We are used to hearing about probiotics in the case of gut health, but do we know anything about the effects on weight and body condition of a healthy dog?
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Teramo is conducting several studies on Lactobacillus reuteri, one of which involved 40 healthy Golden Retrievers from a farm located in northern Italy evaluating the efficacy of a specific probiotic strain, L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203, by analyzing their body weight (BW), Body Condition Score (BCS), fecal quality and fecal moisture. In addition, the ability to modulate intestinal microflora by increasing the number of beneficial bacterial species such as lactobacilli and decreasing more pathogenic ones such asE. coli was also evaluated.
The dogs included in the study were divided into two groups: a control group, fed the standard commercial diet with the addition of a placebo, and treated group, which was given the probiotic. The study lasted 35 days in line with the time needed to evaluate any effects.
The results
Body weight and BCS did not change during the trial in either group, showing no significant values, and the animals maintained an ideal body condition.
The fecal score was significantly lower at the end of the trial in the group treated with L. reuteri compared with the control group.
The effects of L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 administration on the intestinal microbial ecosystem showed the ability of this probiotic to increase, especially in the last two weeks of treatment, the amount of lactobacilli, followed by a slight decrease in total coliforms. The increase in lactobacilli is certainly positive: they promote the integrity of the intestinal barrier by preventing the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria and their subsequent proliferation.
One of the most important parameters at the level of biological significance is the fecal score, which at the end of treatment reported a significant decrease of about 1.2 points in the group treated with L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 compared with the control group, which showed no decrease from the beginning. This result was accompanied by a decrease in fecal moisture, which made stools more consistent, hard and well-formed, indicative of good intestinal health related to good digestion.
The increase in lactobacilli represents the ability of this probiotic to improve the composition of the intestinal ecosystem, promoting an increase in beneficial species that can help maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. Lactobacillus reuteri has confirmed its ability not only to positively increase the intestinal microbiota, but also on the dog’s overall well-being and stool quality, parameters well recognized by owners.
Reference
Benedetta Belà , Giulia Pignataro, Roberta Di Prinzio, Daniele Di Simone, Paolo Emidio Crisi, Alessandro Gramenzi. Effects of Lactobacillus Reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 Supplementation on Healthy Dog Performance. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 37(1)-2021. BJSTR. MS.ID.005956. DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2021.37.005956
