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Wellaroo
The science

Psyllium

Plantago ovata · SIL-ee-um

The husk of a plantain seed. It holds water and forms a gel, which adds bulk to stools. Gut bacteria ferment only part of it.

Dog trials: mixed

In the 1 placebo-controlled dog trial, it did no better than diet alone.

In Gut & Immunity
What the research adds up to

In the 1 placebo-controlled trial, 59 dogs with sudden colitis recovered in a median of 5 days on a digestible diet, with or without psyllium. 2 studies without a control group, in 22 and 37 dogs with long-term diarrhoea, saw good responses at 2 to 4 tablespoons a day.

Psyllium husk
Dog trials: mixed. In the 1 placebo-controlled dog trial, it did no better than diet alone.
In
Gut & Immunity
What the research found in dogs

In 59 dogs with sudden colitis, psyllium did not speed recovery beyond the diet alone. Both beat an antibiotic.

Placebo-controlled trial, 59 dogs · J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2022

Read the study
Median days to remission. Ranges: diet alone 4 to 10, diet and psyllium 3 to 6, diet and metronidazole 7 to 12.
How the study worked
Who59 pet dogs with sudden colitis not caused by an infection.
DesignRandomised and placebo-controlled, 3 groups. All dogs ate an easily digestible diet.
Length30 days.
MeasuredDays to remission, faecal score, relapse, and a gut-bacteria index.
ResultMedian days to remission: diet 5, diet and psyllium 5, diet and metronidazole 8.5 (P < 0.01 across groups). The antibiotic upset the gut-bacteria index.

Every other study

Dog studies first. Each card says where the study was done, how it was set up and what it found.

  • In dogsOpen study, no control group, 22 dogs, 1 month

    Psyllium husk for long-term diarrhoea in police dogs

    With 4 tablespoons of psyllium a day, 90% of dogs had good or very good results. Stools firmed up and the dogs gained weight.

    Alves et al. · BMC Vet Res · 2021Read the paper (free)
  • In dogsReview of 37 case records, no control group

    Diet and soluble fibre for long-term large-bowel diarrhoea in dogs

    Most dogs responded well to a digestible diet plus psyllium, at a median 2 tablespoons a day.

    Leib · J Vet Intern Med · 2000Read the abstract
Gut & ImmunityAll 22 ingredients

This page describes ingredient research. It is not veterinary advice. Wellaroo products have not been tested in a trial of their own. Talk to your vet about your dog’s health.