Frequently
Asked
Questions
General Questions
The dog gut microbiome specifically refers to the community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that live within a dog's gastrointestinal tract. These microorganisms play an essential role in maintaining digestive health and overall well-being by breaking down and metabolizing nutrients, producing vitamins and other important compounds, and supporting the immune system. Disruptions in the gut microbiome, such as a decrease in beneficial bacteria or an overgrowth of harmful microorganisms, have been linked to health issues such as diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity in dogs. Maintaining a healthy dog gut microbiome is crucial for overall well-being.
On top of our 100% satisfaction guarantee, we are working directly with a team of pet nutritionists that have used this exact protocol to help cure tens of thousands of other dogs in the past decade.
Two major ways. Firstly, most other probiotic supplements don't take into account the presence of an overgrowth of yeast. When you pile probiotics on top of excess yeast, it's a bit like spraying more cleaning solution on a floor covered in thick mud. You must clear the excess mud before the cleaning solution will do much of anything. We take the time and steps necessary to clear out excess yeast before packing in the good bacteria, which can then thrive without much competition. The second way we are different is the actual probiotic: DTS1 is powerful stuff. Most other companies claim a high number of CFU's (colony-forming units) because it's true. What is a bit misleading is how many of those bacteria actually make it to the colon. Weak probiotics tend to die on their way to the colon. Ours does not. 10 billion CFU's will make it through your dog's digestive system to the colon.
You may begin seeing small but notable changes within the first 4 weeks, but be patient. Restoring the gut microbiome is a massive undertaking, and most resultant effects will appear around weeks 8-12. Just remember, 12 weeks is a long time, but you're in it for 16-20 (hopefully healthy) years! If you'd really like to maintain gut health long term, we strongly recommend you continue with our maintenance-level probiotic for as long as you hope to keep that gut resilient. It's the best gut-insurance a dog could ask for.
Short answer: no. If you were to commit to feeding your dog the proper nutrition, and never again slipping into the table-scraps-whenever mentality, your dog's microbiome would continue thriving, and yeast cells would continue to be a foreign minority. With modern life, however, we find this to be a bit tricky, time consuming, and stress-inducing. A much easier method is to use our maintenance-grade probiotic: half the dosage of DT-Synbiotic 1, but just as powerful when the biome is healthy. Maintaining health in this way is easy and affordable (#vetbills), while overhauling is not.
The most common symptoms are excessive scratching and licking of the ears, paws and/or anus. The paws smell like corn chips, and the eyes appear to always be weaping. Those things are all signs of yeast exiting the body through any hole they can find. At more advanceed stages of yeast overgrowth, you'll begin to see loose stools, diarrhea, ear infections, hot spots on the skin, lesions on the skin, vomiting, bloody stools, gas, bloating, indigestion, and excessive shedding.
A senior dog will generally take more time and patience than a younger dog. That being said, a gut is a gut. When excess yeast is removed from the gut, and replaced with the right kinds of bacteria, major bodily functions can begin working like they haven't in years. You may be surprised to find your senior dog isn't so senior after all.
While Wild Biome is not specifically designed to treat allergies, it can help to support your dog's immune system and overall gut health, which may help to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Wild Biome is safe for most dogs. However, there are some cases in which the Protocol can actually be dangerous to your dog's health, specifically if your dog has been diagnosed with any of the following: pancreatitis, heart issues, liver disease, cancer. If your dog has been diagnosed with one or more of these conditions, please consult us, we still want to help you by finding you the right pet nutritionist to guide you through a more hands-on protocol.
Sadly, most probiotic chews are slightly more than good marketing. Many tout the same thing we do: billions and trillions of microbiota. The difference? Most of 'their' probiotics don't make it all the way to the intestines alive. A dog's gut is like a toxic wasteland where 90% of on-market probiotics go to die. Our is certified shelf stable, and each one of those billions will make it where it ought to so you're not paying for dust and sugar.
The Protocol
In addition to an entire Protocol overview, and access to all the information you may need in one place, we will also send you the week's instructions at the beginning of each step, phase or week as necessary.
The coconut oil can be pumped directly into the food bowl or licked clean off the scoop or a dedicated spoon. The DT-Synbiotic 1 should be scooped over the last meal of the day, and in the evening if possible. For reasons not yet completely known to science, the night time is when probiotic absorbability is highest. If your dog only eats once per day and not in the evening, mix the scoop the DTS1 into a spoon of greek yogurt and plop that into the bowl.
