Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics—as these terms become more common in animal health and nutrition, you might be wondering what do these terms really mean and how do they impact your animals’ gut health?

These products play an important role in your animals’ overall health but are especially important now that the FDA’s Veterinary Feed Directive #263 recommends all over-the-counter (OTC) drugs be brought under veterinary oversight. Under the directive, which is set to go into effect in June 2023, you will need a prescription from a licensed veterinarian to obtain any medically important antibiotics previously available OTC.

Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics are naturally occurring microbial products that when introduced to the animal can have positive effects on health by improving gut health and helping the animal be more resilient to challenges. These can serve as preventative solutions to reduce health challenges commonly treated with OTC antibiotics.

• Probiotics are made of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that can naturally live in the animals’ gut and help keep them healthy. Probiotics such as our CERTILLUS line of products help establish a healthier microbiome allowing your animals to move quickly and accurately toward a lower risk of challenges and build a more resilient animal.
• Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in the gut so they can thrive and populate. With prebiotics such as our CELMANAX line of products, you can help establish a heathier microbiome for a healthier animal.
• Postbiotic is a mix of inanimate microorganisms that provides health benefits for the animal. They can include intact dead cells, fragments or structures (cell walls, cell membranes, cell structure proteins or carbohydrates) of cells, metabolites, and microbial end products (bacteriocins, enzymes, peptides, organic acids, proteins). With postbiotics such as our CELMANAX line of products, you can reduce pathogen colonization and modulate immunity to maintain health and productivity. A-MAX, BIO-CHLOR, CELMANAX, FERMENTEN, KULACTIC and ACID-A-PRO are several of our product lines that are classified as postbiotics.
  
  

Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics all modulate micro-organisms in the digestive tract and have multiple modes of action. These include production of anti-microbials, enzymes, organic acids, and other compounds which improve the balance of gut microbiota, modulate the immune response, and prevent, control, or reduce infection. The result is improvement in overall animal health and nutrition, as well as improved performance and food safety.

To learn more about probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics and what might be right for your operation, contact your ARM & HAMMER representative today.