Gut Protect vs. Gut Restore: Which Gut Supplement is Right for Your Dog?

If your dog experiences digestive upsets, itchy skin, inconsistent stool quality, or flare-ups of existing digestive conditions following medications or stress, you're not alone. Gut health issues are increasingly common among dogs, and more pet parents are turning to natural, evidence-based solutions to support their dog’s digestive wellbeing. Two standout options include Gut Protect and Gut Restore, with each offering different but complementary approaches to gut health. Here's how to choose the one that best suits your dog.

Gut Protect: Gentle, Daily Gut and Immune Support

Gut Protect is designed for long-term use and is ideal for dogs with mild digestive sensitivities, inconsistent stools, anal gland issues, or allergies. It focuses on stabilising stool quality, supporting healthy digestion, and maintaining gut-immune balance, all in a gentle, daily-use format.

When to use Gut Protect:

• Your dog experiences constipation, loose stools, or anal gland issues
• You're managing seasonal or food-related allergies, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Your dog has mild digestive complaints, such as gas, bloating, and indigestion
• You're seeking a foundational, daily gut and immune support product

Key Ingredients in Gut Protect:

• Organic Psyllium Husks: A soluble fibre that supports healthy stool formation, improving both constipation and loose stools. It also promotes metabolic health by regulating appetite and supporting blood sugar stability.
• Inulin (from Jerusalem artichoke) and Larch Arabinogalactan: Prebiotic fibres that feed beneficial gut bacteria and help support a resilient microbiome.
• DigeZyme®: A multi-enzyme blend including amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, and lactase. These enzymes support the breakdown of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibre, making meals easier to digest and reducing bloating or post-meal discomfort.
• Lactospore® (Bacillus coagulans MTCC5856): A clinically studied, spore-based probiotic that survives stomach acid and supports a balanced gut microbiota.
• Chamomile and Fennel extracts: Herbal ingredients known for their carminative and calming effects, helping to reduce gas, ease indigestion, and soothe the digestive tract.

Gut Protect is ideal as a long-term maintenance product, supporting bowel regularity, immune function, and digestive comfort, especially in dogs with allergies or recurring minor gut issues. Additionally, its blend of digestive enzymes alongside psyllium husk helps to promote efficient nutrient absorption, balanced energy metabolism, and satiety, thereby assisting in maintaining a healthy body composition.

Gut Restore: Targeted Support for Digestive Flare-Ups and Gut Repair

Gut Restore is designed for short-term, intensive use during or following acute digestive distress, antibiotic or other medication use, or inflammatory gut flare-ups. It’s a more comprehensive formula that supports gut lining repair, immune modulation, and microbial balance.

When to use Gut Restore:

• Your dog has reflux, vomiting, or diarrhoea
• They’re recovering from antibiotics or gut inflammation
• They’re in the early stages of managing IBD or irritable bowel syndrome
• They’re beginning an allergy or elimination diet protocol

Key Ingredients in Gut Restore:

• L-glutamine and Glycine: Amino acids that support intestinal cell regeneration and help repair the gut lining (particularly helpful in dogs with leaky gut or chronic inflammation).
• Slippery Elm, Marshmallow root, and Licorice: In clinical settings involving vomiting and diarrhoea, slippery elm is often used for its soothing, emollient effects on the digestive tract, helping to calm inflammation and protect irritated tissues. Similarly, marshmallow root forms a mucin-like protective coating over inflamed mucosal surfaces and also exhibits antibacterial activity against certain pathogenic bacteria. Licorice also creates a soothing, protective coating over the gut lining, reducing inflammation and promoting healing. When administered simultaneously with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) in dogs, it has been shown to prevent gastrointestinal damage associated with these drugs.
• Saccharomyces boulardii: A probiotic yeast that is especially effective in managing antibiotic-associated and non-specific diarrhoea, reducing intestinal inflammation, and balancing gut flora during gastrointestinal distress.
• Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): A natural anti-inflammatory compound that may help reduce intestinal inflammation and support tissue repair.
• Pectin: A soluble fibre that helps bind excess water in the bowel, improving stool consistency.
• Chamomile: A medicinal plant that provides additional gut calming effects and inflammation reduction.
• Quercetin and Turmeric (standardised to contain 95% curcuminoids): Potent antioxidants and mast cell stabilisers, helpful in dogs with food sensitivities or histamine-driven inflammation.
• Zinc Bisglycinate and Methylcobalamin (B12): Key micronutrients to support immune health, energy metabolism, and gut barrier function.
• Silica: Included for its role in connective tissue and gut wall integrity.

Gut Restore is best used for several weeks during times of active gastrointestinal distress, then phased out as symptoms improve. At this point, you might transition to Gut Protect for maintenance.

Can You Use Gut Protect and Gut Restore Together?

Yes, they’re often most effective when used sequentially or in a complementary way.

For example:

• Use Gut Restore during a flare-up (e.g., acute diarrhoea or post-antibiotics)
• Once symptoms settle, transition to Gut Protect for ongoing support of stool quality, digestion, and immune balance

In some instances, particularly where your dog’s symptoms are more varied and complex, you may give both products simultaneously.

For example:

• Give Gut Protect with breakfast to support them during the day
• Give Gut Restore with dinner to provide gentle healing support overnight

Which Digestive Health Product Is Right for Your Dog?

If your dog has mild but ongoing symptoms, like occasional gas, inconsistent stools, or seasonal allergies, start with Gut Protect. It’s gentle enough for daily use and offers broad-spectrum digestive and immune support.

If your dog is experiencing a flare-up of symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), allergies, recovering from antibiotics, or showing signs of gut inflammation (i.e., vomiting or diarrhoea), Gut Restore will provide more targeted, intensive support for healing and gut balancing.

Still unsure? Feel free to reach out with your dog’s specific history. We’re always here to help guide you towards the correct support, one step at a time.

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