Probiotic Options

[Pebbles82]

I have not needed to use probiotics for our hamsters before but will be doing soon, so have been doing some research to find what options there are. The one that seems most well known is Pro-C. But I would prefer to use one that doesn't contain vitamin C, if possible. As it has been used safely by many owners I am sure it is fine, but Vitamin C as a powder is pure ascorbic acid - it is acidic (for humans as well) and too much of it can cause diarrhoea or other issues - so dosage would need to be very careful.

I am not sure why a probiotic needs Vitamin C anyway unless it's as a preservative.

I couldn't find articles about probiotics for hamsters but did find this one about probiotics for Cats which has some relevant points - one being that probiotics for humans aren't always suitable for pets - who have different gut bacteria. And that the main one for pets is Lactobacillus. And some other forms of good bacteria will do no good and may even do some harm (makes you not want to bother!).

Some probiotic formulas use yeast as a base - yeast could cause other issues in some pets so I would say it's best not to use a yeast based one.

Baytril is quite strong on the digestive tract so I think a probiotic is a good thing to help restore the gut after a course of antibiotics of 10 days or more - but not as an ongoing supplement. Personally I intend to use it for a couple of weeks after the antibiotic treatment is finished. Our Robo has had no ill effects while taking the Baytril.

This is the probiotic article - regarding Cats, but has some very useful info.

https://www.thehappycatsite.com/probiotics-for-cats/

According to an NHS article on probiotic supplements for humans, and the cat article, many products claiming to be probiotic are found not to contain any or they are found to be completely inactive! Probiotics are classed as food supplements so don't come under the regulations for medicines - and can say anything basically.

So it's best to stick with a known brand or a vet recommended brand in my opinion. As far as I know there aren't any probiotics specifically made for Hamsters.

1) Bene-bac for small animals. This is apparently a vet prescribed probiotic in the US. As a result it is not easy to find in the Uk and then it is expensive. Note Amazon have mislabelled this as "Prebiotic" but it is a Probiotic as per the label. The smaller packet on this link has the correct description but is not sold by Amazon.

This contains sugars as most of them do, which is ok for short term use - but doesn't contain vitamins - it is just probiotic bacteria. This version is for small animals and has the dosage per weight of the pet.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bene-Bac-Pr...=Bene-bac&th=1

2) PDSA Probiotic - the PDSA have their own brand probiotic which is for Cats and Dogs - but has the dosage per weight - it would be a very tiny amount for a hamster weight. They don't say what the ingredients are. Just that it contains pre and probiotics. (Pre biotics are supposed to help probiotics work). It would be nice to know what the contents are!

https://pdsapetstore.org.uk/products...robiotic-paste

3) Premo probiotic for cats (mentioned in the Cat article) - contains only probiotics, Inulin and the prebiotic FOS. There aren't clear dosage instructions for smaller pets by weight though so it could take some working out. It only seems to be available in the US so Bene-bac would be the better option if you're in the US.

https://www.amazon.com/Premo-Probiot...3c5e5533cc13eb

4) Vetark Pro-C is the cheapest and easiest available in the Uk. Contains Lacobacillus, Enteroccus bacteria and the prebiotic FOS, plus quite a few sugars and Vitamin C. So probably best mixed into food rather than put in the water - but be careful with dosage. Personally I wouldn't think this was suitable for dwarf hamsters due to the amount of sugar, but maybe ok for a short course as long as the dwarf hamster wasn't diabetic.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vetark-Prof...for+small+pets

If anyone knows of any other tried and tested probiotics, please add them! Personally I think Bene-bac looks the best - for those in the US - but it's extremely expensive for those in the Uk.

[Rads]

Serendipity,
That is a very interesting article you have written, personally I am very much a for the pro-biotic, I use them myself as I only have a part set of innards due to surgery for the big C . The gut flora is often over looked in humans so why not our pets aswell? I have often wondered about how they would be for a Hamster as Ghost loves his yoghurt.

[cypher]

It's not always easy to find definitive info or proof about things but I've been using Potent brew for years now, both with medication & at a maintenance level & have positive results with it, it's easy to use & the hams seem to like it which helps!

[Pebbles82]

Thank you Cypher. I am always very cautious, but it helps when people have used probiotics before.

Rads that is a massive thing and I can imagine makes you look at what you can do yourself. I know people on here have recommended a probiotic for a hamster when the Hamster was taking antibiotics, and/or after I just wanted to find out more about what options were available.

I am of the camp though, that only give something if it's really necessary so I don't think anyone would recommend ongoing probiotics permanently for a hamster - although this worries me a bit as I saw from reviews that guinea pig and rabbit owners seem to sometimes use it as a permanent food supplement -that wouldn't be good for hamsters due to the high amount of sugars.

I am of the opinion now that Pro C is fine - for a short while I'm an ex nurse so up on vitamins in humans and aware too much of a vitamin can be as bad as not enough. But there are dosages on the box

[cypher]

I don't think probiotics are something many people think about until there hams get ill tbh but it's not like giving medication, wild animals replenish their gut bacteria from the foods they eat & that isn't something that's going to happen with dried food so provided you give an appropriate product at the appropriate does I don't see that giving it regularly is going to be anything other than beneficial, I've been giving all of mine a dose of potent brew weekly when healthy & more frequently if on meds or unwell for some years now.

[Fluffchubbs19]

Hi
I bought a pot of pro c when my hamster had wet tail but sadly never got to use it due to her passing away. Can you use it as a regular thing or just illness? I read it's good in times of stress so when I get a new hammy would it be beneficial at first?

[Pebbles82]

It might be for a couple of weeks - but the main thing is that the hamster is healthy when you get them.

[cypher]

Probiotics can be really helpful at times of stress so yes you could use it when you first bring a ham home or any other time when a ham may get stressed out.
I think Pro C is probably best just used short term while others may be more suitable for longer term use.

[Pebbles82]

I have actually forked out for Bene-bac. Amazon uk sells it in a pot. It's expensive but lasts a long time (has a long "best before" date and doesn't require keeping in the fridge). The dosage for a little robo is an 1/8th of a quarter of a teaspoon! Which works out as a "small pinch". I used my cooking measuring spoons to measure out 1/4 teaspoon - then divided the small heap of powder into 8 "pie" shapes and one pie shape was a small pinch between finger and thumb. Mixed it into a tiny bit of baby food and it was lapped up.

[johnsonfarm]

Oxbow Critical Care has some probiotics, I believe. The ones listed in the ingredients are:

Lactobacillus sporogenes, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarium, Streptococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus