Pre + Pro + Postbiotics — What They Mean for Our Dogs

As a canine nutritionist who advocates feeding a biologically appropriate raw diet based on the principles of evolutionary nutrition, I spend a great deal of time helping dog owners understand one crucial concept:

Your dog is not just feeding themselves — they are feeding their microbiome.

That microbiome — the community of trillions of microbes living in your dog’s gut — influences digestion, immune function, nutrient absorption, skin health, inflammation, and even behavior. And when we talk about supporting that internal ecosystem, we often hear three similar words:

➡️ Prebiotics
➡️ Probiotics
➡️ Postbiotics

Most people have heard the terms, but very few actually understand the differences — and more importantly, how they work together.

Let’s break it down simply and clearly, through the lens of canine evolutionary nutrition.

PROBIOTICS — The “Good Bacteria”

Probiotics are living microorganisms that deliver direct health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts.

For dogs, the most beneficial strains are typically species like:

• Lactobacillus

• Bifidobacterium

• Certain soil-based organisms (SBOs)

Raw-fed dogs often get natural probiotics through:

• Fermented foods like raw goat kefir, fermented raw dairy, sauerkraut brine

• Tripe (which contains natural gut flora from herbivores)

• Soil exposure and fresh, unprocessed foods

Why probiotics matter:

• They help maintain a balanced immune system

• They support stool quality and nutrient absorption

• They reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining

• They compete against pathogenic bacteria

But probiotics cannot do their job without the next component…

PREBIOTICS — The Food for Good Bacteria

If probiotics are the gardeners in the gut, prebiotics are their fertilizer.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that feed the beneficial microbes already living in your dog’s digestive tract.

Examples include:

• Inulin from chicory root

• FOS (fructooligosaccharides)

• Jerusalem artichoke

• Mushrooms

• Dandelion greens

• Asparagus

• Some resistant starches from cooked and cooled potato

In the wild, wolves consumed prebiotics from plant fiber in the stomachs of prey animals. In a modern raw diet, we recreate that through strategic whole foods — not synthetic fiber powders.

Why prebiotics matter:

• They stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria

• They support stool regularity

• They help regulate blood sugar and insulin response

• They influence serotonin production — yes, most serotonin is made in the gut

Without prebiotics, probiotics starve and cannot colonize effectively.

POSTBIOTICS — The Result of a Healthy Microbiome

Postbiotics are one of the most exciting emerging areas in canine nutrition.

They are the bioactive compounds created after probiotics feed on prebiotics.

Think of them as the metabolic byproducts that microbes produce — and many of them are profoundly beneficial.

These include:

• Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate

• Organic acids

• Enzymes

• Peptides

• Neurotransmitter precursors

• Antioxidants

Why postbiotics matter:

• They regulate inflammation at a systemic level

• They feed the cells of the colon, keeping the gut lining strong

• They improve immune signaling

• They play a role in allergy and autoimmune regulation

• They even communicate with the brain

Postbiotics are why we feed probiotics and prebiotics. They are the end goal — the internal medicine your dog’s own microbiome produces.

Why Raw-Fed Dogs Have a Natural Advantage

A species-appropriate raw diet already contains the building blocks for healthy gut ecology because:

• It’s rich in raw enzymes that aren’t destroyed by processing

• Raw meats and organs provide naturally occurring microbes

• Fermented foods and tripe supply live probiotics

• Whole-food fibers from plants act as prebiotics

• Minimal toxins means less internal stress on the gut

Compare that to kibble, which is:

❌ Sterilized and dead food
❌ Deficient in meaningful fiber diversity
❌ Full of glyphosate residues (a known microbiome disruptor)
❌ Containing synthetic “prebiotics” added in isolated form rather than food-based

Raw feeding doesn’t just feed the dog — it feeds the entire microbial community that keeps the dog alive.

What I Recommend for Gut Health (Minimal, Holistic + Effective)

Daily foundation:

✔ Raw, species-appropriate diet
✔ A rotating source of natural probiotics (raw goat kefir, fermented veggie brine, green tripe)
✔ Food-based prebiotics — not powders
✔ Occasional soil exposure, fresh air, and natural living

When gut support needs boosting (detox, antibiotics, allergies, diarrhea):

➡️ Add a high-quality multi-strain probiotic
➡️ Ensure food-based prebiotics are present
➡️ Look for functional postbiotic supplements such as butyrate or yeast fermentates if needed

Final Thought

Prebiotics feed the probiotics.
Probiotics make the postbiotics.
Postbiotics heal the body.

This is the elegant system nature designed — long before commercial dog food existed.

When we honor evolutionary nutrition and a low-toxin lifestyle, the gut becomes not something we fix — but something we trust.

And a healthy gut builds a healthy dog.