
If your dog is showing signs of digestive issues and you’re thinking about giving them probiotics, be sure to talk to your veterinarian first to rule out any serious underlying medical conditions.
Read more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches pet products.
Our top picks for the best probiotics for dogs
Best overall: Nutramax Proviable-DC Digestive Health Supplement – See at Chewy
Best chews: Vet’s Best Probiotic Soft Chews – See at Chewy
Best powder: Vital Planet Flora Dog Probiotic – See at Chewy
Best for diarrhea: Zesty Paws Probiotic Bites – See at Chewy
Best for chronic DI diseases: Visbiome Vet High Potency Probiotic for Pets – See at Visbiome Vet
Best overall
Nutramax is a well-established brand that makes some of the best dog supplements, including Proviable-DC. This veterinarian-recommended probiotic has also been tested and approved by ConsumerLab, an independent lab that tests supplements for purity, strength, disintegration, and brand integrity.
Proviable-DC comes in a powder form that contains 5 billion CFUs (also known as colony-forming units). This is a measurement of the number of live microorganisms present in a probiotic. Dr. Mary Anne Amalaradjou, a veterinarian and associate professor of food microbiology in the department of animal sciences at the University of Connecticut, recommends choosing a probiotic that contains between 1 and 10 billion CFUs. The supplement contains seven strains of bacteria, the higher end of the range for the best probiotics for dogs, including Enterococcus faecium, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and others recommended by Amalaradjou.
Proviable-DC also includes prebiotics, a type of fiber that works in conjunction with probiotics to make them more effective. This combination is a smart choice for a gastrointestinal supplement because it may help the bacteria strains survive longer in the gut microbiome, says Dr. Michael Salkin, a veterinarian with JustAnswer.
We like that it’s less expensive than many probiotics we evaluated and more convenient since it doesn’t require refrigeration. It’s also safe for cats, which is useful for multi-pet households where animals may share food. However, it’s only available in powder sprinkle capsules, which may make it more difficult to give to your dog.
Best chews
Even the best dog probiotics won’t be as effective if they aren’t taken regularly. Chews are a great option that can help with consistent dosing if your dog rejects capsules or powder. Formulated by veterinarians, Vet’s Best Probiotic Soft Chews contain six bacteria strains and a reported 1.5 billion CFUs per chew, although independent testing by ConsumerLab found a count closer to 2.1 billion CFUs per chew.
The chews are made with potato starch and dried chicken liver and free of wheat, corn, and gluten, making them safe for dogs with sensitivities. They also contain the prebiotic inulin and ocean kelp, which has natural antioxidants that research shows may have benefits for animal health. This supplement is intended to be taken once per day, and at only 16 calories per chew, it’s within the calorie budget for most dogs.
Vet’s Best Probiotic Soft Chews are only available in chicken flavor. If your dog dislikes chicken, Finn Digestive Probiotics may be more appropriate. The beef-flavored chews are a bit less expensive but have not been tested by ConsumerLab.
Best powder
A probiotic in powder form is a good option for dogs that dislike tablets or chews. The Vital Planet Flora Dog Probiotic is a flavorless powder that you can easily sprinkle on or mix into your dog’s food.
This supplement has 20 billion CFUs and all of the expert-recommended bacteria strains. It also contains fructooligosaccharides, a prebiotic, and is certified by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC), an organization that tests animal supplements to ensure their safety.
Picky dogs may dislike the chalky texture of powder, and the powder doesn’t come in flavored options to suit different tastes. If you’d prefer to purchase flavored supplements, Vital Planet offers probiotic bacon-flavored soft chews and beef-flavored tablets.
Best for diarrhea
It’s not uncommon for dogs to experience diarrhea, usually from eating something they shouldn’t have. When this happens, their gut bacteria are temporarily out of balance. Most episodes pass in two to four days, but adding a probiotic to a highly digestible, high-fiber diet can help speed up the recovery, says Dr. Jan Suchodolski, a veterinarian and associate director for research at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine Gastrointestinal Laboratory.
In fact, a study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal found that giving puppies with acute diarrhea a multi-strain probiotic for seven days helped them recover much better and faster than puppies that went without. Zesty Paws Probiotic Bites contain six strains of gut-friendly bacteria and have 3 billion CFUs per chew. They also carry the NASC seal.
The chews contain flaxseed, garbanzo flour, papaya, and pumpkin, which are great sources of fiber that Suchodolski says are crucial to helping firm up stool. The soft texture of these chews makes them easy to feed to most dogs, and dosing for different-sized dogs is simple — give 1 chew per 25 pounds. You can purchase them in quantities from 10 to 250.
The ingredient list is longer than many of our other recommendations, so these treats may not be good for dogs with food sensitivities.
Best for chronic GI diseases
Studies show that giving dogs a probiotic regularly can improve symptoms of chronic gastrointestinal problems, like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic diarrhea. Some research says this is because of improved intestinal mucosa balance, while other studies point to lower inflammation, which allows gut bacteria to thrive and restore the gut microbiota.
Visbiome, formerly known as VSL#3, makes some of the most widely recommended probiotic supplements for both dogs and humans. It contains Bifidobacterium longum and several Lactobacillus strains, both of which have been shown to be effective for chronic GI issues in the aforementioned studies. Moreover, ConsumerLab testing determined Visbiome Vet is highly potent, with 225 billion CFUs per packet. While even more CFUs might not necessarily be better, Amalaradjou says that Visbiome Vet’s predecessor, VSL#3, has been tested in humans and dogs and has had positive effects on some digestive conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease.
