Dog Health Starts in The Gut
Most dogs don't need supplements. There are many, high-quality dog foods available on the market with all the nutrients required for a healthy, energetic dog.
However, without a healthy digestive system, your dog cannot extract the nutrients out of the food!
FullBucket Canine Supplements are designed to keep your dog's gut healthy which gives them a better chance at overall health.
FullBucket Co-Founder Dr. Rob Franklin, DVM, DACVIM explains why in this video.
There is not a dog probiotic on the market with as much active probiotic as FullBucket's Canine Probiotic. Compare the labels of the brands and make your own judgement. We've tested our probiotics in the field at high-volume clinics and rescue shelters. Only after we achieved maximum results did we bring these products to market.
It Started With Two Veterinarians Trying To Solve a Problem
Dr. Keith Latson, a surgeon and Dr. Rob Franklin, a medicine specialist, had a problem.
Their dog and horse patients would come in for a variety of reasons, but often got constipated or diarrhea from the experience.
When they used the products readily available, they usually did not work.
"The concentration of ingredients are too weak and often incorrect." stated Dr. Rob
"Or worse, they were made to "Stop" up the flow of the digestive system. That's something I just can't have!"
So they studied stacks of research and clinical studies until they came across what they were looking for.
A series of ingredients that had been tested under the strictest conditions, reviewed by other doctors and Universities and found to create the positive gastrointestinal effects they were looking for.
Then they did their own tests and eventually created a formula that worked.
A Product Line Was Born
Now, keep in mind that these weren't vets paid for an endorsement. They had real problems and needed real solutions.
Once they had a good line, they called their colleagues across the country, some of the most respected and well known vets in the US, and had them trial the products.
The feedback they got was way beyond outstanding. They had a game changer.
For the last 5 years, the digestive aid products you see here, were used exclusively by the veterinary community. Now, they are available to regular dog owners.
FullBucket Was Born!
Now that they had a product line, what to do? After all, these are successful, practicing veterinarians. They didn't want just "a company".
What they really wanted is to make a difference.
So, they created FullBucket's "Giving" program.
For Every Dose of FullBucket You Buy, We Give One To Animals In Need!
This isn't a one and done program.
It's also not cutting a check to a good cause at the end of the year marketing tactic.
This is total commitment by the founders, staff and brand.
FullBucket has given several hundred TONS of nutritional supplement to animals in need.
Four times a year they travel to poor communities in central and south America and work with villagers to determine needs and administer basic veterinary services.
"Each time you buy FullBucket, you're playing a part in the program." emphasizes Dr. Keith.
Why It's So Important You Know The Difference In Products
There's a lot of bloggers out on the Internet making false claims about dog nutrition and health. Improperly researched facts (or NO research) combined with catchy headlines and bold statements mislead dog owners into believing a myriad of lies about what a dog should eat and how they should be supplemented.
The fact is no one should supplement their dog unless there is a problem, chronic (recurring) situations or stressful circumstances that could eventually cause a problem such as training, travel or feed changes.
The best way to tell if a dog is having a digestive problem is by the stool. I know it's nasty but as a dog owner, you'll be dealing with it anyway. If the stool is firm and common in consistency, it doesn't mean that your dog is healthy, but it's a good sign.
However, conversely, if the stool is hard, loose or runny (diarrhea), the dog is NOT healthy. At this point, it may be time to seek a veterinarian for advice.
FullBucket's all-natural probiotics are developed by practicing veterinarians. They are tested in "real-world" settings such as high-volume clinics and rescue shelters before being released.
They are made in the US and the company is managed by the veterinarians so if you call, one of them may answer.
Most importantly, for every dose you buy, we give one to animals in need. Your Dog is Saving A Starving Horse (And helping a family at the same time.) You can see the story here.
Probiotics 101
Probiotics, those helpful bacteria that live in the digestive tract, have long been known to aid in human digestion. More recently, scientific research on the use of probiotics in canine digestive health is showing the veterinary community that probiotics can also support dogs with digestive issues, including disorders such as diarrhea, IBD, gastroenteritis, and even Parvovirus disease.
