Probiotics

[pinkiemarie]

The vet suggested a probiotic for Wally due to his cecal dysbiosis and I was trying to decide what kind to get. Benebac powder vs gel – is it easier to get them to eat one or the other? I saw old forum posts about Proviable RB but only see the dog and cat version for sale. Is that product no longer available? Any other suggestions for one they seem to really like? He’s picky and turns up his nose at a lot of things so that’s why I’m concerned 😀

[DanaNM]

I’ve used the Benebac gel. I think there’s just one type of it, I think I used the dog and cat version? My memory is that the gel seems to be more popular than the powder.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Jadeo09]

Sorry to hear about their dysbiosis. Benebac powder is pretty good and a broad probiotic compared to most others I’ve seen.  In humans prebiotics are a great way to feed more beneficial bacteria. Many probiotics dont survive the highly acid environment of the stomach so feeding the small amount of good bacteria really helps them grow. Chicory root is one of the best prebiotics and a great treat for rabbits.

Benebac powder is very sweet tasting and rabbits generally love the taste. My rabbit loves to lick my fingers after I’ve sprinkled it on her food.

 

 

[pinkiemarie]

I have more questions in case anyone has answers! I just saw a totally liquid cecotrope. He went over and licked it off the floor a while later. He has had a few days of benebac as well as a few days of the Oxbow digestive treats. His pellets are Timothy hay only and he gets some greens twice a day, usually romaine and some other kind of green. I will stop the digestive treat and pellets for now even though I wouldn’t think the pellets in theory should be ok since they are only Timothy hay. Should I stop benebac? I was definitely under the impression that would not cause runny cecotropes and my vet recommended it and won’t be back in until Monday. I’m very frustrated because I had gotten his runny poo under control and this one was pure liquid and I’m not sure exactly which dietary component caused it.

 

All of my rabbits are good hay eaters so they don’t technically need pellets I guess but I wanted them to have a little every day to keep their weight.

 

Edit. Also now that I think about it the vet didn’t specify which digestive treats and I got both the papaya and the other ones, so maybe the papaya ones are the issue. He has only had that a couple of times but I suppose it could do it. I would still appreciate any insight if anyone has any thoughts on the benebac especially!

[Cinnamon Bun]

Oh no, Wally. Is he still sick? I have zero knowledge about any probiotics in general, so I can’t really help… (I can relate to the cecal dysbiosis stress, though) but I’m sending comforting and positive vibes for you and your baby ♥

[pinkiemarie]

Yes but at least I’m sure it’s dietary for him!

[Jadeo09]

Hi Pinkiemarie

I’m sorry I’ve only just seen your reply. I would have replied sooner if I had seen it.

 

Normally vets suggest hay only diet for two weeks if they have runny poos. Then add foods back in slowly to avoid upsetting the balance of gut bacteria.

 

The benebac and the oxbow gut treats both have chicory inulin as a prebiotic in which could be over doing it if you are giving both full doses daily. I was told by my rabbit specialist not to give too much as it can cause diarrhea in excess as it’s sort of a sugar that feed the bacteria. Benebac has a maintenance dose which is once a week I think after the initial “treatment”.

So maybe you could find a way to give both of you adjust the quantities or dont give them both on the same day?

 

[Bam]

The type of “sugar” in Benebac is frucooligosaccharides (FOS). FoS are not simple sugars, they don’t elevate blood sugar and they count as soluble fiber and are food for many beneficial gut bacteria (=prebiotics). Here is a little bit of info on FOS:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20119826/

Sticking to the recommended dose is of course always wise.

There have been concerns that papaya enzymes could harm the stomach lining in very sensitive individuals. This is because papain breaks down proteins, and the stomach is (of course) made of protein. To my knowledge, how real this potential risk is has not (yet?) been established. You could cut out the papaya tablets.

 

 

[pinkiemarie]

Thanks both for the info! His poos have firmed up quite a bit again and I’m doing hay and romaine only (he doesn’t seem at all sensitive to romaine) and will be adding back in the benebac only for a week followed by the once weekly dose. I will definitely stay away from the papaya tablets for now and when I reintroduce treats I’ll do the digestive tablet one x pet day after he finishes the benebac treatment. Thanks again!

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