"Lactobifadol" for pets: what helps, how to give

Dysbacteriosis is dangerous for both humans and animals. The intestinal microflora is disrupted, resulting in health problems. Probiotics for cats consist of yeast and bacteria that normalize the digestive system and are also prescribed for kidney disease, diabetes, infectious diseases and during antibiotic treatment.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) that normalize intestinal function, restoring the composition and activity of natural microflora. There are a number of negative factors that provoke the development of the disease:

• The use of low-quality feed, a sharp change in diet.
• Vaccinations are necessary for a cat, but can become very stressful for the animal.
• A course of steroid drugs (for example, prednisolone) or antibiotics. After using strong antibiotics, probiotics for a cat are extremely necessary, since without them your cat will likely develop severe dysbiosis, the consequences of which we will discuss below.
• Any surgical intervention.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases.
• Renal failure, pancreatitis and hyperthyroidism, urinary tract pathology.

Additional recommendations

When using Lactobifadol, you should consider the following useful recommendations that will help you achieve the maximum effect from taking it:

• The bacteria in the probiotic are resistant to most antibiotics, which makes it possible to use it in combination with parenteral (subcutaneous, intradermal, intramuscular) administration of these drugs.
• In the first days of taking it, the nature of the stool may change, so you should start with a minimum dose (at the tip of a spoon) and increase it to the optimal dose over a few days, which will ensure normal frequency, consistency of bowel movements, and a healthy appetite. In case of severe liver pathologies, chronic enterocolitis and pancreatitis, the dose should be adjusted to the optimal dose within several weeks.
• It can be prescribed simultaneously with antibiotics, anthelmintic drugs and coccidiostats and after their use in order to normalize digestion.
• In case of serious damage to the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, the duration of the course can vary from 2-3 months to lifelong use.

When is a cat especially susceptible to dysbiosis?

Cats become especially susceptible to dysbiosis in the following cases:

• while staying in a special hotel for cats;
• when moving to a new home;
• when a new animal appears in the house.

Emotional or physical stress can upset the balance of microflora in a cat's intestines, leading to constipation or chronic diarrhea. The consequences of these diseases can be very serious. The absorption of amino acids and other elements important for the health of the animal is impaired. As a result, this can trigger the development of allergies, sepsis and even intestinal lymphoma.

Often, pet owners are interested in what to give their cat for diarrhea. To answer this question, it is necessary to do tests and find out the cause of the disease. Only after receiving the results will the veterinarian be able to tell whether probiotics for cats are indicated in a given case.

Side effects and contraindications

Lactobifadol is of natural origin; it contains only bacteria that inhabit the digestive system of a healthy animal. For this reason, there are no serious contraindications or side effects. It is forbidden to feed the drug to your pet in case of individual intolerance, otherwise the following conditions will appear:

• increased gas formation;
• a sharp decrease or increase in trips to the tray;
• loose stool.

Such conditions are considered normal; they appear and disappear a few days after the start of therapy, when the cat adapts to the consumed probiotic.

When is probiotic use recommended?

These drugs are vital for:

1. Malabsorption is a violation of the absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. This disease almost always accompanies diarrhea.
2. Detoxification from antibiotic treatment. After each administration of antibacterial agents, probiotics for cats are prescribed.
3. Renal failure developed against the background of hyperthyroidism. In this case, it is recommended to switch your pet to cat food with probiotics (Eagle Pack Holistic, Nutro, Brit, Proformance).

Precautions and hygiene rules

As with any medication, it is important to take some precautions when handling this probiotic. After using the powder, it is imperative to wash your hands well, and if it comes into contact with mucous membranes or skin, rinse the affected areas under running water. Of course, while feeding Lactobifadol to an animal, it is very undesirable to eat or drink. No other special precautions are required in this case.

How to choose the right composition?

First of all, we want to warn pet owners that probiotic milk formulas that are formulated for humans may be harmful to your pet. The microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of cats is significantly different from that of humans.

Experienced veterinarians name three important nuances when choosing this drug:

• It is desirable that the drug contains 10 or more strains of beneficial bacteria.
• Each dose of the drug must contain at least twenty million microorganisms.
• You should choose products from a world-famous company that produces probiotics for cats. Feedback from veterinarians and owners is also very important in this case.

It should be noted that even knowing the principle of choosing these drugs, you should not self-medicate: the drug should be prescribed to your pet by an experienced veterinarian after the animal’s tests have been carried out. It must be purchased from specialized veterinary pharmacies or pet stores. Pay attention to the storage conditions of probiotics: they usually retain their properties at low temperatures.