The probiotic species with specific strains known to benefit dogs have been shown to lessen acute diarrhea. Certain strains improve the quality and frequency of stools in sensitive dogs. Supplemental products may contain one or several strains of these beneficial bacteria. Additionally, probiotics are known to improve a dog’s overall immune system by decreasing the negative effects of non-beneficial gut bacteria.
Canine digestive issues constitute one of the two main reasons dog owners bring their pets to a veterinarian for evaluation, skin problems being the other. Gassiness, bloating, constipation, vomiting and diarrhea are all symptoms of differing intestinal problems in your dog that can start out fairly benign and curable, but very quickly grow into major life-threatening concerns.
A recent study performed by Jan S. Suchodolski, DVM, PhD of the Dept. of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University, points out that the intestines of mammals, including dogs, harbor 10 times the number of microbial cells as they do the number of tissue, or host, cells. This means that a dog’s gut is filled with an infinite number of bacteria that work to boost the immune system by aiding in digestion, harvesting energy from the diet, and acting as a barrier against toxins. When these microbes become imbalanced, dogs can suffer from a number of diseases, all of which begin with diarrhea.
Diarrhea in Dogs is Bad News
Diarrhea in a dog quickly robs the animal of important nutrients attained through the lining of the small intestine, and, particularly in puppies, smaller breed dogs, and seniors can easily lead to dehydration and systemic organ failure. While diarrhea is undoubtedly a symptom of intestinal distress, it is also a sign of many other serious diseases, including the parvovirus, intestinal parasites, and some cancers.
A June, 2009 article in Scientific American quotes Susan Wynn, a nutritionist at the Univ. of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine as saying that dogs suffering from chronic diarrhea often show an imbalance from salmonella, campylobacter or E. coli bacteria. The animals may have ingested the wrong, or bad, foods, picked up the bacteria from their surroundings, or passed it from one to the other in feces.
Some veterinarians are now turning to supplemental probiotics, the intestinal “good” bacteria, to resolve both acute and chronic gastrointestinal disorders. Wynn notes that studies promoting probiotic supplements to stave off intestinal infection have proved the supplements’ efficacy in pigs, chickens, and other food-production animals, but so far there is no “hard clinical evidence” that they do so in dogs.
While university studies for companion animals are ongoing, the anecdotal evidence from veterinarians is strong that canine probiotic supplements are beneficial for dogs with GI distress.
Gastroenteritis in Dogs
Gastroenteritis in dogs is characterized by vomiting and diarrhea and, loosely translated, denotes upset, or inflamed intestines, or stomach. Possible causes for this condition includes parasites, viruses, eating bad food, or more complicated disease processes such as cancer or organ failure.
Most veterinary treatment for gastroenteritis is aimed at treating the underlying illness, and can be as simple as withholding food for a short period of time or as complicated as life-long medications, surgery, and chemotherapy.
A controlled clinical trial of the use of probiotics for canine sufferers of acute gastroenteritis published in the 2010 issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice shows that using these supplements significantly shortens the amount of time from the initiation of treatment to the last abnormal stool. When dogs suffering from diarrhea and vomiting were given the probiotic supplements, loose stools became firm in 24 to 36 hours on average. Those animals not given the probiotic spontaneously recovered in 3 to 4 days.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Dogs
Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease can affect your dog at any age, but is more common in middle-aged and senior dogs. Breeds predisposed to IBD include Basenjis, Irish Setters, and French Bulldogs, although no breed is immune to the disorder.
Although veterinary science cannot pin down one specific cause for canine IBD, hypersensitivity to certain bacteria and/or food allergies are thought to play a significant role in this disorder. Allergies to particular meat proteins, the artificial colorings, additives, and preservatives found in commercial dog foods, and milk and gluten proteins (wheat) are also suspect to causing IBD. There is some speculation that breed genetics can be factored into triggering the disease.
