The vitamin missing from most canine gut supplements

Gastrointestinal upset is one of the most common health complaints in dogs: around 30% will experience a digestive disorder in their lifetime, usually triggered by stress, antibiotic treatment or a change of diet.

The B12 connection

Less widely known is that these episodes often coincide with a drop in vitamin B12, since an inflamed gut absorbs the vitamin poorly. Few probiotic supplements on the market address this connection directly, even as owner interest in B vitamins rises.

Consumer interest in B-complex vitamins for pets rose from 12% to 21% between 2021 and 2023, according to marketplace data, pointing to demand for products that combine several functional ingredients in one format. The wider category of pet probiotic supplements was worth $780 million (€681M) in 2024 and is forecast to reach $1.1 billion (€960M) by 2034.

That gap led Bioiberica, a Spanish life-science company with 50 years in bioactive ingredients, to develop Probioplus. Rather than relying on a single mechanism, the product combines three complementary elements: a spore-forming probiotic, prebiotics and a postbiotic, supporting the gut microbiota from multiple angles at once.

It also includes a dose of vitamin B12 based on a peer-reviewed veterinary study on oral cobalamin supplementation in dogs with chronic enteropathies, a dose markedly higher than comparable products currently sold in the category.

Built for the shelf

The probiotic strain, Calsporin (Bacillus velezensis DSM 15544), is spore-forming and heat-resistant, tolerating 90-100°C during manufacturing, a property most probiotic strains lack. That gives Probioplus a 36-month shelf life without refrigeration, an advantage that eases storage and shipping for distributors and retailers managing stock across different climates and supply chains.

Independent studies cited by Bioiberica associate the strain with increased fecal microbial diversity, improved stool consistency and elevated fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA), an indicator linked to immune support. Palatability was also a development priority. In blind testing, Probioplus achieved high acceptance and intake levels among dogs, helping support owner compliance and a positive supplementation experience at home.

Probioplus is formulated for dogs of all breeds, sizes and ages, administered as one 1g sachet per day. It is manufactured by Bioiberica, which produces functional ingredients for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary and agricultural sectors, exports to more than 80 countries and operates nine production sites worldwide.

Seeking distribution partners

Following its 2025 launch in Spain, Bioiberica is now looking for distribution partners for Probioplus in new markets. For more information, please contact pethealth@bioiberica.com