The shelf life of such products does not exceed two to three weeks, since that is how long beneficial bacteria live. Even if, according to the instructions attached to the drug, its shelf life is, for example, a month, already in the fourth week its effectiveness is significantly reduced.

Indications for use

A cat, like a person, is negatively affected by aggressive environmental factors:

• infections;
• stress;
• chemical additives in food;
• strong medications;
• bad ecology.

The beneficial microflora of the gastrointestinal tract is most vulnerable to such effects. And systemic disturbances in its balance are fraught with serious digestive disorders and suppression of the immune system. If you ignore the symptoms of dysbiosis in a cat, this can become an impetus for the development of many dangerous diseases.

Proper use of Lactobifadol contributes not only to the effective treatment of dysbacteriosis of various origins, but also to their effective prevention, because it is always better to prevent problems of this kind in advance than to take a long and difficult time to get rid of them.

Lactobifadol has proven itself not only in the case of dysbiosis, but also in other cat health problems:

• diseases of the digestive system;
• kidney disease;
• disorders of the normal functioning of the pancreas and liver;
• sluggish metabolism;
• disturbances in bacterial balance after taking strong antibiotics.

Veterinarians often prescribe this probiotic for full recovery after antiparasitic treatment of animals of any age, as well as to maintain the general physical condition of the cat during the periods of bearing and feeding kittens.

How does dysbiosis manifest in cats?

Signs of dysbiosis do not appear rapidly in a cat, but gradually, but an attentive owner should be alert to any of the following symptoms:

• digestive disorders are observed - constipation may alternate with diarrhea;
• the excrement has an unusual color (too light or too dark) and smell (sourish or putrid);
• there is an unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• nausea and vomiting occurs;
• the animal becomes lethargic and eats poorly.

Do not self-medicate - only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis

The sooner dysbiosis is diagnosed, the sooner the cat’s treatment will give positive results. Accurate diagnosis is carried out by a veterinarian based on examination of the animal, complex tests and ultrasound examination.

"Bifitrilak"

The drug contains a mixture of antioxidants, a prebiotic, natural sugars, micro- and macroelements, a natural mineral sorbent and antimicrobial natural substances. It is a brown powder with shiny inclusions that have a pearlescent sheen. It has no taste or smell. This is a pure, natural product with prebiotic, probiotic and sorbent properties. Absorbs and removes toxins from the body.

The activity of the drug is determined by the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli included in the composition, which are active against a wide range of opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms. Expanded vermiculite, used as an adsorbent, absorbs gases, alkaloids, and heavy metal salts.

The drug is used mixed with milk, water, colostrum or feed. The suspension is prepared immediately before use, shaking the composition well until smooth. Adult cats are given 0.3 grams per day for 2-3 days. For kittens, the dose is halved.

Advantages and disadvantages of Lactobifadol

The undoubted advantage of Lactobifadol is its low price with decent quality of the product. The cost of a probiotic in veterinary pharmacies is a little over one hundred rubles - this is quite inexpensive, considering the cost-effectiveness of the drug. A fifty-gram package of Lactobifadol is enough for a treatment course for one or even two adult cats. Human probiotics are several times more expensive with comparable effectiveness.

One packet of Lactobifadol is enough to improve the health of two cats

The advantages of Lactobifadol include its absolutely natural composition, which determines the safety of the product even for newborn kittens and pregnant cats. The drug has virtually no side effects and has no contraindications; it is recommended for use on animals of any age.

Lactobifadol combines well when used with other medications, including antibiotics. It has a neutral taste and odor, so even the most sensitive cats can easily consume it.

Against the background of such significant advantages, the disadvantages of Lactobifadol are insignificant. These include, in particular, the inconvenience of packaging and some difficulties in determining the exact single dose of the drug.

"Enterol": instructions for use, price

Probiotic that normalizes intestinal microflora. Made with the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, which competes with opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms for space in the intestines. This opposition explains the antimicrobial effect of the drug against Klebsiella, Clostridia, Shigella, Candida, Staphylococcus, Yersinia and other pathogenic microorganisms.

Enterol is one of the few probiotics that is used to treat people and pets. Available in sachets and capsules.

Indications for use

For diarrhea, regardless of origin (viral, bacterial or stress), the instructions for use recommend using Enterol. The price of the drug is quite affordable - 10 sachets for preparing a suspension are 320 rubles. The drug is used for prophylactic purposes during antibiotic treatment.