This is to help the skin heal faster and help with inflammation reduction, especially during the detox period
Because the yeast within your dog’s gut feeds and grows in number on sugars (or carbohydrates broken down into sugars in the stomach), feeding him/her scraps or other carbohydrate-rich foods will work in direct opposition to this protocol. We highly recommend avoiding these foods and treats.
If it is a medication that will interfere with the Protocol or work actively against it, such as a steroid or antibiotic, our nutritionists' advice about it will be included when you receive your personalized diet recommendations.
No. Our DT-Synbiotic 1 is shelf stable and very resilient. After all, these bacteria have to make it through the toxic wasteland that is your dog's stomach on their way to the colon. Heaven forbid they’re temperamental enough to require refrigeration.
Food Transition
Add the ultra oil according to the weight of the dogs (directions found on the bottle)
This is to help the skin heal faster and help with inflammation reduction, especially during the detox period
Pet-safe bone broth can be added 1 TBS per 10 lbs of dog (1/4 cup per 40 lbs of dog) per day and is available at most independent pet stores in the freezer section.
You can split the cans and kibble in any fashion, as long as you hit the calorie target. FYI, wet is always better than dry.
You have many options, all of which will have been carefully vetted by our team of pet nutritionists for your dog specifically. If you'd like to stick with kibble, we'd suggest a baked kibble - which has not been through the Maillard reaction - rather than an extruded kibble. If you'd like to go with a freeze-dryed or a fresh diet recommended by our pet nutritionists, you will likely see much more positive results. To see the FDA's current stance on grain-free diets visit our blog.
During the Protocol, we are trying to do anything we can to stop yeast overgrowth and subsequent bacterial imbalance. Yeast feeds on ingredients the canine gut turns into sugar (i.e. corn, wheat, rice, soy, sucralose, sugar, molasses), and we therefore try to avoid any grain while the Protocol is at therepeutic level. However, there are some grains such as sprouted oats, certain types of barley, and quinoa that are much less inflammatory. If you really prefer to keep you pup on grains, our nutritionist can recommend a food that will be less inflammatory. FYI, here are the FDA's current position on a grain-free diet with regards to DCM.
The short answer is no, not right away. It will take up to 10 days to fully transition your dog to his/her new food without uncomfortable side effects. Check here to read our food transition guide.
If you're dog has more than 4 poops at 'Level 7' (diarrhea) we'll have you reach out to our nutritionists who can guide you through. It's likely a food issue combined with a particularly stubborn digestive system, and we'll need to find a more appropriate diet solution. Do not start coconut oil before their stool has leveled out, as that will only make the problem worse.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food. If your dog is hungry because we're feeding her the calories of a dog the weight she should be, add a bit more so she isn't begging, but still maintain the calorie restriction.
Coconut Therapy
The first step is to pay even closer attention. Are his symptoms becoming magnified? That's a good sign. Is he getting more lethargic or itchy? Good signs. If none of this is happening, try increasing the coconut oil dosage by 10-20% per day, and watch for magnified symptoms.
There are 40 calories per tsp of coconut oil. If your dog's dosage today is 3 tsp, you'll need to drop 120 calories of food. Calories from food are listed on their nutrition label as "kcal/cup" or "kcal/oz". If the food shows 480kcals/cup then they need to drop 1/4 cup per day to account for the oil. Does that make sense?
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
Herxheimer
This is a sign of detox, and you should celebrate a little. The coconut oil is doing it's job! You can rub a bit of coconut oil right on the dry skin to soothe the discomfort a bit.
Congratulations, it IS working! One of the biggest signs of detox is ear infections. You can use Zymox ear solution but don't cave to antibiotics which will set us back at ground zero. Don't clean the ears before using Zymox.
Natural Company Paw Soother Balm - get the tin, not the stick. Or you can get Vetericyn, which can be used anywhere, not just the paws, in case their face folds are getting red, itchy, yeasty, etc.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
NO ALLERGY SHOT!! If your dog is very yeasty (not typical, but can happen after many years of kibble every day) there can be some residual purge/detox. Bathing him with an antimicrobial rinse can help a lot (this one is also good). You can also rub coconut oil all over his body (be careful with your leather couch).
