Reviewed by Dr. Teresa Manucy, DVM
Horses are notorious for their finicky digestive systems—they’re easily upset by stress and changes to their diet or environment. Probiotics for horses may seem like the ideal solution, given the strong scientific support for probiotics benefiting humans. Horses have very different digestive systems than humans, however, so it’s important to choose probiotics for horses carefully and to administer them under veterinary guidance. Here are some factors to consider when shopping for horse probiotics:
Although research on the therapeutic benefits of probiotics for treating or preventing gastrointestinal diseases is limited, these supplements may aid in supporting regular digestion in healthy horses. Your vet is the best person to assess whether probiotics might benefit your individual horse and, if so, which ones. If your vet recommends them, take advantage of Chewy’s Autoship program to receive regular deliveries of probiotics for horses on a schedule that works for you.
Yes, some veterinarians might recommend probiotics for horses recovering from periods of stress or digestive illness to help restore healthy balance to the gut microbiome.
Probiotics may help reestablish or maintain healthy levels of beneficial bacteria in the horse’s gut. However, scientific evidence supporting the use of probiotics in horses is limited and individual results vary. Some research suggests probiotics for horses are most likely to be effective when the combination of bacterial strains is tailored to treat a specific disease.
Your vet is the best person to assess the ideal dosage and frequency of probiotics for your horse. They may recommend daily supplementation for some horses while others may only need periodic treatment in times of increased stress or digestive disease.
Probiotics and prebiotics are very different. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can help promote healthy microbiotic balance in a horse’s gut. Prebiotics are non-digestible substances that serve as food for probiotics, helping them grow and function.
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