At the SCIVAC 2024 International Congress, another paper by the research team of the Teramo Department of Veterinary Medicine was presented as an oral communication.
The study aims to evaluate the impact of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 on body weight and fecal quality of healthy adult Chihuahua dogs, including evaluating the ability to modulate the gut microbiota.
Thirty healthy adult male and non-pregnant female Chihuahua dogs (age > 1 year) were selected for the study and fifteen dogs were randomly assigned to the control group (CTR) and fifteen to the treated group (LACTO).
The commercial diet used in the experiment was Royal Canin mini adult, while the diet of the treated group was supplemented with L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 (5 x109 CFU/kg feed).
Body weight (BW), Body Condition Score (BCS), fecal moisture (FM) and Fecal Score (FS) were noted at regular intervals.
All dogs remained healthy during the study, no side effects and no deaths were recorded. BW and BCS did not change during the study in either group; the animals maintained an ideal body condition. FM was significantly lower at the end of the study in the LACTO group than in the CTR group; the beneficial effect of Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 was also confirmed by FS values.
Regarding microbiological analysis, at the end of the experimental period (T5), a significant increase of Lactobacilli was observed in the treated group (LACTO) compared with the control group.
The data collected in this study report the ability of the probiotic L. reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 to improve fecal quality parameters by decreasing FS and FM values by promoting the formation of more compact and well-formed stools, an indication of good intestinal health related to good digestion.
In addition, the increase in Lactobacilli again confirms the ability of this probiotic to improve the composition of the intestinal ecosystem of healthy adult Chihuahua dogs by promoting an increase in beneficial species.
Reference
Benedetta Belà, Daniele Di Simone, Giulia Pignataro, Isa Fusaro, Alessandro Gramenzi. Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri NBF 1 DSM 32203 on the intestinal health of healthy adult Chihuahua dogs. SCIVAC International Congress 2024