We like that Visbiome Vet comes in powder form, which can easily be mixed with your dog’s food, and it’s also available in a capsule. While it should be refrigerated for long-term storage to maintain the live microorganisms, it can be kept at room temperature for up to seven days.
The main downside is that it’s expensive, at around $2.25 per dose. But the price may be worth it if you and your veterinarian decide a more robust supplement is appropriate for your dog.
What to look for in probiotics for dogs
Probiotics are essentially good bacteria, or good “bugs,” that naturally occur in the gut, Amalaradjou says. Your dog’s gut can have an imbalance of these good bugs for a variety of reasons, such as gastrointestinal inflammation or a poor diet. Probiotic supplements can help dogs get more beneficial bacteria and create a more diverse microbiome that Amalaradjou says can aid digestion and potentially have other positive effects on a dog’s health.
Here are a few things to consider when shopping for the best probiotics for your dog.
Colony-forming units (CFUs): Look for a product with a good number of CFUs. These are the live organisms that live in probiotics. Amalaradjou and Salkin say that products containing between 1 and 10 billion CFUs are a smart choice.
Expiration date and live organisms: Probiotics should have an expiration date on the package. Expiration dates should be clearly listed on the bag, bottle, or box containing the probiotics. Amalaradjou says a brand should disclose the number of live organisms that will be present at the end of a probiotic’s shelf life.
Storage instructions: Clear dosing instructions should be provided, ideally on the product package or the brand’s website. For example, probiotics left for just 15 minutes in a hot car may become less viable, so Amalaradjou recommends closely following storage instructions to ensure viability.
Third-party testing and NASC seal: Probiotics are an unregulated market, so testing from independent labs like ConsumerLab can help you determine whether a product is of sufficient quality, Suchodolsk says. Another quality marker is the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seal, which denotes that a supplement is from an audited, trustworthy company.
Proven bacteria strains: There are dozens of probiotic bacteria strains, but most formulas use anywhere from 1 to 8. Most common are sub-types of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, two bacteria families that produce GABA, an important neurotransmitter that’s quickly absorbed from the GI tract and a key influence on the gut-brain axis. While there isn’t much research comparing each strain head-to-head, Amalaradjou and Suchodolski recommend looking for a probiotic that contains bacteria strains shown through research or anecdotal evidence to be effective for gut health. Here are some of the most well-researched strains in canines:
- Enterococcus faecium is a lactic acid bacteria that has been shown to improve loose stool when taken with a healthy diet.
- Lactobacillus acidophilus is a bacteria strain naturally found in the gut. It adheres well to the intestinal mucus and strengthens the intestinal barrier function.
- Lactobacillus casei is one of the most studied probiotic strains. It has a high acidic tolerance, which means it can survive the passage through the GI tract and adhere well to the intestinal barrier.
- Lactobacillus plantarum is a well-studied probiotic strain with a high survival rate in the GI tract, a high genomic diversity, and it has been shown to be particularly beneficial for GI issues in puppies.
- Bifidobacterium animalis has a high survival rate against GI acid and helps with acute diarrhea in dogs.
Lactobacillus reuteri, another beneficial strain of the Lactobacillus family, can produce antimicrobial compounds to outcompete harmful microbes and promote a healthier gut environment.
How we selected the best probiotics for dogs
We selected the probiotics based on the criteria shared by our experts and combed through peer-reviewed studies to determine the most gut-friendly bacteria strains. We evaluated leading probiotics predominantly based on which live bacteria strains they contained, the number of CFUs, and if the formula had been verified by ConsumerLab or the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC), which grants its seal for products from companies that are regularly vetted for supplement quality and safety. Lastly, we considered each supplement’s storage instructions and whether the product had information about the number of live organisms. We also considered whether products were flavored, their method of delivery (capsule, powder, chew), and their safety for cats in multi-pet households.
Dog probiotics FAQs
What is the most effective probiotic for dogs?
Our best overall pick, Nutramax Proviable-DC Digestive Health Supplement, is from a highly reputable manufacturer and is frequently recommended by veterinarians. Its ingredients have also been independently verified by ConsumerLab. Ultimately, though, the ideal probiotic for your dog is the one your veterinarian recommends. If your vet gives you the go-ahead to start your dog on probiotics, we recommend buying a supplement that offers transparency about its ingredients. It should at least list its specific strains and CFU count, include directions for storage and an expiration date, and disclose the number of live organisms it contains.
How do I tell if my dog needs a probiotic?
The best probiotics for dogs can help alleviate some gastrointestinal conditions and stomach upset, but they’re not a cure-all. “For the most part, in dogs, when probiotics are used, they are used to help with digestion to support the immune system and to maintain a healthy gut,” Amalaradjou says. Our experts recommend consulting your veterinarian before starting your dog on probiotics. It’s important to rule out any underlying causes that may be serious and require more intensive care. For instance, if your dog has chronic diarrhea, your vet may recommend a special diet as part of their treatment, and some flavored probiotic supplements could interfere with treatment.
Do vets recommend probiotics for dogs?
Veterinarians may recommend probiotics to help ease digestive discomfort or support gut health. These supplements can be supportive, but they shouldn’t be considered as a medication or solution for a potentially more serious problem.
What are signs my dog needs probiotics?
Salkin says veterinarians and pet owners sometimes give probiotic supplements to dogs who are undergoing treatment with antibiotics. Disturbances to the gut microbiome and accompanying symptoms, such as diarrhea, can signal something is amiss. However, Salkin says not to rush into buying a probiotic supplement expecting it will resolve your dog’s digestive problems. “A probiotic or prebiotic does not preclude a physical exam and testing in the form of blood, urine, and fecal testing,” he says. If you suspect your dog has gastrointestinal problems, start by consulting your veterinarian.