Do probiotics help cats lose weight

The 5 Best Probiotics for Cats

Many people are familiar with using probiotics to improve their digestive health. Probiotics are natural ingredients that can have positive effects on multiple types of stressors to overall health. Did you know cats also can benefit from probiotics to promote their health?

Probiotics for cats come in several forms, making administering them convenient for pet parents.

What Are Probiotics for Cats?

Probiotics are live microorganisms (typically bacteria and yeast) that have potential to restore or improve gut microbiota (the collection of microorganisms naturally present in a healthy gut environment). Situations that are stressful for your cat can result in an imbalance of healthy and unhealthy gut bacteria or yeast, and this can negatively affect your cats digestive system in many ways (such as diarrhea, gas, and bloating).

It can also negatively affect your cats weight, hormones, mood, immunity, and risk for infections elsewhere in its body. Using probiotics helps restore the normal balance of healthy gut bacteria and yeast.

The Best Probiotics for Cats

Humans, dogs, and cats all have different types of bacteria and yeast in their gastrointestinal tracts. There are unique bacteria and yeast that are specific to a species and some that are common across species, so it is important when considering a probiotic to make sure it is designed specifically for cats.

The National Animal Supplement Council has a quality program in which member companies that make supplements commit to high standards of quality assurance. Productions containing multiple strains of bacteria and yeast are preferred, and many products are meant to be used long-term (6 months or more).

Here are some of the best probiotics for cats on the market:

PurinaProPlanVeterinary Supplements; FortiFlora Feline Probiotic Supplement

• Available in powder form in a packet

• Safe for kittens and adult cats

• Liver flavor

• Contains Enterococcus faecium strain SF 68

NutramaxProviable

• Available in paste as well as capsule, which can be taken directly or sprinkled over food

• Contains seven strains of bacteria, including Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus

• Contains added prebiotics (compounds that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms)

VetriScience Probiotic Everyday

• Available in a treat form
• Natural duck flavor
• Contains Bacillus coagulans

Probiotics for Kittens

Kittens can experience several stresses during early development. These include being weaned from their mother, going to a new home, possibly having to adapt to other pets or dietary changes, and experiencing body growth at a rapid rate.

Some kittens are also stressed by attempting to clear parasite infections from the gastrointestinal tract. These parasites can be due to underlying issues during development in the womb or during nursing after birth. For these reasons, probiotics can be helpful for kittens as part of their growth process. However, pay close attention to dosing, and always check with your veterinarian before starting any new probiotic. Your veterinarian can guide you to find a brand that works best for your kitten.

Probiotic Cat Food

Some diets contain probiotics in the food for utmost convenience. A few examples include:

Purina ProPlan Cat diets including LiveClear, Prime Plus, Complete Essentials, Sensitive Skin and Stomach, Indoor, and Weight Management

• Available in kitten, adult, and senior formulations
• Contains B. coagulans
• Chicken, turkey, salmon, egg, and lamb flavors

Rachael Ray Nutrish Inner Health

• Available in dry form, one formulation for all life stages
• Contains B. coagulans
• Turkey, chickpeas, and salmon flavors

What Issues Do Probiotics Help in Cats?

In certain studies, probiotics helped strengthen the immune system when fighting viral infections. Probiotics can help with diarrhea, gas, stomach rumbling, difficulty maintaining weight, stress, recurring infections, immune support, and restoring a healthy gut after taking medications.

Probiotics are generally considered safe for use but they can occasionally have some unwanted side effects (such as allergic reaction or intolerance). Before starting any new product for your cat, be sure to discuss your cats situation with your veterinarian.

References

Veterinary Information Network. Clinical Brief- Clinical Uses of Probiotics.

Conference Proceedings: American Association of Feline Practitioners: AAFP 2017.

Dr. Michael Lappin. Veterinary Information Network. Probiotics: Not All Created Equal.

Conference Proceedings: World Small Animal Veterinary Association: WSAVA 2018. Dr. Marge Chandler.

Featured Image: iStock.com/Chalabala

Veterinary Information Network. Clinical Brief- Clinical Uses of Probiotics.

