Poor digestive health affects many dogs in America.

In my experience over the past 15 years or so I’ve found it to be very common, and 9 times out of 10 a poor diet seems to be the cause. Usually a poorly formulated dog food made excessively of grains or gluten like wheat or cereal grains.

Most of the time, neither a pet owner or veterinarian will consider a dog food to be the cause, which is odd, don’t you think?

After all, we all know poor diet is the cause of most health problems – especially poor gut health.

Supplements for gut health, such as Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect and Gut Restore can really help your dog, but you must assess your dog’s diet as well. If you don’t, you’re not really fixing the problem, are you?

With that important factor out of the way, let’s take a look at Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect and Gut Restore and see how (and why) they may work for your dog:

A Little Bit About Canine Ceuticals

Canine Ceuticals are an American owned company, and all of their products are made in America using ethically sourced human-grade ingredients. That’s really good to hear.

They offer a wide range of supplements for dogs and cats, and all seem beneficial.

Some supplements, such as Replace-A-Bone (freeze dried bone) and Dental Health (made of seaweed) feel like a very expensive way to fix issues which a real raw meaty bone would fix far more efficiently and cheaply. If that’s an option.

For now we’ll focus on Gut Protect and Gut Restore, as given the amount of Aussie dogs suffering poor gut health, these supplements could be a godsend.

Essential Considerations About Gut Health in Dogs

I don’t want to beat around the bush too much, but as a pet nutritionist I must always do my best to alert you to what I consider the number one cause of health problems in our pets – diet.

If you don’t care about this preamble, skip straight to the below sections on Gut Protect and Gut Restore. I won’t be offended.

Otherwise, lets take a look at the symptoms of both poor gut health and poor diet.

Did you know the symptoms of poor gut health are almost identical to the symptoms of bad diet?

Below are the main symptoms of poor gut health, which should encourage you to (1) assess diet, and (2) consider supplements such as Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect and Gut Restore:

• Flatulence, diarrhea, loose stools, or constipation
• Vomiting (or excessively eating grass)
• Bad breath
• Skin issues – itchy skin, scratching, licking paws, yeasty ears
• Dull coat and excessive shedding
• Abdominal discomfort (a symptom we often miss, or missinterpret)
• Changes in behaviour
• Weight change
• Sudden changes in appetite (increased appetite as well as decreased)

If you have any doubts about your current pet food, read the relevant review on this website.

Gut issues may also be caused by medication, antibiotics, stress & anxiety, poor health, or illness, so consider those too as well as diet.

Some breeds are more prone to gut issues than others, such as Pugs, Boxers, Bulldogs, Labradors, Retrievers, and Dachshunds to name a few.

Sometimes, possibly more than we realise, poor gut health starts from birth and weening. Did your breeder ween your puppy on processed cereal grains manufactured by Mars or Nestle? Quite likely, as these are common brands breeders recommend for carnivorous animals.

Once you’ve assessed symptoms and diet, now it’s time to assess supplements such as those on offer from Canine Ceuticals.

Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect

Gut Protect works more as a preventative against gut issues, whereas Gut Restore will be what you want if your dog is clearly suffering.

The two supplements are very different in ingredients, so choose the right supplement for your needs.

Gut Protect should, as the name suggests, protect your dog from possible gut health issues. It does this with a range of ingredients, namely soluble fibre and prebiotics, but that’s not all.

To offer a summary, Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect is definitely a well formulated multifaceted solution to protect the gut health of your dog, and clearly high quality. I expect any dog would benefit from a supplement such as this.

