Is Yogurt Good For Dogs?
As with us humans, there has been an increasing interest in the use of natural foods and supplements to enhance nutritional balance in dogs. One food that comes up often is yogurt, and there are many who sing the praises of yogurt as a nutritional supplement.
What Yogurt ContainsIn addition to being a natural source of calcium, yogurt contains a strain of lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) which is a “probiotic,” or healthy bacteria. L. acidophilus naturally inhabits both the intestinal tract, and it does several good things for dogs (and us, as well). First, it assists in both folic acid and niacin production, which are both necessary for good health, especially in pregnant dogs. It also helps remove amino acids (protein building blocks) from bile acids in the digestive system. Perhaps the most notable benefit of L. acidophilus, however, is the protection it provides from other “bad” bacteria. As it breaks down nutrients, L. acidophilus releases both hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid, which can destroy or inhibit harmful bacteria. Additionally, since many bad bacteria feed on the same nutrients as L. acidophilus, a healthy digestive culture can simply starve off other bacteria.
-Read the whole article
