M.W.Lewis
Posted : 10/2/2006 1:41:44 PM
ORIGINAL: threedogjeep
Could you guys explain the value of yogurt?
He may benefit from the probiotics (beneficial bacteria) found in live culture yogurt (like Stonyfield and Horizon, plain/unflavored).Probiotics are benficial bacteria that help to protect the mucous membranes from pathogens that cause disease and illness, so they help the immune system protect the body. These beneficial bacteria start to populate a puppies GI tract when they nurse and dogs maintain them throughout life but can get imbalanced overtime from stress, antibiotic use, bouts of diarreah and so on and the harmful bacteria can become overgrown. So by adding to the exisiting beneficial bacteria (with a probiotic supplement or yogurt containing live bacterial cultures) it helps crowd out the harmful type that cause illness and infection.
Here's a link on Probiotics:
[link
http://www.allourpets.com/health/probiotics-info.shtml]http://www.allourpets.com/health/probiotics-info.shtml[/link]
Probiotics can be used as a preventative measure but also they can be used to therapeutically to actually treat. Their use is more widespread in veterinary use than for humans at this point though. Purina has a veterinary product called Forti-Flora for diarreah and some veterinary products for various purposes for horses, chickens and pigs also contain probiotics. Fortunatley though the human use is growing and one form of probitoic was tested on ulcerative colitis patients and found to be just as effective as as the drug most often prescribed (Mesalazine).