If you want to know exactly why, next I’ll go into each ingredient in more depth (sorry in advance, it will get complex):

• Organic Psyllium Husks – Listed first, this will be the main ingredient. Psyllium husks are a soluble fibre used by many who need help firming up stools, or to cater for conditions such as diverticulosis. Psyllium husk, combined with an adequate water intake, will help support overall gut health for your dog and regulate stools.
• Inulin (from Organic Jerusalem Artichoke) – A prebiotic which will aid the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, This will help your dog digest their food better, and promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the microbiome.
• Larch Arabinogalactan – A plant-derived prebiotic to support the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, again to improve your dog’s overall digestive function.
• DigeZyme® (Consisting of Alpha Amylase, Acid Protease, Cellulase, Lactase, Lipase) – This is a multi-enzyme complex containing designed help your dog efficiently breakdown and absorb nutrients.
• Lactospore® (Bacillus Coagulans MTCC5856) – A probiotic strain, included to further promote beneficial bacteria in the gut.
• Matricaria Chamomilla (Flower) Ext. (Chamomile) – Chamomile, derived from Matricaria chamomilla, has shown to work as an anti-inflammatory as well as offer calming properties. This should both ease discomfort in your dog’s digestive tract and help calm any anxiety.
• Foeniculum Vulgare (Seed) Ext. (Fennel) – Fennel, extracted from Foeniculum vulgare seeds, is also known for having anti-inflammatory and digestive properties. By now you’ll likely realise how Canine Ceuticals have taken a very through aproach to protecting your dogs gut!

Please note ingredients of most supplements change over time, and the above are the ingredients of Canine Ceutical Gut Protect at the time of writing.

Canine Ceuticals Gut Restore

Canine Ceuticals Gut Restore is the supplement you want if more intensive intervention is required. You may of course be reading this as your veterinarian has recommended the supplement?

Some Aussie vets will recommend this supplement if your dog has reacted to a course of antibiotics or they’re currently recovering from illness. As said previously, it is unlikely your veterinarian has considered diet as the cause of a condition, so assess that first.

Combined with a good diet, Gut Restore offers a range of ingredients which should help remedy your dog’s gut issues, and given the ingredients I strongly suspect it will do just that.

If you read the above review of Gut Protect (the supplement designed to help prevent gut issues), you’ll know already how thorough Canine Ceuticals are with their gut supplements.

If you want to know exactly why and how, put on your nerdy hat and keep reading:

• L-Glutamine – An amino acid which supports intestinal cell regeneration and maintaining the integrity of the gut lining.
• Ulmus Rubra (Stem Bark Inner) (Slippery Elm) – Slippery Elm is known for having soothing properties on the gastrointestinal tract, helping reduce inflammation and promote digestive comfort.
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) – MSM is a sulfur compound with anti-inflammatory properties. These should help recreate a healthy gut environment and reduce any discomfort your dog may be feeling.
• Glycine – An amino acid which supports the synthesis of collagen in the gut. This serves to help maintain your dog’s gut health.
• Saccharomyces Boulardii – This is a beneficial yeast which helps balance the gut microbiome. It should help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• Pectin – A soluble fibre to help regulate your dog’s bowels.
• Vitamin C – As an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps boost your dog’s immune system.
• Althaea Officinalis (Root) Ext. (Marshmallow Root) – Marshmallow root is used for its mucilaginous properties. In English, that means it should offer soothing effects on your dog’s digestive tract as well as promoting a healthy gut lining.
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Root) Ext. (Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root, DGL) – DGL comes from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and is used for its anti-inflammatory effect.
• Matricaria Chamomilla (Flower) Ext. (Chamomile) – This is the one ingredient Gut Restore has in common with Gut Protect. Chamomile is used as an anti-inflammatory and should also aid an anxious dog’s anxiety.
• Quercetin – This is known as a flavonoid, used as an antioxidant to help manage inflammation and support overall gut health.
• Curcuma Longa (Std. 95% Curcuminoids) Ext. (Turmeric) – Turmeric (and curcuminoids) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which should help manage any inflammation in your dog’s gut as well as support their gut health.
• Zinc Bisglycinate – Zinc is an essential mineral which supports immune function.
• Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) – Vitamin B12 is essential for numerous bodily functions, including digestive health and wellbeing.
• Silica – A mineral which may support connective tissue health, hopefully increasing the integrity of your dog’s gastrointestinal tract.

Final Thoughts

If your dog is suffering from poor gut health or is recovering from illness or antibiotics, then Canine Ceuticals Gut Restore could well be a worthwhile investment to help your dog get back on track.

