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Probiotics for cavy?

sally28

Active member
Hi Everyone,

My cavy Pumpkin has just finished 2 weeks of antibiotics due to being very poorly with enlarged lymph glands in her neck and groin.
It was suspected she could have lymph node cancer, so my vet did a biopsy to check for this.
Of course i was devastated to hear this and ive had a long week of waiting for results.
However i was delighted to be told she does in fact not have cancer, although there may have been some cells pre cancerous.
I am taking this as good news as i think i am right in thinking that pre cancerous cells does not necessarily mean that it will defiantly
go onto become cancer? My vet said we can just see how she goes, as she can not remove all her glands and for now she is back to her normal self.
Pumpkin is 9 and is on a wide range of medication as she has syringomyelia and ibs.
She also like most cavys and suffers with her anal glands alot.
I would like to give her a daily probiotic to see if it helps her and also as she just been on antibiotics.
So was wondering if anyone could recommend a good one to try? That they use
Any help would be appreciated, also could it help with her anal glands?
Thanks sally
 
Of course you must check with your vet before giving any medicines or supplements to a dog which is already on medication and has health problems as Pumpkin does, but if the vet says he is happy for you to give a probiotic then there is none better than St Helens Farm Goats Milk Yoghurt, which has the Bulgaria bacteria in it. These are fabulous for cleaning out the digestive tract by putting in good bacteria and expelling the bad.

Other things which are really good are the garlic biscuits which I make for them and give one medium sized biccie to each dog for their breakfast.

Of all the Cavaliers I have had over the years none have ever had signs of cancer, touching wood very carefully as I write this! I give each dog the equivalent of one medium sized cooked organic tomato over the course of the weekend. They have half of one as a treat which I save them from my cooked breakfast every Saturday and the other half from Sunday morning's breakfast. It is widely believed that cooked tomatoes disperse the free radicals in the body which are a precursor to most kinds of cancer. I would say that Pumpkin's pre cancerous cells may well be reduced or eliminated if she was given cooked tomatoes on a regular basis. See what your vet says. Unless he says a very firm no, I would give it a try.
 
Hi
When my Westie had to have an operation due to a swallowed peach stone which got stuck :|, our Vet told us to give a probiotic for two weeks after surgery to help put back the good bacteria into her gut. She did great :D
 
Probiotics would often be recommended after a course of antibiotics and given the importance of gut health to overall health I highly recommend them as part of a good dog diet anyway.

There are good dried probiotics that you can buy and just add to food -- I have one that I got from an online pet place based in Yorkshire but cannot remember the name. I give it occasionally to the dogs and frequently to a cat I have who has some digestive issues.

Here's a whole list of some that are available however:

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplements-cat-supplements-prebiotic-probiotic-products-c-5_172
 
Mine get Kefir daily as their probiotic (and I up it if one has had a course of antibiotics).
Brooky is really prone to yeast infections and red yeast around her eyes/forehead - kefir solves this for us! I make my own, but you can buy in any health food store too.
 
I don't know if probiotics help with anal glands, but a lot of people - myself included - swear by adding a teaspoon of oat bran to their dog's food. It's very cheap and you should be able to pick up a pack at your local supermarket. The oatbran acts by adding fibre, which should bulk up the stools a little, thereby helping to stimulate the anal glands :)
 
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