Probiotics

Probiotics are live micro-organisms that, when supplied in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host, typically by supporting the balance of the gut flora. In pet food they are usually specific strains of bacteria, such as Enterococcus or Bifidobacterium species, and sometimes yeasts, selected for documented effects on digestion, stool quality or immune support. Their great practical challenge is survival: probiotics are living cells, and the heat, pressure and moisture of extrusion, plus the rigours of storage and stomach acid, can kill a large fraction before they ever reach the intestine, so the count on the pack and the count that arrives alive can differ considerably. This is why probiotics are often added after cooking by coating the finished kibble, or supplied as a separate supplement, and why strain identity and viable counts matter more than the mere presence of the word. They sit within a family of gut-health approaches alongside [prebiotics](/glossary/prebiotics), the fibres that feed beneficial bacteria, and [postbiotics](/glossary/postbiotics), the products of microbial activity. On a label, probiotics appear among the additives with a named strain and a guaranteed colony-forming-unit count. Evidence is strongest for specific strains in specific situations such as acute diarrhoea, rather than as a blanket benefit. See the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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