What is Kefir, and why is Kefir good for Dogs?
Kefir / PROBIOTICS
Kefir is a creamy, dairy based food made from the milk of cows or goats and is one of the oldest forms of cultured milk. Often labelled a “Probiotic Drink”, it is similar in taste and consistency to yoghurt, but kefir provides even more health benefits to your dog (and to you).
Typically, one tablespoon of kefir typically contains about 10 strains and 5 billion beneficial bacteria. Wow! Only the best of Probiotic Supplements for dogs even comes close, and it comes to you at a fraction of the price of prepared supplements. We prefer and recommend Goat Kefir. Expect to pay around $5 per 500ml.
What are the benefits of Kefir for Dogs?
If you’re not familiar with the enormous health benefits of probiotics, check this out. Probiotics:
- Contain a substantial amount of B Complex vitamins, Calcium, vitamin A, Vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus;
- Contain typtophan, an essential amino acid;
- Help prevent illness by building immunity;
- Contain natural antibiotics and have strong anti-fungal properties;
- Promote anti-cancer and anti-tumour activity in the body;
- Promote the faster healing of wounds;
- assist in the treatment of a variety of intestinal disorders including IBS and constipation
- can help restore the good bacteria and flora in the gut that is compromised by taking antibiotics
How to feed your dog Kefir
If you are convinced that Kefir is a good addition to your pooch’s diet, please approach it in the same way you would introducing any new food to the diet – go slow. The probiotics in kefir are highly concentrated so give your dog’s system time to adjust. For the first few days, serve only half of the recommended dosage. This will avoid stomach upset as your dog’s system adjusts to the increased quantity of good flora in their GI tract. You can bring the daily dosage up to the recommended amount over the space of a week or two.
As always, if your dog has a negative reaction to any new food, stop giving it! Though negative reactions to Kefir are rare.
How much Kefir should you feed a Dog?
The following is a guideline on how much kefir you should feed your dog based on their size:
- Small dogs: 1 tsp to 1 tbs
- Medium dogs: 1 tbs to 2 tbs
- Large dogs: 2 tbs to 3 tbs
For therapeutic dosage, such as following a course of antibiotics, you can double the above once your dog is used to having Kefir in their food.
