Hello:
I also rotate probiotics for my zoo, but if all is going well I don’t add them to their diets. I feel less is more when they are healthy. The times I have used probiotics for Bobby is when he has had skin and fur issues; I know other posters use them for transitions to new foods and other health issues. When those skin & fur issues disappeared I continued probiotics for another month then I slowly stopped. I always have them on hand when/if I need them. At this time all is well and his body appears to be producing the healthy bacteria he needs so I don’t supplement with them.
I do feed Bobby kefir two or three times a month right now. He really loves it so it’s just a healthy treat I give him mixed with blueberries or other fruit. In the summer I freeze kefir cubes with fruit that he can eat outside and in the winter it’s more of a smoothie treat.
Also, I have had success using yogurt with live cultures and kefir, but there are times when you need more cfu’s per serving. I like and have used the Swanson product Naturella mentioned in her post. Right now I use Actipet Ultra Probiotic for my kitty who has Hyper-T and has skin problems. I have played around with not using probiotics or limiting them and he seems to do better with a dose at least three times a week.
Here’s some info on kefir and yogurt:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html