Symptoms include diarrhea, weight loss, intermittent vomiting, gassiness, abdominal pain, rumbling gut sounds, bright red blood in the stool, and depression/fatigue. Veterinary treatment typically revolves around relieving the gastrointestinal symptoms through antibiotics and immunosuppressant drugs, fluid therapy when necessary, and supplementing with Vitamin B-12 as needed.
An ongoing study by Albert E. Jergens, DVM, PhD of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine purports to show that providing probiotic supplements reduces the enteritis (the inflammation of the small intestine) in dogs with IBD. According to Dr. Jergens, “Use of probiotics (viable, non-pathogenic bacteria that exert health benefits beyond basic nutrition) offers an attractive, physiologic, and non-toxic alternative to shift the balance to protective species and treat IBD.”
In other words, the study is proving that probiotics beneficially change the bacterial flora of an affected dog’s small intestine, causing a remission in this incurable disease. Not only does this study provide some of the additional data needed to allow for widespread clinical use of probiotics in canine IBD, it also provides relevant information in the treatment of human IBD.
Stress Colitis in Dogs
Stress Colitis in dogs refers to an inflammation of the large intestine or colon and is typically caused by environmental stress, inflammatory bowel disease, bacterial infections (including salmonella, E. coli, and clostridium) and parasites (whipworms, cryptosporidium, and giardia).
The outcome is a decreased ability to absorb water through the large intestine resulting in frequent bouts of small amounts of semi-formed to liquid diarrhea. You might notice your dog straining during and after defecation, with blood or mucus showing in the stools.
Traditional veterinary treatment involves fasting for 24 to 48 hours to relieve stress on the colon, feeding a hypoallergenic, high-fiber dog food (often with fiber supplements), and, depending on the diagnosed underlying cause, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, or immunosuppressive drugs.
Researchers at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a study testing the efficacy of probiotic supplements versus metronidazole (the most commonly used veterinary antibiotic for intestinal disorders in dogs). The test involved 50 shelter dogs with all suffering from severe diarrhea, common in rescue animals living in a stressful environment. Twenty-five of the dogs received the probiotics; the other 25 were treated with the metronidazole. At the end of the study, 11 of the dogs treated with the antibiotic were unresponsive to the medication. These animals were then placed on probiotic supplements.
Study researchers concluded that the probiotic is as equally effective in treating acute diarrhea, as is the traditional antibiotic therapy. They further reported that, “Antibiotic-treated dogs with limited improvement [noting the 11 who did not respond to metronidazole] appeared to benefit significantly from subsequent probiotic treatment.”
Canine Parvovirus in Puppies
Canine Parvovirus (CPV) attacks the rapidly-producing cells of your dog’s gastrointestinal tract causing severe, bloody diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, high fevers, vomiting, and severe weight loss. The virus affects the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, and affected animals become dehydrated from a lack of protein and fluid absorption.
Parvo can affect an unvaccinated dog of any age, however, most cases occur in puppies ranging in age from 6 to 20 weeks. Symptoms typically begin following an incubation period averaging 4 to 5 days after the virus is transmitted by oral contact with infected feces. Parvo is a particularly hardy virus that can be carried on a dog’s hair and feet, and can live in the environment surrounding infected animals for months after diagnosis. Disinfecting a parvo puppy’s crate, blankets, and living area is a necessary adjunct to treating the disease.
Veterinary treatment of canine parvovirus typically involves hospitalizing the affected dog so that it can be placed on IV fluids to manage the dehydration and correct electrolyte imbalances. Medications to alleviate the vomiting and diarrhea are often prescribed, and antibiotics are required to prevent the septicemia and other bacterial infections that are the usual cause of death. The prognosis for untreated dogs with parvo is extremely poor; pups with good immunity and quick, intensive veterinary care can recover without complications.
A 2012 article published in the Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire by researchers on the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey indicates that probiotics are beneficial in CPV therapy. Bloodwork was performed on 20 naturally infected puppies, 1 to 6 months of age, who were diagnosed as being infected with the parvovirus using the ELISA test method.
