Question about acidophilus

Bostongirl'sChin75 · Jul 24, 2010

My chin Herby recently had a filing done and after a filing I like to give her acidophilus but she does not like anything sprinkled on her food so I have been giving her a whole acidophilus tablet that has been "soaking" inside the container of rose hips I give as occasional treats.

Is there such a thing as too much acidophilus? I have been giving her one every day since her filing.

ticklechin · Jul 25, 2010

Why do you give it? Just curious since chins after filing rarely have any digestive isues if hand fed properly. Mind you, it won't hurt and you can't over dose it but if she does not wan't it I would not force the issue. Also, the chewable tablets can have alot of sugar in them and they usually have a low bacterial count so check your label!

Bostongirl'sChin75 · Jul 25, 2010

The label says over 2 billion.. and they are the kind that have to be swallowed..is that enough, too much, not enough? I was giving it to her since she was still on pain meds up until this morning and because she was not eating her pellets as well as she should be though I noticed this morning that she had eaten most of them. I was also still giving her critical care in a bowl up until yesterday, mixed with some of her pellets.
Ive been down the bloat/gi stasis road with her once before and it scared the devil out of me, so I guess I was trying to make sure the goods flora in her gut stayed balanced..
Which was probably over kill, right?

ticklechin · Jul 25, 2010

Have you chewed on one of the tablets? If I am givng acidophilus I always taste what I am giving-some taste nasty and some taste like nothing. I prefer powder from the capsules and you can sprinkle it in your CC and give her a few CCs of the acidophilus mixed CC to get it down. To be honest 2 billion is not enough bacteria to make it alive past the stomach to the cecum where the bacteria does its work, you should at least be using 10 billion, I personally use 30 billion if I am pre-treating or treating bloat or if I have to use oral baytril. With dental chins the pain meds don't effect bacteria so since I usually handfeed until the meds are done and I wean when I feel the chin will not slipping any weight once I start cutting back on feedings it really does not become a issue with the digestive tract.

AZChins · Jul 25, 2010

I use one that has 7 billion per capsule...the difference between that and the lower count is very evident in how well it works. I sprinkle it on the pellets and mix it right in with whatever I am handfeeding.

Honestly, I think that the chewables do very little for the chins. It's a pain to get them to eat the whole thing. With the powder in the capsules I can make them eat it all and get a lot of probiotic right into the chin without as much trouble.

Wait, was this a tablet or a chewable that you were feeding? I don't know how you'd get them to eat a tablet, or at least very much of it.

Bostongirl'sChin75 · Jul 25, 2010

It was a tablet and I tasted it.. ( I taste most everything I give to my chins..) It didnt taste like anything. And she ate the whole thing, as weird as that it is, because she doesn't even eat a whole rosehip or shreddie.

I got to looking at the bottle and the bottle did say 10 billion not 2 billion. I got them from the local health food store here in town when I bought my vitamins. I went in looking for the capsules with the powder but they didn't have any and neither did any of the drug stores in town..where do you guys buy yours?