8 Best Probiotics for Dogs – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Probiotics—it’s a common health buzzword, but most of us don’t know much about them. But if your dog is  going through some gut issues, has taken an antibiotic recently, or just needs a general immune system boost, a probiotic supplement might be the right solution. These live bacterial supplements help your dog to have a healthy digestive system and come with a whole host of other benefits.

But if you’re confused by the world of different strains, CFUs, and dozens of products on the market, our reviews can help you figure out what your best friend actually needs.

A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

The 8 Best Probiotics for Dogs

1. Honest Paws Well Pre+ Probiotics – Best Overall

If you’re trying to improve your dog’s gut health, it’s hard to do better than Honest Paws Well Pre+ Probiotics. This prebiotic supplement contains over 1 billion colony-forming units (CFUs), or 1 billion active bacteria per serving, with thirteen different strains to promote healthy and diverse gut flora. It’s designed to help with a range of symptoms, including allergies, digestive issues, constipation, bad breath, and more. Along with probiotics, this supplement also contains prebiotics, ingredients that help feed gut flora, including antioxidant-rich spinach and inulin, a high-fiber prebiotic.

Honest Paws Probiotics are also easy to use, with 30 individually packaged sachets per box, so you don’t have to scoop and measure the right amount of powder. The powder gets sprinkled over your dog’s food and is mostly flavorless. The one drawback of this style is that the portion is one size fits all—meaning that one packet may not be enough for larger dogs.

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2. Nutri-Vet Pre & Probiotics Soft Chews– Best Value

If you’re looking for a lot of bang for your buck, Nutri-vet Pre & Probiotics Soft Chews are a delicious way to support your dog’s digestion. Formulated specifically for dogs with flatulence or loose stools, these probiotics are low price and high quality. Each package contains 120 chew treats—that’s between 30 and 120 days of probiotics, depending on your dog’s weight. With 1 billion CFUs, these treats are packed with bacterial cultures. They also contain inulin, a helpful fiber-rich prebiotic that will jumpstart probiotic bacteria growth. Each treat is packed with delicious cheese and liver that leaves many dogs begging for more.

Although these are soft chews, it’s worth noting that many reviewers note that they aren’t that soft and can be difficult to eat for older dogs and dogs with dental issues. They are also a little controversial in flavor—while most dogs love the cheese and liver flavor, a few really despise it.

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3. Nutramax Proviable Capsules Probiotics & Prebiotics– Premium Choice

Nutramax Proviable Capsules Probiotics & Prebiotics are our premium choice because of their high CFU count and versatility. With over 5 billion CFUs per capsule and seven different strains of bacteria, these capsules are absolutely brimming with bacteria. They are formulated to be safe for dogs or cats, making them perfect for multi-pet households. They are also versatile in serving—each serving comes in a small gel cap pill that can be fed as-is or broken open to sprinkle on your pet’s food. These capsules are also full of prebiotics that help bacteria grow faster.

Although we love these pills, they are a little more expensive than many on the market. Some owners also don’t like feeding their dogs gelatin, an animal byproduct.

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4. Doggie Dailies Puppy Probiotics for Puppies w/Digestive Enzymes—Best for Puppies

If you’ve got a growing puppy, you might want to consider a puppy-specific formula to make sure its growing digestive system can handle it. That’s what we love about Doggie Dailies Puppy Probiotics for Puppies with Digestive Enzymes. These soft chews are delicious and easy to feed to a weaned pup, and they’re formulated to help your puppy’s gut get off to a good start. Along with the 500 million CFUs, each chew contains a variety of digestive enzymes like protease, amylase, and bromelain. These enzymes help your puppy’s immature digestive system break down food more easily, working hand in hand with the probiotics. Our only critique of this product is that all the bacteria are the same strain, making for a less diverse gut flora.

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5. NaturVet Advanced Probiotics & Enzymes

NaturVet Advanced Probiotics & Enzymes is the perfect choice for owners who want to know everything about the health of their pets. NaturVet has a reputation for being extremely open, with third-party quality controls and a lot of research behind their products, and this probiotic supplement, in particular, uses two of the most researched probiotic bacterial strains. This means that you can be assured that you’re getting what you’re paying for, making it perfect for pets with stomach issues.

These soft chews are ideal for older pets and pets with dental issues because they are very easy to chew, with a soft, almost gooey texture. However, that texture does make them a little trickier to serve, and many owners and a few dogs are turned off by it.

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6. Vibeful Probiotic Bites Pumpkin Flavored Soft Chews

With 1 billion live CFUs per serving, the Vibeful Probiotic Bites Pumpkin Flavored Soft Chews are delicious and nutritious. Each chew is based around pumpkin—a food that most pups love and that is also full of healthy antioxidants, making an irresistible power combo. This pumpkin-based treat is also great for dogs with common allergens since it’s free of chicken, wheat, corn, and soy.

Our only complaint is that it only has one strain of live bacteria, meaning that it promotes a less diverse gut flora than many other probiotics. Its pumpkin flavor also isn’t universally loved, so if your dog is a picky eater, you may be out of luck.