The dogs were randomly divided into two groups, with the first group receiving normal supportive and symptomatic therapy, and the second group being given an oral commercial probiotic product as an adjunct to the traditional veterinary treatment. Only 70 percent of the dogs in the first group survived the disease. Ninety percent of the dogs receiving the probiotics lived.
Additionally, the bloodwork of the probiotic dogs showed a significant improvement in the differential numbers of white blood cells (those cells indicating infection/disease) over the bloodwork of the non-probiotic dogs. These numbers led the researchers to conclude that adding probiotics to optimal veterinary care shortens the recovery time and increases the recovery chances for dogs with CPV.
Intestinal Parasites in Dogs
Intestinal parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, Giardia, and coccidia attack your dog’s intestinal lining and feed off the nutrients ingested in food. Without those necessary nutrients, infected dogs suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, lethargy, dehydration, and severe anemia (most often seen in puppies and immune-compromised dogs).
Dogs with intestinal parasites are commonly treated with anti-parasitic medications over a period of 1 to 3 months and must be re-tested periodically to ensure that all of the parasites have been eliminated.
In the 2011 edition of The Journal of Parasitology Research, researchers from the Institut Francais de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer in France published a literature review of university studies conducted on the use of probiotic supplements for the control of intestinal parasites in animals and humans. The experiments involved patients infected with cryptosporidium, Giardia, coccidia, and nematodes (intestinal worms). They concluded that “these studies indicate that probiotics indeed provide a strain-specific protection against parasites,”.
Bloating in Dogs
Gastric dilatation and volvulus syndrome(GDV), known as bloat, is an emergency condition in dogs where the animal’s stomach dilates with gas and then rotates, or twists, on its axis. If left untreated, dogs with GDV will die a long, painful death.
Typically a disease of large, deep-chested breeds like the German shepherd, the Greyhound, the Standard poodle, and the Great Dane, dogs with GDV present with excessive drooling, a distended, painful abdomen, vomiting to the point of dry heaving, and eventual collapse. The gastric rotation increases pressure within the abdomen, damages the cardiovascular system, and leads to decreased blood flow throughout body tissues. Often, animals with GDV suffer from organ failure and death; the mortality rate of affected dogs is estimated to be between 18- and 30-percent.
Veterinarians believe that GDV develops in dogs that ingest large amounts of food or water, and then participate in strenuous activity. This delays emptying of the gastrointestinal tract causing the build up of massive amounts of gas. In some cases, dogs with GDV have a substantial history of other GI problems.
Emergency veterinary treatment is required to save the animal’s life, and involves stabilizing the heart, and inserting a tube through the dog’s mouth into the stomach to decompress the gas. Additional surgery may be needed to return the stomach to its original position in the body and to determine what, if any, organ damage has occurred.
A Northwestern University literature review found that probiotics can help restore the gut’s bacterial balance and relieves the symptoms of gas and bloating. Additionally, an article in The Whole Dog Journal from 2005 quotes Dr. Monique Maniet of Veterinary Holistic Care in Bethesda, Maryland as recommending the use of digestive probiotic supplements for breeds susceptible to bloat. “Probiotics and digestive enzymes can reduce gas, so I’d expect that they will also help reduce bloat,” explains Dr. Maniet.
FullBucket Probiotics
We are THE diarrhea company. Vets ALL fight diarrhea. We formulated these supplements specifically for veterinarians to use in the clinic on patients who were going to be on antibiotics or had problems with diarrhea or loose stool. We use the body's natural system to do this and not stop the "flow" of the digestive tract. We are now being used in protocol at four of the leading Veterinary Universities and by most all the leading clinics and clinicians in the United States.
We are veterinarian-owned & managed. Dr. Keith Latson, DVM, DACVIM is the "On Call" vet for the American Association of Equine Practitioners and one of the country's premier racehorse surgeons. (You might have seen him on TV during the Triple Crown races.)
Dr. Rob Franklin, DVM, DACVS is the past president of Texas Equine Veterinary Association.
If you call in with a question, it's highly likely they'll be the ones to answer the phone.
