Probiotics

[Anamaria]

Thoughts on this product?

https://www.chewy.com/brytin-therabiotic-2x-probiotic/dp/263118
The dried fruit ingredients concern me.

I'd like to give my older chinchilla some digestive support, and there's a lot of choices out there. It looks like these are tablets, which appeals to me as I can't imagine trying to give him powder or paste or liquid. (He is very picky and very feisty.)

I can provide more details about him if that's helpful. I'm looking for a safe probiotic that he might actually eat and that won't give him gas or some other issue. I looked at benebac, but I wasn't sure the count was high enough (20 million vs this product's 1 billion) Thanks!

 

[Amethyst]

I've never given probiotics, other then I think I got some from a vet for one of my chins in the past but I don't remember what it was. I know benebac is the one I normally see recommended, but it is either in gel form or powder that you sprinkle on their food. The dried fruit in the one you linked makes me say no, even if it doesn't cause an upset stomach the high sugar content of having fruit in it is not good for chins and can lead to all kinds of health problems.

Is there a reason he needs probiotics? like is he on antibiotics or recovering from an illness or something? If you are just looking at digestive support not specifically a probiotic I know a lot of people also give these OXBOW Natural Science Digestive Support Small Animal Supplement, 60 count - Chewy.com

Also since you say he is "older" if he is over 10 it's not a bad idea to give some of the Oxbow Joint supplement as well. I give them to my around 16 year old and it seems to keep him moving around well. OXBOW Natural Science Joint Support Small Animal Supplement, 60 count - Chewy.com I don't give them everyday though, I just do one a week, but will likely start doing twice a week since he seems to be doing fine with them. If you give both supplements I would alternate the days you give them so he isn't getting both in one day.

 

[Anamaria]

He's about the same age as yours, and has been through some stress this year. (Home improvement project). He also stopped eating his regular hay (harvest/quality issues), which predictably messed with his digestion, and it took a while to find a replacement he would happily eat. We've finally found one (fingers crossed!), so his fiber intake is back up, but improvement with the digestive issue is achingly slow, (presumably due to age/stress) so I was hoping to help him out a bit with some probiotics.

I sometimes give him a quarter piece of the Oxbow Natural Science digestive supplement, which he enjoys, though I worry about the sugar in those also (they have a very strong molasses scent, but maybe it's fine).

Droppings are plentiful, but there's quite a variety. Many are basically the right tic tac shape/size (occasional weird round one), but they are not smooth. Some are regular sized and soft (but not runny, no scent), others are smaller and dry. Some have pointed ends. I have no concerns about the frequency, but I do worry about the quality. No bleeding or redness or messy fur. All looks good down there. I regularly feel his abdomen for gas, and he doesn't squirm or complain or seem to have discomfort when I do.

We went to the vet and she agreed it was a fiber issue and that he needed to get back on track with eating hay. Maybe I just need to be more patient. He's very active and otherwise healthy. I'm just discouraged by the slow improvement with the droppings. I'll look into the joint supplement as well. He seems to be moving well, but of course could be concealing discomfort. Thanks!