Welcome to ‘Ingredients with a Purpose’ – a series of science informed articles on the role the ingredients in your dog’s food plays in achieving their best health and wellbeing at every stage of their precious lives at the same time helping to reduce the environmental impact feeding them has on our precious planet.

We understand there are a LOT of options when it comes to what you feed your dog. We also understand you want to offer them the best food possible, and labels can be confusing. The goal of this series is to give you clear insight into the reason for the inclusion of every ingredient in our super premium food, the role it plays and what is necessary to guarantee you are feeding your dog an all-natural, complete, and balanced diet.

These are the key elements necessary for positive nutrition.

Protein, Fats & Carbohydrates, Fibres, Vitamins & Minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, Superfoods, Amino Acids, Prebiotics & Probiotics.

Probiotics – Promoting Healthy Gut and Microbiome in Dogs:

Calsporin® – Bacillus Subtilis C-3102:

Probiotics are live microorganisms research has shown to provide health benefits when consumed. They can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods, dietary supplements, and beauty products.

Probiotics are generally defined as a living organism, often bacteria, derived from the intestine, fermented dairy or plants as well as from soil, which are used to promote digestive and overall health.

Calsporin® – Bacillus subtilis C-3102 is a spore-forming bacterium found in soils that is used as a probiotic for humans and animals. It was approved for use in dog food in 2017 after extensive research into its safety and efficacy by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).  

Probiotics are often used to treat pets with inflammatory digestive diseases, to counteract stress related stomach disorders, and to treat diarrhoea. Probiotics can also be helpful in reducing gut disorders resulting from switching diets or after antibiotic treatment.

The Papp et al study, published in 2016, found that that a well-formulated dog food supplemented with Bacillus subtilis C-3102 may optimally support faecal and coat quality.

Research published in Animal Feed Science and Technology in 2020 found dietary supplementation with Bacillus subtilis C-3102 increased gut bacterial diversity, improved the abundance of bacteria considered beneficial for gut health and improved the faecal score (consistency and firmness) and reduced the faecal odour and ammonia.

A study, published in Cambridge University Press in 2019 showed dog food supplemented with the Calsporin®, probiotic for dogs, improved faecal quality, enhanced fat and carbohydrate digestibility, and contributed to the gut health of dogs by reducing gut ammonia and increasing SCFA content.

Many probiotics are highly heat sensitive and start to degrade at temperatures above 48.88889 °C. Most dry dog foods are subjected to temperatures in excess of 105°C meaning little if any of the probiotics survive in the food after processing.

Research on survivability of probiotics subjected to heat processing shows that Calsporin, a spore-forming probiotic for dogs, was unaffected and the EU-commission concludes that it is heat stable to a temperature of 90°C, and viable for more than one year in petfood.

Bonza is processed at a temperature of 70°C or less using a cold-extrusion process, further helping preserve the integrity and efficacy of the probiotic included in your dog’s food to optimise the benefits it provides to your dog’s very best digestive health and microbiome.

Nutrition Is Key

The number one thing we can do for our dogs is giving them food that enables their body and mind to flourish.

Much like us, the healthier your dog’s lifestyle, the more likely they’ll be able to fight off any disease or infection. Often the food we feed our dogs is not doing them justice. It’s filled with artificial flavours, low-quality protein sources, and not enough fibre.

Bonza is a Veterinary nutritionist -developed plant-based, vegan friendly dog food that is a varied protein, high fibre source of complete and balanced natural nutrition.

Bonza includes a bioavailable probiotic to support a healthy gut and microbiome and, together with PhytoPlus® , a proprietary blend of superfoods, super herbs and botanicals, our super premium food is designed to support your dog living its longest, carefree life all the while reducing the environmental impact of feeding them.

Bonza. Nose to Tail Good Health.

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