100% All-Natural and Made in the USA. Our products are manufactured in Oregon from sources extremely scrutinized and researched. Recently there has been some concern about animal products produced in other countries and illnesses and even death related to the low quality standards found there.
This is a Giving Business. For every dose we sell, we give one to animals in need. You can watch our documentary here. It drives our bus, and has created a "tribe" of veterinarians that believe in what we're doing.
The all-natural, probiotic solution for your dog’s gastrointestinal disorders is available to you through your veterinarian or FullBucket.org. Only you – in conjunction with your veterinarian -- can determine what is going to work best for your dog.
About FullBucket Products
Our Products Have the Highest Concentrations. We formulate our products based on the highest level of concentrations needed to work in a sick animal. No window dressing. Probiotic is a numbers game. It takes a minimum of 5 Billion CFUs (colony-forming units) to reach efficacy in dogs. The #1 sold probiotic is 100 Million CFUs per dose. We instill our probiotics with 12.5 billion CFUs.
We Use the Most Researched Ingredients. FullBucket does not formulate a product, and then try to create research to back our claims. We formulate based on the most recent, peer-reviewed scientific research available – and then test it in the field under real world applications. Our canine line has been field-tested by veterinarians in rescue centers and a chain of animal clinics.
Our Products Contain Multiple Layers of Ingredients. The digestive system is complex and requires a multi-tiered approach for treatment. Vets know this and usually have to reach for a variety of solutions. We've tried to minimize this by putting several proven ingredients into one product so that they work in conjunction with each other. Our Puppy Probiotic is a great example of this, and the only product of its kind on the market.
Our FullBucket® Canine Probiotic is formulated with the highest levels of concentration of ingredients that have all been proven to benefit your dog’s digestive system using a multi-tiered method of treatment. A look at each of the separate components of our product reveals the thought and scientific reasoning behind the use of each element.
Saccharomyces boulardii is a tropical strain of yeast first isolated from lychee and mangosteen fruit in 1923 by French scientist Henri Boulard. It is known to introduce beneficial active bacteria into the small and large intestines, while protecting the affected dog’s gastrointestinal tract against pathogens.
A literature review published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology in March 2012 states, “Several clinical trials and experimental studies strongly suggest a place for Saccharomyces boulardii as a biotherapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of several gastrointestinal diseases.” S. boulardii was tested for clinical efficacy in several types of acute gastrointestinal conditions, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), Clostridium infection, acute diarrhea, enteral nutrition-related diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea and Helicobacter pylori infection and was found to provide significant relief of diarrheal symptoms.
Mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) is a derivative of yeast fibers and is known to have a direct and indirect effect on the health of a dog’s digestive tract by helping to prevent diarrhea and digestion-related infectious diseases. A non-digestible carbohydrate, MOS limits the development of pathogenic bacteria by preventing them from attaching to the intestinal wall. Consequently, MOS increases the body’s immune system, allowing it to fight infection more effectively.
A 2002 Journal of Nutrition Study peer-reviewed article written by scientists with Alltech, a national feed manufacturer, studied the feces and blood of dogs supplemented with MOS. Concentrations of the so-called “good” bacteria were found in the feces and intestinal tracts of dogs that received the supplement. Additionally, those dogs had a higher number of leukocytes found in their blood, indicating an increase in immunity against disease. The researchers concluded that MOS improves gut health in dogs by adding in positive microbes, enhances an animal’s immune system, and decreases the levels of toxins in the gastrointestinal tract.
L-Glutamine is an essential amino acid normally found in dairy and meat products. As the most abundant amino acid of your dog’s skeleton, blood, and muscles, L-Glutamine works as both a fuel and a neurotransmitter to support cell division and repair in the body. Veterinarians typically recommend L-Glutamine for dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disorders including IBD and the parvovirus because it restores the damaged cells of the intestinal lining.