Here are a few statements/questions to keep in your back pocket the next time you're at the vet:
1. I'm concerned about the impact steroids/antibiotics will have on my dog's gut health. I've been working hard to build up the good bacteria in his gut, and I don't want to disrupt that balance."
2. "Are there any other options for treating my dog's condition that don't involve steroids/antibiotics?"
3. "I'm willing to try other treatments, even if they take longer, if it means that I can avoid giving my dog steroids/antibiotics."
Be straight with your vet. Don't mince words, and let them know you have some understanding of the importance of the gut microbiome. Opt for long-term health over short-term solutions, and don't be afraid to push back.
Repopulation
Congratulations, it IS working! One of the biggest signs of detox is ear infections. You can use Zymox ear solution but don't cave to antibiotics which will set us back at ground zero. Don't clean the ears before using Zymox.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
Maintenance
This quote from our head nutritionist sums it up best: "My dogs don't go a day without a maintenance grade probiotic because if there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's that maintaining is so much easier than starting over on a gut that unknowingly fell back into dysbiosis...The world we live in isn't perfect and our dogs don't live in a bubble. Nor should they. Maintaining their gut microbiome is the easiest, most affordable form of preventative care that I can think of."
Yes! For veggies, stick to peppers, green beans, cucumber, broccoli, dark leafy greens, etc. Avoid sweeter, starchier veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes. Onions and leeks are toxic, so NONE of those.
Bad gas can happen anytime there is a change happening in the gut. Moving from the therapeutic-grade dosage to the maintenance grade can cause a disturbance because the gut now has to populate more of its own bacteria. Basically, gas is a sign the gut is getting to work. When the body is used to digesting food easily via the help of digestive enzymes (in DTS1) and those are removed, it has to scramble to break down foods - particularly dry foods like kibble. Even our nutritionist-recommended kibble is far from perfect, and there can always be changes when bodies break down dry foods. Gas is much less common in dogs with raw, cooked, and wet food diets.
Sugars: Yeast feeds on sugars, so foods that are high in sugar can promote its growth. This includes table sugar, corn syrup, and other sweeteners.
Starches: Starches are also broken down into sugars by the body, so foods that are high in starch can also promote yeast growth. This includes bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
Yeast-containing foods: Some foods, such as bread dough, contain live yeast. If a dog eats these foods, the yeast can start to grow in their gut.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics can kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut, which can lead to an overgrowth of yeast.
Stress: Stress can also weaken the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to fight off yeast infections.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
The Protocol
Food Transition
Coconut Therapy
Herxheimer
Repopulation
Maintenance
General Questions
You have many options, all of which will have been carefully vetted by our team of pet nutritionists for your dog specifically. If you'd like to stick with kibble, we'd suggest a baked kibble - which has not been through the Maillard reaction - rather than an extruded kibble. If you'd like to go with a freeze-dryed or a fresh diet recommended by our pet nutritionists, you will likely see much more positive results. To see the FDA's current stance on grain-free diets visit our blog.
On top of our 100% satisfaction guarantee, we are working directly with a team of pet nutritionists that have used this exact protocol to help cure tens of thousands of other dogs in the past decade.
Because the yeast within your dog’s gut feeds and grows in number on sugars (or carbohydrates broken down into sugars in the stomach), feeding him/her scraps or other carbohydrate-rich foods will work in direct opposition to this protocol. We highly recommend avoiding these foods and treats.
If it is a medication that will interfere with the Protocol or work actively against it, such as a steroid or antibiotic, our nutritionists' advice about it will be included when you receive your personalized diet recommendations.
The Protocol
You have many options, all of which will have been carefully vetted by our team of pet nutritionists for your dog specifically. If you'd like to stick with kibble, we'd suggest a baked kibble - which has not been through the Maillard reaction - rather than an extruded kibble. If you'd like to go with a freeze-dryed or a fresh diet recommended by our pet nutritionists, you will likely see much more positive results. To see the FDA's current stance on grain-free diets visit our blog.
Add the ultra oil according to the weight of the dogs (directions found on the bottle)
This is to help the skin heal faster and help with inflammation reduction, especially during the detox period
Pet-safe bone broth can be added 1 TBS per 10 lbs of dog (1/4 cup per 40 lbs of dog) per day and is available at most independent pet stores in the freezer section.
