Can Pets Overdose on Enzymes, Probiotics or Other Pet Supplements?

There is little dispute that probiotics and enzymes are beneficial for pets. They support digestion and immune function, as well as ensuring that pets fully-utilize all the nutrients available in the pet food. For this reason, more and more pet parents are supplementing their dog or cat’s diet with enzyme and probiotic supplements. But what happens if those supplements are pretty tasty, and your dog gets into them when you’re not around and eats the whole container? Fortunately, unlike with synthetic vitamins or minerals in pet food or pet supplements, your pet won’t be harmed by too many enzymes or probiotics.

Probiotics and Enzymes Naturally Present in Pets

Probiotics and digestive enzymes are normal occupants of the gastrointestinal tracts of dogs and cats and support healthy digestion. However, several factors can lead to insufficient natural levels of probiotics and enzymes. These include stress, genetic predisposition, advanced age, rigorous exercise, infection, or illness. Adding more through a pet’s diet can help ensure a balanced digestive system and all the health benefits good digestion offers. 

Enzymes Do Not Accumulate in Pet’s Body  

Enzymes are proteins naturally present throughout all healthy bodies. They speed up various processes carried out by cells in the body.   As active protein molecules, the enzymes do not accumulate in the body. They impart enzymatic activity that lasts anywhere from one to four hours and then they are eliminated from the body or the proteins are broken down and the amino acids are used for other purposes.¹ So if your pet eats too much of an enzyme supplement, the excess will be eliminated.

Probiotics and Digestive Balance in Pets

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria naturally present as part of the pet’s normal, healthy digestive system. By competing for space and nutrients with the organisms that can make pets sick, these healthy microorganisms keep any pathogens (bad bacteria) present in check. Probiotics also support the absorption of nutrients and contribute to a healthy immune response. Consuming too much of a probiotic supplement can be a bit of a shock to a pet’s system, but not dangerous. He would likely experience some diarrhea as the intestinal tract’s microflora is being rebalanced.  

Pets Can Overdose on Synthetic Vitamin & Minerals 

Many of the recent pet food recalls have been due to potential adverse consequences of excess man-made vitamins or minerals that are routinely added to most pet foods. The man-made vitamins in most pet supplements contain processing aids and carriers, and many also contain chemical preservatives. Corn oil, starch, sucrose, mineral oil, and gelatin are all used in processing synthetic vitamins. Similarly, man-made mineral supplements bring with them heavy metal contaminants such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. These hidden ingredients are allowed in mineral supplements added to animal feed and pet foods.² 

Safest Way to Supplement 

If you want to augment your pet’s diet, choose a pet supplement made from whole foods and 100% natural ingredients.  Nature’s Logic makes our All Food Fortifier to supply a complete spectrum of all natural vitamins, minerals, essential fats, enzymes, and other trace elements. The nutrients come from 100% all natural sources, not chemistry labs. There are no man-made ingredients. All Food Fortifier is made from chicken, fish, eggs and cheese for protein. It also contains alfalfa, apples, carrots, spinach and other fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other trace nutrients. For more information, visit http://www.natureslogic.com/products/fortifier.html

1.      http://www.enzymeessentials.com/HTML/faq.html#10

2.      http://natureslogic.blogspot.com/2011/05/safest-way-to-supplement-your-pets-diet.html