Application and dosage

The probiotic for cats “Enterol” is used by adding it to drink (water, milk). To obtain the maximum effect, the drug is given to the animal not immediately after feeding, but after about two hours. You should know that this probiotic contains living cells, so adding it to drinks with a temperature below fifty degrees is not recommended. During treatment with Enterol, it is necessary to provide the animal with access to fresh water, preferably additional fluid administration, by any means - oral or parenteral.

The daily dose for an adult animal is one sachet per day. The dose can be divided into two doses - morning and evening. For kittens, the dosage is halved.

Description of the drug Lactobifadol

The veterinary probiotic product Lactobifadolum is an innovative development of the Russian biotechnological enterprise Component. The drug is used for the treatment and prevention of diseases and digestive disorders in pets and farm animals. Lactobifadol, offered by manufacturers specifically for cats, is adapted taking into account their characteristics, both in composition and in release form.

Composition and release form

The composition of Lactobifadol was developed to solve the main task of this product - to restore the natural bacterial balance in the animal’s intestines. The drug contains the following components:

• acidophilus bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus);

  Lactobifadol contains live bacteria

• bifidobacterium (Bifidobacterium);
• wheat flour.

The concentration of live bacteria in Lactobifadol is quite high: one gram of the drug contains up to eighty million units of bifidobacteria and up to a million lactobacilli.

The formula of this veterinary probiotic is rich in substances valuable for the cat’s body; it includes:

• prebiotic components;
• vitamin complex;
• set of amino acids;
• organic acids;
• micro- and macroelements.

The sorption technique for drying beneficial bacteria involves the use of a natural plant carrier. For cats and dogs, this is wheat flour; for horses and other large domestic animals, bran is usually used in this capacity. It is not advisable to buy large packages of probiotic to treat cats with it - the contents will spoil before you have time to use it, and in this case there will be no savings.

Lactobifadol powder is a bacterial culture dried with the addition of flour.

The contents of the sachet are a homogeneous cream or brownish powder. For cats, it is packaged in fifty gram bags - this is quite enough for a standard treatment course for one or even two animals.

To avoid accidentally getting a fake or low-quality product, when purchasing, you should carefully inspect the packaging of Lactobifadol for integrity and the presence of appropriate markings.

Photo gallery: Lactobifadol packaging for cats and its contents

The Lactobifadol box for cats is decorated with a picture of a cat

On the back of the box the composition and indications for use of Lactobifadol are indicated.

The box is sealed with transparent tape with the name of the drug

The date and batch of manufacture of the drug is indicated at the bottom of the box.

The transparent sachet with Lactobifadol is hermetically sealed

The product comes with detailed instructions on two pages. The box should also contain a special measuring spoon for the powder.

Operating principle

Regular intake of Lactobifadol allows you to populate the gastrointestinal tract with beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria, so that this culture of microorganisms gradually displaces foreign pathogenic microflora from there. The result of leveling out bacterial manifestations will soon be the following positive changes:

• appetite will improve;
• the quality of food absorption will increase;
• metabolism is normalized;
• the immune system will be strengthened.

An additional sign of the pet’s general health is that its weight will return to normal - Lactobifadol will help cope with both excessive thinness and obesity, which is a big problem for some cats, especially sterilized ones.

Another pleasant bonus of using Lactobifadol is the noticeable condition of the skin and coat, so owners of show-class animals give this probiotic to their pets in the process of preparing them for an exhibition - according to many of my familiar breeders, this measure gives excellent results. From the observations of practitioners: Lactobifadol also significantly improves the quality of life and physical fitness in older cats.

After using Lactobifadol, only its lactocomponent remains to live and work in the cat’s body - lacto-, or acidophilus, bacteria predominantly constitute the microflora of the digestive tract of this animal. And bifidobacteria do not stay in the cat’s intestines for a long time - they do a lot of work there to normalize metabolism and other vital processes, and then are eliminated naturally.

Storage conditions

For probiotic preparations, it is especially important to strictly observe storage rules so as not to harm living bacteria and thereby reduce the effectiveness of the product.

When purchasing Lactobifadol, be sure to check the tightness of its packaging and do not open the vacuum bag until you start using the drug. Lactobifadol should be stored in a place with low humidity so that the powder does not become damp and its beneficial properties do not deteriorate. Dry bacterial culture should not be frozen, nor should it be heated too much. If you prefer to keep the probiotic in the refrigerator, place the package on the bottom shelf of the door.

