We believe in supporting animal health with gentle, probiotic-based products. Our Topical Probiotic Spray provides safe, effective support for minor bacterial, fungal and yeast-related skin conditions, while our Gut Probiotic and Prebiotic help support digestion, immune function and overall wellbeing.

Made here in New Zealand, CanineCare and EquineCare we are a small, (mostly family-owned business) with the health and wellbeing of your animals at the heart of everything we do

Signs of poor gut health in dogs may include loose or inconsistent stools, excess gas, bloating, excessive grass eating, digestive discomfort, reduced appetite, and changes in skin or coat condition. CanineCare Gut Probiotic and Prebioticwork together to support a balanced gut microbiome, healthy digestion, nutrient absorption and normal immune function.

Yes, gut health can influence a dog’s skin and immune response, so an imbalanced gut microbiome may contribute to itching or recurring skin problems in some dogs.

Constant paw licking in dogscan be caused by allergies, yeast or bacterial imbalance, irritation, pain, stress, or something caught between the toes. Persistent redness, swelling, sores, discharge or limping should be checked by a veterinarian.

It will depend on the cause of the irritation. CanineCare may help support paws affected by minor bacterial, fungal or yeast-related imbalance, with the Gut Probiotic and Prebiotic supporting gut and immune health from within and the Topical Probiotic Spray applied directly to the paws; persistent swelling, sores, discharge, pain or limping should be checked by a veterinarian.

Spray CanineCare Probiotic Topical directly onto the affected skin each day, or more frequently if needed. For long-haired dogs, part the coat and gently massage the spray through to the skin; for paws, spray between and around the toes, separating them gently if necessary. If your dog dislikes spray bottles, apply the product gently with a clean cloth or cotton pad instead

Our Gut Probiotic and Prebioticcome in dual-chamber measuring bottles. Simply squeeze the bottle until the correct dose fills the measuring chamber, then pour it over your dog’s food twice weekly. The two products can be given in the same meal or separately; for convenience, we usually give them together. If your dog is sensitive to new tastes, start with a smaller amount and gradually build up to the full recommended dose.

There is nothing harmful or toxic in CanineCare Probiotic Topical Spray if your dog licks the treated area. To give the beneficial microbes time to settle on the skin, try distracting your dog with food, a walk or play immediately after applying it.

The 250ml Topical Probiotic Spray is suitable for smaller dogs or localised areas such as paws, bellies, armpits and skin folds. The 500ml size may offer better value for larger dogs, more widespread skin irritation or multi-pet households.
Our Gut Probiotic and Prebiotic are available as a 250ml Gut Duo or a larger 500ml Gut Duo XL. The 250ml Gut Duo lasts approximately six months for a dog under 15kg or three months for a dog over 15kg.

Our products are perfect for all of the above. Natural, safe and gentle CanineCare Probiotic Topical and Gut have no harmful ingredients.

Our probiotic spray and gut probiotic contain only water and a carefully
selected blend of beneficial microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and yeast. We
do not use fillers, flavours, synthetic additives, or animal proteins. While we
don’t disclose the individual strains (as they form part of our intellectual
property), all microbes used are GRAS-listed by the FDA (Generally Recognized
as Safe) and approved by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for safe use
on skin and ingestion in pets, equines, and livestock.

Our gut prebiotic is a unique carbon-based formula designed to support a
healthy microbial environment. It contains naturally occurring trace minerals,
including approximately: Silicon 63ppm, Manganese 12ppm, Copper 8ppm, Zinc
7ppm, Boron 2.2ppm, Cobalt 0.73ppm, Selenium 0.23ppm, and Molybdenum 0.12ppm
and Carbon 4%

Yes. Because CanineCare contains living beneficial microbes, each product has a best-before date of one year to ensure optimum effectiveness. It may remain usable beyond this date, but the number and activity of the beneficial microbes may gradually reduce over time.

Yes, all CanineCare products are made in New Zealand. Our Gut Probiotic and Prebiotic bottle s are also made in New Zealand using plastic collected through kerbside recycling.

