Inside PawBiotics+: Why We Chose Ingredients for Digestive Support PawBiotics+ ProBiotics
By Tami Kersch, FurBabies Pet Products
When we started developing PawBiotics+, we didn't want to simply put together a few popular ingredients and call it a digestive supplement. We wanted to take a closer look at the digestive system and ask a simple question:
What ingredients could work together to provide thoughtful, everyday digestive support for dogs?
The gut is a complicated ecosystem. It involves digestion, the intestinal lining, the microbiome, and the immune system. There isn't one ingredient that does everything.
That's why we took a broader approach when developing PawBiotics+.
Here is a closer look at some of the ingredients we chose and why they have a place in the formula.
Saccharomyces boulardii: A Different Kind of Probiotic
When people hear "probiotic," they often think about beneficial bacteria.
Saccharomyces boulardii is different. It's a beneficial yeast that has been studied for digestive health and is commonly used in gastrointestinal-support formulas. It is a hardy yeast that resists being killed by common antibiotics, meaning it can be given at the same time as prescription medications to keep the gut stable.
It's an expensive ingredient but the benefits far outweigh the costs. It can fight diarrhea, block bad bacteria, protects the gut lining, and supports a healthy gut flora to aid in recovery from illness, harsh medications, or disease.
We chose it because we wanted PawBiotics+ to include a well-researched probiotic organism while taking a slightly different approach from products that rely solely on bacterial strains.
Inulin: Supporting the Microbiome
Probiotics aren't the only part of the microbiome conversation.
Inulin is a prebiotic fiber, meaning it can be utilized by certain microorganisms in the digestive tract by promoting a healthy gut biome.
It can nourish the cells lining the colon and strengthen the intestinal barrier, improve stool quality, help the digestive tract process food easier, and reduce fecal odour.
Green Banana: A Source of Resistant Starch
We chose green banana in our formula as it focuses on the bigger picture of digestive health. Green banana encourages a diverse and balanced gut ecosystem by feeding helpful bacteria rather than harmful microbes.
Unripe green bananas contain resistant starch, which can pass through the upper digestive tract and become available for fermentation by microorganisms in the large intestine. Unlike regular starches that break down into sugar in the small intestine, resistant starch bypasses digestion and reaches the colon intact.
Inside PawBiotics+: Why We Chose Ingredients for Digestive Support PawBiotics+ ProBiotics
Pumpkin Seed
Pumpkin seed is an easily absorbed naturally nutrient-rich plant ingredient containing fiber, protein, fatty acids and other plant compounds, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and supporting overall intestinal health.
Pumpkin seeds contain an amino acid called cucurbitin (or cucurbitacin), which paralyzes intestinal parasites like roundworms and tapeworms so they can be easily cleared from the body. This powder absorbs extra water in the gut to firm up loose stools, while also softening waste to relieve mild constipation.
Slippery Elm & Marshmallow Root
Some of the ingredients in PawBiotics+ have a long history of traditional use in herbal wellness. Both of these these ingredients contain mucilage, a substance that becomes gel-like when mixed with water, and both supports gut flora which lubricates, and soothes irritated or inflamed tissue in the gut.
Slippery Elm coats and soothes and protects the stomach and intestinal lining.
Marshmallow Root eases digestion, calms inflammation, and aids the sensitive gut tissue from stomach acid and friction, it helps relieve symptoms like acid reflux, ulcers, and general tummy upset
Turkey Tail & Chaga
Turkey Tail is rich in beta-glucans and polysaccharides and acts as a prebiotic, helping support beneficial microorganisms in the gut. It also supports a healthy immune response, making it a natural fit for digestive and immune wellness.
Chaga offers antioxidants and naturally occurring polysaccharides. Its antioxidant properties help support the body's defenses against oxidative stress, aiding the overall wellness of the digestive system.
Together, these mushrooms bring prebiotic, immune-supporting and antioxidant benefits to PawBiotics+—each contributing something different to the formula.
Olive Leaf
Olive leaf is naturally rich in polyphenols, plant compounds that have antioxidant properties and are being studied for their role in supporting overall gut and digestive health It can aid the digestive system by balancing gut bacteria and reducing inflammation without destroying beneficial microbes.
Fennel & Ginger
Sometimes the simplest ingredients have a long history behind them. We included these botanicals because they fit naturally into the overall digestive-support philosophy of the formula.
Fennel can promote healthy bowel movements and provides dietary fiber.
Ginger, in particular, has a long history of use in traditional medicine and has been studied for its effects in aiding stomach and bowel emptying. It contains bioactive compounds like gingerol that reduce nausea, calm gut inflammation, and helps food move smoothly through the gastrointestinal tract
L-Glutamine
L-glutamine isn't a probiotic or a prebiotic. It is an amino acid naturally found in the body and is an important fuel source for cells throughout the body, including intestinal cells. It helps repair the gut barrier. It aids in rebuilding and repairing stomach and intestinal tissues damaged by illness, stress, severe diarrhea, parvovirus, or chemotherapy.
It plays a different nutritional role, which is exactly why we included it alongside the other components of the formula.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional Yeast feeds good gut bacteria and offers additional prebiotic support. It helps crowd out harmful pathogens like E. coli and Clostridium in the intestinal tract and provides a high source of vitamin B protein and reduces bad bacteria.
Why So Many Ingredients?
This is probably the question I get asked most often.
Why not just make a probiotic?
Because the gut is more complicated than that.
The intestinal microbiome is influenced by diet, fiber, age, stress, medications, lifestyle and many other factors. Supporting digestive health means looking at the bigger picture.
That's why PawBiotics+ combines a probiotic yeast with prebiotic fiber, plant ingredients, functional mushrooms, nutritional ingredients and traditional digestive botanicals.
Each ingredient has a reason for being there.
Our Philosophy: Plants With a Purpose
At FurBabies, we don't believe in adding ingredients simply to make a label look impressive.
We look at what an ingredient brings to a formula and how it fits with everything around it.
That's especially important when you're working with pets. Dogs can't tell us how they're feeling, and every animal is different.
PawBiotics+ was created as a nutritional digestive-support formula, not as a replacement for veterinary care or treatment for a medical condition.
If your pet has persistent diarrhea, vomiting, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, appetite changes or other ongoing digestive problems, it's important to speak with your veterinarian.
For healthy pets, however, thoughtful nutrition can be one part of supporting overall wellness. And that's really what PawBiotics+ is about.
Not one magic ingredient. Not a quick fix. Just a thoughtful combination of ingredients selected with a purpose.
That's the FurBabies approach.
Quality. Knowledge. Customer Service.
And, above all, doing our best to create products we would feel good giving to our own pets.
— Tami Kersch
Founder, FurBabies Pet Products
Comments