Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product

Dried Bacillus coagulans fermentation product is a probiotic, a dried culture of live bacteria that form hardy spores. Tufts veterinary nutritionists say there is not yet evidence that probiotics improve overall wellness in animals without illness, and that results depend on the exact strain. They do not flag a specific risk for this one. If your cat is immunocompromised or has a medical condition, ask your veterinarian first.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Bacillus coagulans is added as a probiotic. Makers include live bacteria on the idea that they support the balance of microbes in a cat's gut. This species is popular in kibble because its spores can handle heat and dry storage better than many other probiotic bacteria. A benefit from probiotic foods over foods without them has not been shown.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Bacillus coagulans survives better than most probiotics because it forms spores. A spore is a dormant, tough shell that can handle heat and dryness and becomes active again later. Most other probiotic bacteria die in the heat of extrusion, so they are coated onto kibble after cooking. Survival still varies by product and by how long the bag has been open.

Often they have not. Tufts veterinary nutritionists describe a 2003 Canadian study that found none of 19 dry commercial pet foods contained live bacteria matching their ingredient lists. They say quality control has not clearly improved since then. If a probiotic matters for your cat, they suggest a concentrated supplement with proven quality control rather than relying on a food claim.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Pettings gives dried Bacillus coagulans fermentation product 4 out of 5 and lists it as a probiotic or enzyme ingredient. It appears on 27 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. The ingredient score reflects the ingredient alone, not the amount in any one recipe. Each food's page shows how it scores overall.