If probiotics are so helpful for people, can they possibly be helpful for birds as well? We know that the majority of people don’t think about birds’ health every day, but for those who have birds they love or care for, this can be an essential question. Furthermore, if you have a pet bird in your life, you may be in better company than you realize. According to a recent survey, over 5 million people in the USA report having a pet bird. Managing your bird’s health is the best way to set them on the path for a long and happy life. Bird-lovers know that when a bird is not feeling their best, this can manifest itself in several harmful ways. Finding the best probiotic for birds can be a good step in the right direction of giving birds the best chance at optimized health.
Health Concerns for Birds
To understand why the best probiotic for birds may benefit your avian friend, first we should look at the overall health of birds. It’s important to remember that there are many different types of birds that are kept as pets, and they each have their own special needs. However, there are some overall factors to look for:
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Infections: it is common for someone to get a new bird as a pet, and find out soon after they are suffering from an infection. Often you do not know the history of your new pet, and they may not have been getting the best care. It is important to see a vet right away if you believe your bird may have an infection. This can lead to issues digesting food, scaly patches, and long term problems if not treated quickly.
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Parasites: as with infections, it is fairly common for a bird to catch parasites from other birds, especially in a pet shop. New bird owners may not know what their bird was exposed to, and may only find out about a parasite after taking a sickly bird to the vet.
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Obesity: it is common for pet birds to gain weight. If you think about the lifestyle of birds in the wild vs birds in cages, this makes sense. Birds in the wild may spend a large amount of their day flying around, but birds in your home do not have this same level of activity. One way to combat obesity in birds is by focusing less on seeds, and more on a combo of seeds, pellets, fruits, and veggies. Another way is by making healthy choices like finding the best probiotic for birds.
Taking your bird to the vet if you suspect an infection or parasite is very important. What’s also important is taking a holistic approach to their health, and optimizing the aspects that you can control. Finding the best probiotic for birds is a step that is recommended by holistic veterinarians and is supported by the many bird owners who have taken this step in supporting their pet’s health. A bird with a healthy digestive system will generally have regular elimination, is energetic, eats well, and feels good. Birds’ digestive systems are one of the most essential systems to their overall health.
Birds’ Digestive Systems
Every time we talk about the benefits of probiotics, we’re focusing on the digestive system. This is true for people, dogs, cats, birds… anyone who can benefit from a probiotic! Probiotic supplements bring healthy bacteria into the digestive system, supporting good digestive function and a strong immune system. In some ways, birds’ digestive systems are similar to ours. For instance, birds have an esophagus, stomach, and intestines. However, there are substantial differences in the way birds process food. First of all, birds do not have teeth, so they don’t break down food by chewing the way we do. This means their digestive systems have to do more work in extracting the nutrients. A primary way of optimizing a bird’s digestive system is to ensure they have a sufficient amount of healthy bacteria in their gut. The right bacteria is essential for breaking down food into components that can be used by the body. Remember, just because you or your bird eats the right foods, doesn’t necessarily guarantee the body can benefit from them. Digestion must take place in an optimized way for the nutrients to be used, and good bacteria can play a significant role in this process.
How to Support Your Bird’s Healthy Digestion
Getting the best probiotic for birds is a great step you can take towards optimizing your bird’s digestion. We highly recommend Natren’s GASTRO VEGI-DOPHILUS Powder, which is specially formulated to support the health of your bird. This probiotic supports intestinal health, which can affect many areas of overall health for your pet.
GASTRO VEGI-DOPHILUS Powder contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, DDS-1 super strain, 4 billion cfu per gram and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, LB-51 super strain, 2 billion cfu per gram. These two strains were chosen by our founder, and are based on 40 years of dedication to running a company that provides the best probiotics for people and the pets they love. While our standards for probiotics for our human customers are outstanding, you can feel confident knowing we apply those same standards of excellence to the probiotics we make for pets and animals.
At Natren, we value your pets and working animals as much as you do. All of the highest standards we put into researching and making our probiotics for humans, are also in place for our animal probiotics. We guarantee the potency of every strain of healthy bacteria in every supplement we sell, until its expiration date. Instead of overloading our probiotics with way more good bacteria than an animal’s body can use, we put our time and resources into making a product that will protect the right amount of good bacteria, allowing it to work effectively. You can visit natren.com to learn more about our probiotics, values, and what we can do to support your bird’s health.