If you have a breed prone to poor gut health, dietary sensitivities, or allergies, then Canine Ceuticals Gut Protect appears to be well-considered formula which would very likely help. As long as your dog has a health diet as well.

Given the ingredients of both Gut Protect and Gut Restore supplements, and given the use of human-grade ingredients, these should offer your dog real health benefits.

Purina FortiFlora, by Nestle, is allegedly the #1 Probiotic brand recommended by veterinarians. This statistic is according to a Kantar Veterinary Tracker, but how that statistic is determined I have no idea, and it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best probiotic for your pet.

Some vets recommend a better diet for your pet over an expensive probiotic supplement. You should consider that too, as otherwise you’re not addressing the real cause of your pet’s gut issues

Purina America state on their website “GI conditions, such as diarrhoea and flatulence are often associated with an imbalance in the intestinal microflora.”

I would say “GI conditions, such as diarrhoea and flatulence are often associated with a bad diet.” That’s based on my experience.

Let’s take a look at Purina FortiFlora probiotic for both dogs and cats. Note there’s a page on probiotics for dogs on which Big Dog and Petz Park probiotics might be good brands to compare with.

Purina FortiFlora Review

What the marketing says

The marketing says “proprietary microencapsulation process for enhanced stability”.

Don’t worry, that didn’t mean much to me either. Purina love clever sounding marketing terms which mean very little to us lowly consumers.

The other two benefits listed for FortiFlora are it “increases levels of beneficial bacteria”, and just like a change in diet would do, it also “helps reduce flatulence”.

It has to be said Purina FortiFlora may benefit your dog, and benefit you as well if they keep farting, so next we’ll take a look at the ingredients so see if we can find out the real benefits.

What the ingredients really say

The first ingredient is liver flavour.

So not real liver?

Something which mimics the taste of liver by whatever natural or artificial means? Nestle Purina’s secret liver recipe perhaps?

That’s the big question in my mind, especially as this is the first and main ingredient – What really is liver flavour in this probiotic supplement? If you’re wondering that too then I may have the answer, so keep reading.

The second ingredient is dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, which is the real probiotic. It’s commonly used in probiotic supplements and some truly premium pet foods. Enterococcus faecium is a type of “good” bacteria which can help balance the gut microbiota (all the little microorganisms in the digestive system), or in simpler terms settle the gut.

While giving enterococcus faecium to your pet may improve their symptoms, are you actually fixing the issue? I consider it somewhat of a cosmetic coverup if you’re not addressing the cause of the gut issues in the first place, which is most often bad diet – so please keep that in mind.

The third ingredient is L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, which to you and I is Vitamin C. It’s used in pet products as it offers a slow-release of Vitamin C, and has a number of benefits – immune support being a key benefit, but also prevention of damage from free radicals, and maintenance of healthy skin, joints, and tissues.

I’ll include the full list of ingredients below, but summarise by saying your dog or cat will likely benefit from Purina FortiFlora if they’re showing symptoms of GI problems. Whether it’s the best probiotic option for your pet I’ll let you decide.

So, what is liver flavour?

I stumbled upon a different set of ingredients from those currently listed on the Purina America website. I expect these were how the ingredients were listed previously before being rewritten to sound better.

In those ingredients Animal digest is listed instead of liver flavour, an ingredient which has got a bad rap with consumers who’ve become more knowledgeable in our era of the Internet and an abundance of information.

Animal digest is a broth from cooking animal parts in a big vat (known as rendering). The quality of that digest really depends on what goes into the vat, which in terms of pet food isn’t usually very pleasant to our ears. This could be chicken carcasses, off-cuts, leftovers from human food production, or worse, but as there may be some liver in there it seems it can now be referred to as “liver flavour”.

With that in mind, what sounds better to you, even if they’re the same thing? Animal digest or liver flavour?

Where to buy

Purina FortiFlora Canine

Purina FortiFlora Feline

Ingredients of Purina FortiFlora

Purina FortiFlora Canine ingredients:

Liver flavour, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Vitamin C), brewers dried yeast, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, beta-Carotene, salt, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

Purina FortiFlora Feline ingredients are the same as above.