Can I Give My Dog Yakult?

The purpose of this research is to explain “Can I Give My Dog Yakult?“.

Owners of dogs are increasingly concerned with the quality of the food they feed their dogs. 

According to a recent survey 72% of US dog owners believe that high-quality dog food is an effective preventative health care measure.

In other words its more likely for your dog to be healthy when it consumes good food. 

There is also an important area in digestive health which is one of the fastest-growing claims you are likely to see on the bag of food for your dog. 

The number of these claims increased by 54% between 2015 and 2019. 

What if dog owners are concerned about how healthy their dogs digestive system is will they be tempted to use products designed for people?

The topic of my research today is: Can I give my dog Yakult?

What is Yakult?

Yakult is a Japanese probiotic drink and was first created in the 1930s. It was first sold in the United States in the 1990s.

The texture and taste are the same as yogurt. 

There are 80 ml or 2.7 fl oz plastic bottles in the US.

Yakult is sold in a smaller bottle in the UK- only 65 ml. 

One of these drinks a day is considered healthy for a person.

We will discover exactly how they keep us healthy in the following section. 

What is a probiotic?

When consumed probiotics provide health benefits. 

For most of us bacteria is a bad thing because we were taught that growing up.

Well microorganisms are a type of bacteria that are beneficial. 

Research has shown that probiotics can affect a range of health outcomes but the most well-known benefit has to do with digestion diarrhea and constipation. 

These microorganisms increase the number of good bacteria in our stomachs (or that of our dogs) so they can do their job better. 

How do probiotic drinks help dogs?

Drinks with probiotics are typically meant to help dogs in the same way they help humans – by supporting their digestion.

It will not surprise you to learn that very little research has been done on the use of probiotics with dogs.

Nevertheless a study regarding the use of probiotics with dogs was published in 2019.

Prior to 2017 the study reviewed any research that had been completed.

It examined how probiotics have been used to treat dogs with gastrointestinal problems.

The number of studies done on probiotics for dogs was only 17 and the evidence was not strong. 

What probiotics are safe for dogs?

Whats interesting about these microorganisms is that there are several kinds and each of them performs a different function.

Lactobacillus is the bacteria in Yakult which is convenient since it is used to treat dogs with this microorganism as well. 

Yakult also contains another strain of probiotic called bifidobacterium which is not found in Yakult but is found in fermented foods.

We will discuss this topic later.

When combined these probiotics are believed to aid in preventing diarrhea and boosting the immune system.

What benefits does Yakult have for your dog?

Well after saying that the health claims of probiotics may be overstated there is some evidence that Yakult does work in some situations.

A panel of experts in the Netherlands reviewed the health claims made by Yakult in 2006 and found that drinking a bottle of it a day could help keep constipation at bay. 

Therefore if your dog suffers from frequent bouts of constipation you might consider adding Yakult to their daily diet. 

Yet since Yakult is designed and marketed for people not dogs how much Yakult should you give your dog?

Hazards of feeding your dog Yakult

There will surely be some risks associated with a product if it has a benefit.

Its no different with Yakult.

In addition there are two downsides to using Yakult with your dog.

In the first place it is a batch of microorganisms wrapped up in a milk-based yogurt-like substance.

If your dog is lactose intolerant then this would not go over well. 

In lieu of supporting the digestion of a dog it could aggravate it even more.

Second Yakult contains a great deal of sugar.

The sugar content is about 12%.

How much Yakult should you give a dog?

The only thing we can do without any formal guidance is to make some educated guesses.

Because most dogs are not physically the same size as humans one bottle a day is obviously too much.

Therefore my advice is to start small and build up gradually. 

For smaller dogs start off with a teaspoon and for larger dogs start off with a tablespoon.

Over the next week increase the amounts slowly.

You may have found the perfect serving size for your dog if you notice it has a positive effect?

When you experience very negative side effects such as diarrhea and vomiting stop using it and try something else.

What are some other big brands of probiotic drinks?

Yakult isnot the only probiotic drink available on the market. 

Other popular brands in the US include Activia Daily and Lala probiotic yogurt smoothies.

We also have a range of probiotic yogurt drinks made by Actimel in the UK.

Lala and Activia both contain more strains of bacteria than Yakult.

Yakult contains only one type of bacteria- lactobacillus.

Four varieties are present in Activia and Lala including bulgaricus thermophilus and lactic.  

Three other ways to feed your dog probiotics

You can boost your dogs health by adding probiotics to their diet without letting them drink your favorite probiotic drink.

You can begin by adding a small amount of natural yogurt to your food.

If you want live bacteria in your yogurt make sure it has them.

You do not need to buy a big-name brand product; as long as it contains live cultures its fine.

While you will save some money by doing this you will still not be able to feed your dog if he is lactose intolerant.

There are at least two other ways to get probiotics into these dogs’ systems safely.

In the first instance they are fed fermented food of some kind or another.

Because I always have pickled gherkins in my fridge my favorite would be pickled gherkins.

Sauerkraut and miso are other possibilities. 

Our last option for adding probiotics to your dogs diet is to feed your dog probiotic tablets. 

Dogs can buy probiotic tablets and powders designed for them. Humans can also buy probiotic tablets and powders.

There appears to be a price difference between tablets created for dogs and those for humans.

In addition human tablets contain much higher concentrations of bacteria. 

Let me conclude this research by answering some very specific questions people ask about using Yakult with their dogs.

Should I feed Yakult to a dog that is vomiting?

It would be a bad idea to give Yakult to a dog that is vomiting.

Vomiting in dogs is not always caused by upset stomachs.

Make sure your dog has access to plenty of fresh water after they have vomited.

You need to contact your veterinarian if they keep vomiting. 

If you feed Yakult to a vomiting dog they will probably vomit it up in a few minutes.

Should I feed Yakult to a dog that has diarrhea? 

Even though the question might be slightly different my answer remains the same.

If your dog has diarrhea feeding them Yakult probably would not help.

Diarrhea seems to be pretty frequent so you might want to change a dogs diet or make sure that they are not eating anything that they should not be.

For instance eating all kinds of disgusting things while walking or stealing food from the counter.

Yakult would not help your dog if they have been suffering from diarrhea for a couple of days but contacting your vet will. 

Diarrhea can severely dehydrate a dog so if it lasts more than a day and your dogs stool continues to be very watery call your vet.

Donot give them Yakult but lots of water. 

Should puppies drink Yakult?

I’m planning to keep my response short.

Yakult is not healthy for your puppy.

Puppies have softer stools than adult dogs because their digestion is different.

Dog food for puppies differs from food for adults.

It is unlikely that Yakult will help firm up their stool and if it is added to their food they may become picky eaters because they will refuse to eat their Yakult-flavoured food or refuse to eat any food that hasnot been flavored with Yakult.

If your puppy seems to be happy on the diet you’re giving them and their stool is on the soft side rather than the watery side then do not try to fix what isnot broken.

If you want to read more about dog food tips read here: Dog Food Tips and Tricks.

Can I Give My Dog Yakult? (Watch Video)