The optimal temperature for it is room temperature, at which a sealed package with a probiotic can be stored for a year from the date of manufacture indicated on the box.

For ease of storage, you can pour Lactobifadol into a glass jar

To improve the safety of the drug, it is recommended that after opening the package, pour the powder into a glass jar that closes tightly - here it will have less chance of crumbling, becoming damp and losing its properties. And it’s more convenient to take the required amount of Lactobifadol from a jar than from a bag.

Pharmacological properties

The medicinal properties of zoonorm are determined by bifidobacteria on activated carbon particles, which are microcolonies. The activity of this drug is determined by the ability of microcolonies to adhere to the mucous membrane of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract and retain healing properties when passing through the aggressive environment of the small intestine and stomach.

Lactose filler has a beneficial effect on the growth of bifidobacteria. The drug "Zoonorm" actively fights opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms. In the shortest possible time, it normalizes the intestinal microflora and activates digestion.

“Zoonorm” promotes the complete synthesis of B vitamins, the absorption of calcium, and has an immunomodulatory and antitoxic effect. The drug is given to cats and kittens in 5–10 doses. The duration of treatment is determined by the veterinarian.

How it affects the body

When live bacteria enter the pet’s digestive system, they very quickly displace dangerous pathogenic microflora. Therefore, natural processes in digestion are normalized, and the cat’s previous appetite is restored.

Vitamin and mineral supplements can restore the functioning of your pet’s immune system, as well as improve metabolic processes. And this is especially important when normalizing a cat’s body weight; sometimes cat owners use lactobifadol to prevent obesity.

Pharmacological properties

The FOSim+ composition used in Viyo guarantees the absorption of the active components - inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in the intestines. An excellent nutritious drink increases the number of beneficial bacteria that strengthen the animal’s natural defenses. Fructo-oligosaccharide fibers, as well as inulin from FOSim+, are not processed in the stomach. They are fermented in the colon. As a result, there is an increase in healing bacteria, and the number of pathogenic bacteria is sharply reduced. Experts consider daily use of 0.1 g of inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides effective.

Composition, release form, packaging

"Lactobifadol" is a white or light brown homogeneous powder for oral use. In some cases, it has the form of bran, but is always packaged in hermetically sealed polyethylene bags of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 g. 50-gram bags are additionally placed in a cardboard box, and all others are produced without it.

Did you know? People first started talking about probiotics back in 1965, when they were described by D. Lilly and R. Stillwell as microbial factors that promote the growth of other microorganisms.

This product contains live microorganisms, a mixture of bifidobacteria (approximately 80 million/g) and acidophilus bacteria, to which are added useful minerals, vitamins, amino acids and some other equally important components for the normalization of digestive processes.

Find out more about the meaning and criteria for choosing vitamins for dogs and cats.

Feedback from cat owners

We have presented you with just a few probiotics for cats. The medications we have listed receive varying reviews from pet owners. “Enterol” is recognized as the most effective, and the improvement in the condition is noticeable already on the second day of use. Next in terms of effectiveness is Viyo, however, the owners say that the first time cats refuse to drink this drink on their own, they have to give it using a syringe. But then, the animals happily drink it on their own in the morning.

All cat owners agree that probiotics should only be used on the recommendation of a veterinarian. He will prescribe your pet the most effective drug for him.

Analogues of the drug

Neither human nor veterinary pharmacies have complete analogues of Lactobifadol - this drug is unique in its composition. However, many other probiotics can be used for the same indications, which makes it possible, with the help of a veterinarian, to select the product that is best suited for your pet.

Table: overview of Lactobifadol analogs according to indications for use

pharmachologic effect

When taking the drug, beneficial microorganisms begin to multiply rapidly, releasing acid and a number of specific components that prevent the development of pathogenic microflora, which gradually stops its development and dies. The intestines are populated with beneficial flora .

The balance of intestinal microflora is very important not only for humans, but also for dogs, since it increases resistance to viral diseases and strengthens the immune system; the condition of the skin and coat improves; metabolism is normalized; bones and cartilage tissue are strengthened.

As a result of the use of Lactobifadol, digestion is normalized, vitamins and mineral components are better absorbed.

Due to its healing properties, Lactobifadol is an excellent means of preventing dysbiosis and obesity. Its use promotes normal growth and development of animals.