You can split the cans and kibble in any fasion, as long as you hit the calorie target. FYI, wet is always better than dry.
During the Protocol, we are trying to do anything we can to stop yeast overgrowth and subsequent bacterial imbalance. Yeast feeds on ingredients the canine gut turns into sugar (i.e. corn, wheat, rice, soy, sucralose, sugar, molasses), and we therefore try to avoid any grain while the Protocol is at therepeutic level. However, there are some grains such as sprouted oats, certain types of barley, and quinoa that are much less inflammatory. If you really prefer to keep you pup on grains, our nutritionist can recommend a food that will be less inflammatory. FYI, here are the FDA's current position on a grain-free diet with regards to DCM.
Food Transition
The short answer is no, not right away. It will take up to 10 days to fully transition your dog to his/her new food without uncomfortable side effects. Check here to read our food transition guide.
If you're dog has more than 4 poops at 'Level 7' (diarrhea) we'll have you reach out to our nutritionists who can guide you through. It's likely a food issue combined with a particularly stubborn digestive system, and we'll need to find a more appropriate diet solution. Do not start coconut oil before their stool has leveled out, as that will only make the problem worse.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food. If your dog is hungry because we're feeding her the calories of a dog the weight she should be, add a bit more so she isn't begging, but still maintain the calorie restriction.
Coconut Therapy
The first step is to pay even closer attention. Are his symptoms becoming magnified? That's a good sign. Is he getting more lethargic or itchy? Good signs. If none of this is happening, try increasing the coconut oil dosage by 10-20% per day, and watch for magnified symptoms.
There are 40 calories per tsp of coconut oil. If your dog's dosage today is 3 tsp, you'll need to drop 120 calories of food. Calories from food are listed on their nutrition label as "kcal/cup" or "kcal/oz". If the food shows 480kcals/cup then they need to drop 1/4 cup per day to account for the oil. Does that make sense?
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
Herxheimer
This is a sign of detox, and you should celebrate a little. The coconut oil is doing it's job! You can rub a bit of coconut oil right on the dry skin to soothe the discomfort a bit.
Congratulations, it IS working! One of the biggest signs of detox is ear infections. You can use Zymox ear solution but don't cave to antibiotics which will set us back at ground zero. Don't clean the ears before using Zymox.
Natural Company Paw Soother Balm - get the tin, not the stick. Or you can get Vetericyn, which can be used anywhere, not just the paws, in case their face folds are getting red, itchy, yeasty, etc.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
NO ALLERGY SHOT!! If your dog is very yeasty (not typical, but can happen after many years of kibble every day) there can be some residual purge/detox. Bathing him with an antimicrobial rinse can help a lot (this one is also good). You can also rub coconut oil all over his body (be careful with your leather couch).
Repopulation
Congratulations, it IS working! One of the biggest signs of detox is ear infections. You can use Zymox ear solution but don't cave to antibiotics which will set us back at ground zero. Don't clean the ears before using Zymox.
When your dog is clearly hungry (begging constantly, wants to eat 4x per day) absolutely add more food. Start slowly, but you can add up to 20% more food.
Maintenance
This quote from our head nutritionist sums it up best: "My dogs don't go a day without a maintenance grade probiotic because if there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's that maintaining is so much easier than starting over on a gut that unknowingly fell back into dysbiosis...The world we live in isn't perfect and our dogs don't live in a bubble. Nor should they. Maintaining their gut microbiome is the easiest, most affordable form of preventative care that I can think of."
Yes! For veggies, stick to peppers, green beans, cucumber, broccoli, dark leafy greens, etc. Avoid sweeter, starchier veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes. Onions and leeks are toxic, so NONE of those.
Bad gas can happen anytime there is a change happening in the gut. Moving from the therapeutic-grade dosage to the maintenance grade can cause a disturbance because the gut now has to populate more of its own bacteria. Basically, gas is a sign the gut is getting to work. When the body is used to digesting food easily via the help of digestive enzymes (in DTS1) and those are removed, it has to scramble to break down foods - particularly dry foods like kibble. Even our nutritionist-recommended kibble is far from perfect, and there can always be changes when bodies break down dry foods. Gas is much less common in dogs with raw, cooked, and wet food diets.