Making kefir

Piper's mom

Piper's mom

Moderator
Has anyone made kefir for your dogs? I’ve made yogurt before many and I understand there are similarities in how it’s made (fermented) but just wondering if anyone has any tips. From what I’ve read there are typically around 50 live active cultures in kefir and 20 billion colony forming units compared to yogurt which has 1-5 live active cultures and 6 billion colony forming units.
Of course this would be good for our gut as well!
I also read that 1 course of antibiotics can mess up the dogs gut for up to 2 years!
I’ve ordered the kefir grains (I’ll make it in mason jars)…initial cost isn’t too bad and the grains do replenish themselves (much like a sourdough starter) so you typically don’t have to buy again. it can be costly to buy kefir when you have multiple dogs and then you have to avoid ones that have added ingredients like sugar.
Does anyone give kefir to their dogs or make it for yourself?
My kefir comes tomorrow so I’ll probably get it going Sunday or Monday and I’ll let you all know how it goes and what my end product is like.
 
I forgot to follow up with you guys on the deep dive research re probiotics I went on for Benson. Kefir was the only live source for dogs I could find. I have been giving them both a teaspoon of goat kefir a day for what I call the "L" bacteria and the Bernies for the "B" bacteria. What I discovered was there are no products that provide enough CFU to replenish the gut. Sivomixx (Slab 51) if you can get it, is strong enough to really help the gut. Getting the soil or spore based "B" units to the colon is tricky and takes a LOT.

So the reader's digest version answer was probiotics can help especially after antibiotics, but the OTC products don't have enough oomph to kickstart a sheltie's gut for standalone health. Which means you would have to keep buying or using it. (prolly the intention all along LOL)
 
Margi said:
I forgot to follow up with you guys on the deep dive research re probiotics I went on for Benson. Kefir was the only live source for dogs I could find. I have been giving them both a teaspoon of goat kefir a day for what I call the "L" bacteria and the Bernies for the "B" bacteria. What I discovered was there are no products that provide enough CFU to replenish the gut. Sivomixx (Slab 51) if you can get it, is strong enough to really help the gut. Getting the soil or spore based "B" units to the colon is tricky and takes a LOT.

So the reader's digest version answer was probiotics can help especially after antibiotics, but the OTC products don't have enough oomph to kickstart a sheltie's gut for standalone health. Which means you would have to keep buying or using it. (prolly the intention all along LOL)
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Fortunately Blueberry and Finnie have never had an antibiotic or flagil, Piper may have but that would’ve been years ago. I just figure it’s a good addition to an already healthy diet and so easy to make (expensive to buy because I’d have to buy the one with least ingredients and more organic).
 
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