Conference Proceedings: American Association of Feline Practitioners: AAFP 2017.

Dr. Michael Lappin. Veterinary Information Network. Probiotics: Not All Created Equal.

Conference Proceedings: World Small Animal Veterinary Association: WSAVA 2018. Dr. Marge Chandler.

Featured Image: iStock.com/Chalabala

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WRITTEN BY

Amanda Simonson, DVM

Veterinarian

I am a veterinarian passionate about helping animals. I practiced for 15 years in the hospital setting doing medicine, surgery, preventive...

Probiotics for weight loss: What is the evidence?

Probiotics are amongst the most popular nutrition supplements on the market. They have links to an array of health benefits, including improved gut health and enhanced immune function.

Some research also suggests that probiotics may affect weight loss.

However, there are safety concerns related to the widespread use of probiotic supplements as well.

This Special Feature discusses recent scientific findings related to probiotics and body weight.

The journal Frontiers in Microbiology cites the definition of probiotics as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.

Certain foods naturally contain probiotics, while some manufacturers add concentrated doses to other foods. However, this article focuses only on probiotic supplements.

Probiotic supplements contain large doses of live bacteria, typically Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, that may contribute to improving the composition of colonic gut bacteria and promote health.

Research into the health effects of probiotics has grown tremendously over the past 20 years, as have sales of probiotic supplements.

Some estimates predict that probiotic sales will exceed $64 billion by 2023. This is because of the many links between probiotics and various health benefits.

Even though scientists are still investigating how probiotics work in the body, research has shown that they play a role in enhancing immune function, decreasing inflammation, and positively impacting nervous system function.

Additionally, a 2020 article suggests that probiotics might be a potential treatment for overweight and obesity.

Article highlights:

Researchers have identified a relationship between the gut microbiome a term that refers to the guts entire habitat, including microorganisms, such as bacteria, their genomes (genes), and their surrounding environment and body weight.

Over 1,000 types of bacteria, including Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria, populate the intestines.

These bacteria perform functions that impact overall health. Disruption to bacterial composition can result in adverse health outcomes, including disease.

For example, researchers postulate that changes to gut bacteria composition may contribute to overweight and obesity in several ways, including increasing insulin resistance, inflammation, and fat storage.

It is important to note that research in this area is ongoing, and scientists are still unclear about how altered gut bacteria contribute to obesity.

However, studies have shown that people with overweight and obesity have different gut bacteria composition than people who are not overweight.

Some studies have shown that people with obesity have a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes bacteria in their gut.

According to two articles, alterations in gut bacteria caused by antibiotic use also have links to weight gain.

Although research is ongoing, studies have shown that probiotic supplementation may promote weight loss and prevent weight gain in humans.

A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis that included twelve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 821 participants found that those who received probiotic supplementation had more significant reductions in body weight, waist circumference, body fat, and BMI than control groups.

Participants who received higher doses of probiotics and those who received a single strain rather than multiple strain probiotics saw greater body fat loss.

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis that included 105 articles and 6,826 participants also found that probiotic treatment led to reductions in body fat, waist circumference, and BMI.

The review found that most of these improvements resulted from treatments containing bifidobacteria (B. breve, B. longum), Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and lactobacilli (L. acidophilus, L. casei, and L. delbrueckii).

Additionally, some research suggests that probiotics may help protect against weight gain.

A small 2015 study that included 20 men without obesity found that the men who supplemented with the multi-strain probiotic VSL#3 gained less weight (3.12 vs. 5.06 lbs) and body fat (1.39 vs. 2.83 lbs) when following a hypercaloric, high-fat diet for 4 weeks compared to men who took a placebo.

Researchers think that probiotics may promote weight loss by:

• increasing the amount of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing bacteria, which increase fatty acid oxidation and decrease fat storage
• decreasing inflammation by reducing the abundance of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) producers
• influencing appetite and metabolism
• reducing fat accumulation
• regulating pro-inflammatory genes
• improving insulin sensitivity

Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that research investigating the potential effects of probiotics on weight loss is ongoing. Although scientists have narrowed down several ways in which probiotics influence weight, they still do not know the exact mechanisms.