Nutritionists at the Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine in France published an article in the 2007 edition of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry detailing their experiments supplementing dogs with L-Glutamine after a 3-day fast in an effort to determine if Glutamine affected the levels of antioxidants needed to prevent cellular damage. After surgically examining the duodenums (the first section of the small intestines) of the supplemented animals versus the non-supplemented animals, scientists concluded the L-Glutamine not only did not reduce the levels of natural antioxidants, they, in fact, increased their effective abilities to maintain GI stasis (normality).
Protease, Lipase, Cellulase, and Amylase Digestive Enzymes are naturally produced in your dog’s pancreas to help the animal assimilate the nutrients in its food. Protease is used to break down proteins, Lipase to digest fats, Cellulase to break down fibers, and Amylase to process carbohydrates.
These “proteolytic” enzymes may be lacking in dogs suffering from diseases of the pancreas (including pancreatitis and pancreatic insufficiency) resulting in abdominal pain, gassiness, stomach upset (diarrhea and vomiting) and the poor absorption of nutrients. Some dogs with enzyme deficiencies will pass undigested food in the feces.
In human medicine, the primary use of proteolytic enzyme supplementation is as a medical aid for people suffering from an inability to digest proteins. They have also been used to reduce the pain and inflammation of IBD and other inflammatory disorders.
In her 2013 article in the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, Dr. Jean Hofre cites scientific study after study proposing supplementing a healthy dog’s diet with digestive enzymes stating, “Digestive enzymes help pets digest and assimilate food better–any food.” Dr. Hofre says that by using enzymes with well animals, the dogs tend to eat less because they are retaining more nutrients from their food. The amount of stool is reduced because less food is wasted through improper digestion. Additionally, dogs are more easily satiated with this increased nutrition and weight loss in obese animals can be accomplished.
She also suggests that the clinical evidence shows that digestive enzymes can help alleviate the gastrointestinal symptoms of animals diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, pancreatitis and related cancers, IBD, and gastroenteritis. Dogs with decreased insulin production (that often occurs when the pancreas is injured or diseased) and diagnosed with canine diabetes mellitus may also benefit from ingestion of these enzymes.
Egg Immunoglobulins (used in FullBucket® Canine Puppy Probiotic) are antibodies derived from the yolks of chicken eggs. Abbreviated as IgY, these antibodies are naturally formed by the chicken’s immune system to identify and neutralize certain foreign objects such as viruses and bacteria. The commercial production of IgY uses chicken eggs because the hen’s immune response increases the quantity of the antibody in every batch of eggs she lays. Not only do chicken eggs contain more of the IgY than does the blood of other animals, because of the self-contained nature of the egg yolk, there is no chance of cross-contamination with other immunoglobulins. The result is a pure antibody available for immediate use without distillation.
A study published by a group of immunologists in the 2006 edition of the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research details the use of IgY in puppies contaminated with the Parvovirus. Ten 2-month-old Beagle dogs diagnosed with the disease were divided into three groups. One group of 4 dogs received normal egg yolk (the control group), another group of 3 dogs was given 2 grams of IgY powder, and the third grouping of 3 dogs ingested 5 grams of IgY – all for seven days.
Results of the experiment showed that the dogs receiving the IgY showed a significantly greater weight gain and shorter duration of virus shedding than the control group. The dogs receiving the higher dosages of Igy also showed less severe symptoms of vomiting, high fevers, and bloody diarrhea than did the low dose group or the control group.
According to the researchers, these numbers indicated that IgY is extremely beneficial in protecting dogs from the Parvovirus and helpful in achieving a cure for those animals already infected.
References
Parvovirus - http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/dogdiseasesconditions/a/CWParvo.htm
Parvovirus - http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/parvovirus
Probiotics (n.d.) Retrieved from - http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-health/Probiotics
Probiotics - http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics
Probiotic Regulation - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131017144630.htm
Probiotic Preparation - Vetcare Oy (2012). Probiotic preparation for the prevention or treatment of canine gastrointestinal disorders. Patent Application Approval Process. Life Science Weekly, 727. Retrieved from http://science.bigchalk.com.
Oxford Journals - http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/46/Supplement_2/S76.long
Whole Dog Journal - http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_3/features/Probiotics-For-Dogs_20473-1.html