The use of probiotics as dietary supplements in dogs
Abstract
Gastrointestinal microflora are non-pathogenic, naturally occurring ‘beneficial’ bacteria that reside in the gastrointestinal tract and play an important role in physiological functions including enhancing the overall health of the intestinal tract and stimulating a strong immune system. When bacterial populations diminish, their health benefits to the animal may also diminish and this can potentially result in digestive upsets. Intestinal disorders pose a significant clinical caseload in clinical practice and one way to prevent and treat these cases is to support normal digestive function with the addition of synbiotics, which are oral supplements consisting of probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics (nondigestable carbohydrates that support the growth of beneficial bacteria).
Human research has taught us much about microbial functioning in the gut. Within hours of birth, numerous species of gastrointestinal microflora (GM) begin colonizing the gastrointestinal tract aiding digestion and defending the body against pathogens (Randal and Buddington, 2003). It is estimated that each adult digestive tract is inhabited by hundreds of different species of bacteria whose populations number well into the billions (Isolauri and Salminen, 2005). Normal gastrointestinal microflora in animals consists of a similar number and diversity of species to those of humans. These microflora provide benefits to the host either by promoting an action that maintains health or by preventing actions that negatively affect health. The most abundant strains of GM in dogs are Bifidobacterium spp. Lactobacilli spp. and Enterococcus spp. with cats having a similar population but lacking Bifidobacterium spp (Table 1) (Rastall, 2004).
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