Why CFU Counts Are More Relevant to Simple Microbial Products Than Complex Consortia

Colony-forming unit (CFU) counts remain the standard method for quantifying viable microbes in many commercial products. However, their relevance and reliability differ markedly between simple, single-strain (or few-strain) products and complex, multi-genus microbial consortia intended for animal use.

CFU: What It Actually Measures

CFU quantifies the number of viable cells capable of forming visible colonies under specific laboratory plating conditions (media type, temperature, oxygen level, incubation time). It is a useful proxy for “live and culturable” cells at the moment of testing.

For simple products - single-genus probiotics or products containing only a few closely related, easily cultured genera (for example a Bacillus spore preparation or a single Lactobacillus culture) CFU works well because:

The organisms have similar growth requirements.
They form colonies reliably on standard media.
The count closely reflects the number of cells expected to remain viable and active after oral administration to animals.
Regulatory frameworks and quality-control systems are built around this metric for such products.
In these cases, a declared minimum CFU per dose or per gram provides a meaningful indicator of product strength and consistency for animal application.

Limitations of CFU for Complex Multi-Genus Consortia

Complex products containing multiple genera (including Lactobacillus, Rhodopseudomonas, Saccharomyces and associated beneficial microbes) present fundamental challenges when used as animal probiotics:

Diverse growth requirements - Different genera require different oxygen levels (strictly anaerobic versus micro-aerobic versus facultative), pH optima, and nutrient sources. A single plating method cannot accurately recover all members of the consortium.
Differential culturability - Many functionally important genera form colonies poorly or not at all on conventional media. CFU therefore systematically under-represents the true viable population that will interact with the animal’s gastrointestinal tract.
Metabolite contribution - Efficacy often depends as much on the organic acids, enzymes, and other beneficial compounds already present in the product as on the living cells themselves. CFU ignores this non-cellular activity.
Population dynamics after administration - Once consumed by the animal, the consortium interacts with the existing gut environment, and relative abundances shift rapidly. The original bottle CFU becomes a poor predictor of the active population inside the animal.
In short, a single CFU number for a complex multi-genus consortium is an incomplete and potentially misleading snapshot of what the animal actually receives.

Dosage and Efficacy Matter More Than a Single CFU Figure

For complex consortia used in animals, practical performance is determined by:

Field-validated dosing rates rather than theoretical cell counts. Application rates (millilitres per animal or per kilogram of body weight) have been established through repeated observation of animal response, feed intake, gut stability, and overall resilience.
Functional activity - Support of a favourable gastrointestinal microflora, competitive exclusion of undesirable organisms, and production of beneficial metabolites are more relevant endpoints than colony counts.
Consistency of biological effect under real-world conditions (diet, stress, age, and existing gut status of the animals) rather than laboratory recovery rates.
Ability of the community to establish and function inside the animal. The critical quality factors become the overall health of the inoculum and the conditions under which it is delivered, not a laboratory CFU value alone.
This approach aligns with how complex multi-genus microbial products for animals are evaluated: by measurable outcomes in livestock performance and gastrointestinal balance rather than by a single culturable-cell number.

Practical Implication

When evaluating or applying a simple single-genus product for animals, CFU remains a useful and appropriate quality metric. When working with a multi-genus consortium, the more scientifically robust indicators are the validated dosing rates, the observed animal response, and the functional characteristics of the product. Relying solely on CFU in the latter case risks underestimating both the living diversity present and the contribution of the metabolite fraction that drives much of the observed benefit in the animal.

Our probiotic formula is about as eco-friendly as you can get. The extensive use of chemicals in our environment has dramatically affected the biodiversity of microbes around us. CanineCare Probiotic Topical and Gut is great for your animal, you and the environment. The bottles for our gut products are made here in NZ from curbside recycled plastic and our topical spray bottles are also recyclable. Our postage bags are made from recycled certified paper which can be composted or recycled.