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7. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora Powder

If your dog is suffering from frequent diarrhea, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora Powder is a great solution. This probiotic powder comes in pre-measured sachets that you can sprinkle on your dog’s food. Each sachet is full of 100 million probiotics—lower than many on this list, but still plenty to be effective. It’s also full of antioxidants that also have a positive effect on gut health. Purina probiotics are created with a proprietary process that gives them a longer shelf life than many other live bacteria formulas, making it ideal if you want to order in bulk. The packet comes with a great tasting liver flavor that many dogs go wild for—but it does mean that if your dog’s extra picky, this might not be the powder for you.

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8. The Honest Kitchen Daily Boosters Instant Goat’s Milk with Probiotics

If powders and chews aren’t your jam, how about a delicious drink or topper? The Honest Kitchen Daily Boosters Instant Goat’s Milk with Probiotics is a dehydrated goat’s milk drink filled with probiotics. With just a little bit of water, it turns into a delicious bowl of milk that you can use as a topper on dry food or serve as a drink on its own. Unlike cow’s milk, goat’s milk is healthy, delicious, and easy to digest for dogs of all ages. Each serving contains about 1.25 billion CFUs, along with bromelain, a pineapple-based digestive enzyme.

The biggest drawback to Honest Kitchen’s Instant Goat’s Milk is that it requires daily preparation. Measuring out a scoop of powder and adding it to the right amount of warm water doesn’t take long, but it adds one more step to your busy day. It’s also prone to clumping if you don’t prepare it carefully.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Probiotics for Dogs

Does Your Dog Need Probiotics?

Probiotics are good for your dog, but are they really necessary? It depends. Every dog needs healthy probiotics, but yours might not need a supplement to get them. Probiotic bacteria are naturally occurring bacteria found in your dog’s gut (and yours, too!) that help digest food and have a host of other health benefits. They live in a mutually beneficial relationship with their host. If your dog already has a healthy colony of gut bacteria, it probably doesn’t need probiotic supplements to help it grow. But if that colony is struggling, adding some probiotics into your dog’s diet can make a world of difference. If your dog recently had an infection, went on antibiotics, or has a tendency towards digestive issues like diarrhea, bad breath, and flatulence, probiotics are worth a try.

The Benefits of Probiotic Supplements

Having a healthy probiotic colony in your gut comes with a world of health benefits. The most immediate benefits are fewer digestive problems. But there are all sorts of less obvious symptoms that can be cleared up if your dog needs probiotics. Probiotic bacteria promote a healthy immune system, making it easier for your dog to avoid sickness and heal quickly. They also can promote healthy skin and coat, increase energy, and all sorts of other benefits.

What Makes a Good Probiotic?

When looking at a probiotic supplement, it’s hard to know what’s important. Do you get the one with five billion CFUs or with 10 different strains? What about one with digestive enzymes? There are a lot of factors that play into your decision, but here are a few of the most important.

Formulation Style:

For a supplement to do any good, your dog has to eat it, and that means picking the right formulation style. There are two main types—chew and powder. Powder supplements are sprinkled over your dog’s food and may or may not have a flavor. They’re great for picky dogs (especially the flavorless kinds), but they can be a little more work to measure out, especially if they aren’t pre-measured. Chews are like small dog treats. They’re easy to feed to your dog, but not all dogs like the flavor of all chews. And if your dog absolutely loves their chews, you’ll have to store them securely to make sure they don’t get eaten all at once.

Formulation style can also affect storage needs. Since probiotics contain live bacteria, they aren’t always shelf stable. You’ll need to check your formulation to see if it needs refrigeration and how much you can buy at once.

CFUs:

Probiotics often advertise their CFUs, or colony-forming units. This refers to the number of live bacteria in each serving. This can range from a few hundred thousand to more than five billion. Having a higher CFU count means that colonies will grow faster, but a lower CFU isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. Because these are live bacteria, they should continue to grow after being eaten, so it shouldn’t make a huge difference in the long run.

Strains:

When a probiotic advertises how many strains are in the supplement, they’re talking about species of bacteria. A healthy gut will have more than one type of bacteria, and having several different strains makes your pet’s gut more resilient. Some strains of bacteria are better for relieving one symptom than others. In general, you should look for a probiotic with multiple strains of bacteria.

Prebiotics:

Many probiotic supplements also contain prebiotics. These aren’t live bacteria—instead, it’s better to think of them as bacteria food. Prebiotics help boost your gut bacteria by giving them what they need to thrive.

Antioxidants:

Antioxidants are vitamins that fight harmful cells in your dog’s body. There are lots of them out there, like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. They don’t boost gut bacteria, but many antioxidants help with other digestive issues. Because of this, some probiotic supplements also include antioxidants.

Digestive Enzymes:

Digestive enzymes are another related additive that might be found in your supplement. Enzymes help break down food and digest it. Like probiotics, your dog should have plenty in its stomach already, but adding some extra can help if your dog has digestive issues.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the perfect probiotic supplement for your dog, we’ve got you covered. We found the Honest Paws Well Pre+ Probiotics to be the best overall probiotic because of its 13 strains of bacteria and ease of use. Nutri-Vet Pre & Probiotics Soft Chews are our best value pick, with lots of great bacteria for a low price, while Nutramax Proviable Capsules are our premium choice. If you’ve got a growing puppy, Doggie Dailies Puppy Probiotics is a great choice to help boost its digestive system as it grows. No matter what probiotic you choose, we hope these reviews help you decide what’s best for your needs.

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Featured Image Credit By: Olya-Maximenko, shutterstock