Bromelain safe to give throughout a shedding period?

[Jenk]

Does anyone know if Bromelain is safe to give daily during a bun's shedding period, say 4 to 8 weeks' time? That is, is it relatively safe in terms of a bun's gut flora, especially if you give a prebiotic/probiotic supplement during the same time period?

I've Bromelain powder from The Vitamin Shoppe, which contains Bromelain (of course) and Maltodextrin. (A Vitamin Shoppe employee told me that the amount of Maltodextrin in it is so small that it's not considered a carbohydrate. Note: Oxbow's papaya tablets also contain Maltodextrin.)

I've been giving 1/8 tsp. of Bromelain twice daily to my rabbits during their current shedding period. My male is finishing his heavy summer shed and made it through it without a vet visit--a first! I'm also giving Pro Bi (a prebiotic/ probiotic/ enzymes supplement) to try to keep everyone's gut flora balanced while using Bromelain.

My one girl's gut is still struggling--i.e., she's passing small fecals, and her gut feels overly firm--and she's barely begun her summer shed. :shock: I've been giving her Bromelain (and Pro Bi) twice daily but still worry that I could cause her a gut imbalance. Then again, she doesn't make it through a shed without the "big guns" treatment (usually sub-Qs and Metoclopramide).

Thanks,

Jenk

 

[Jenk]

PS: The 1/8 tsp. (1-to-2-times-daily) dose was recommended by my rabbits' vet, who'd discussed the dosage/frequency with a holistic vet who rents space in her clinic. (The holistic vet treats dogs and cats but can help determine dosages with my rabbit-savvy vet.)

I used to take my rabbits to a holistic, exotics-only vet who, at the time, used Plant Enzymes & Probiotics (from Animal Essentials). It doesn't contain sugar, but the recommended dosage was also 1/8 tsp. at least once daily.


Jenk