Some scientists have raised concerns over the widespread use of probiotic supplements and warn that they know little about the long-term safety of probiotic supplements.

Researchers have suggested that because probiotics supplements often contain high amounts of probiotics of the same species, taking supplements may lead to the transfer of resistant genes to infectious pathogens.

This may lead to antibiotic resistance and other adverse health consequences.

Scientists have also warned that there are few reports about probiotic safety and that probiotic studies are often underpowered, poorly designed, and funded by probiotic companies, which may skew results.

Probiotic use may also lead to bacterial overgrowth in the intestine, an increased risk of opportunistic infections, and may cause life-threatening infections in people with weakened immune systems.

It is essential to understand that, although probiotic supplements are widely used and prescribed by healthcare providers, scientists have not determined that probiotics are universally safe or effective.

Some experts argue that probiotics should be regulated and marketed as drugs rather than dietary supplements to protect consumers.

For this reason, people, especially those who are immunocompromised, should not take probiotics unless instructed by a qualified healthcare provider.

Research suggests that the microbiome influences body weight, and some studies have linked probiotic supplementation to decreased body fat, waist circumference, and BMI.

However, even though probiotics are widely used and prescribed by healthcare providers, there are questions regarding their safety. Researchers do not fully understand how probiotics may negatively and positively impact health.

Cat Dieting: How to Help Your Cat Lose Weight

Prior to starting your cats weight loss journey, talk to your veterinarian about how to do this safely. Cat dieting is not as simple as restricting food, and rapid weight loss can be very dangerous. Any cat weight loss plan should be a collaboration between you and your vet.

Here are a few ways that you can help your cat lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

How to Help Your Cat Lose Weight Safely

First, speak with your veterinarian before putting your cat on a diet. They will help you establish a cat dieting plan that supports gradual, healthy weight loss without restricting food intake too drastically.

Severe cat food restriction and rapid weight loss can actually make your pet very sick, causing a serious disease in cats called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease.

Calculating Your Cats Body Condition Score

The ideal weight for a cat is determined by their body condition score. This is an objective measurement of your cats body composition based on the visibility of their ribs, presence of a waist, and how easily their vertebrae can be felt.

Once a body condition score has been assigned, your veterinarian can help you establish your pets target weight and daily calorie intake goal using the following formula for resting energy requirement (RER):

70 x (body weight in kg)^0.75=RER

How Much Weight Should a Cat Lose Each Week?

Cats should not lose more than 1-2% of their total body weight per week.

By reducing their calorie intake to 80% of their RER, you should see a weekly weight loss rate of 1-2% (this may vary slightly depending on the individual cat).

Your veterinarian can help you figure out all of these calculations for calorie intake and weight loss, plus portion sizes. Weigh your pet weekly to ensure that your cat is on track with your vets plan. If your cats weight loss is greater than 2% per week, increase their calorie consumption by 10% with the help of your vet. If the weight loss is less than 1% per week, reduce their calorie consumption by 5-10%.

If at any point your cat stops eating, please have them examined by your veterinarian.

3 Methods for Helping Your Cat Lose Weight

Here are a few tips for supporting your cats weight loss goals in a safe and controlled way.

Cat Weight Loss Food

Your vet can help you determine the right food, portions, and feeding schedule for your cat.

Most cat weight loss diets will be a combination of either:

High fiber/low fatA higher fiber content can support satiety and increase bulk, allowing your cat to consume more and feel fuller.

High protein/low carbohydrateThis diet can delay stomach emptying, which also leaves your pet feeling fuller.

The higher water content in wet food can help with weight loss by increasing the volume of food without increasing the calorie count.

Exercise

Calorie restriction is important for weight loss, but increasing your cats activity level also plays a role.

You can support your cats weight loss through exercise by:

Automatic Feeders and Treat Balls

Using an automatic feeder can help get your pet get accustomed to scheduled meals. This can help with weight loss and long-term weight management.

Using treat balls or food puzzle toys to dispense your cats meal can also help slow down your cats eating while providing stimulation and exercise.

Featured Image: iStock.com/pat138241