Veterinarians Unleash Probiotics to Ease Doggie Discomfort
- From: rpautrey2 <rpautrey2@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:25:11 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=probiotics-for-dogs&print=true
Features - June 10, 2009
Veterinarians Unleash Probiotics to Ease Doggie Discomfort
A growing number of veterinarians are prescribing supplements of
friendly bacteria for dogs, but is there enough scientific evidence to
justify it?
By Coco Ballantyne
All dog owners who have had to clean up after their beloved pooches
know that people aren't the only ones who experience gastrointestinal
disorders. Many animals, including man's best friend, also suffer from
both short-lived and chronic digestive woes. As a result, some
veterinarians have begun prescribing supplements containing friendly
bacteria, or "probiotics," to ease related symptoms such as diarrhea,
vomiting, gas and bloating. But some animal experts say there is
little solid evidence that the supplements are effective.
Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are the second-most common health problem
in dogs after skin diseases, according to Richard Hill, a small-animal
internist and clinical nutritionist at the University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. He notes that common
causes include parasites such as hookworm, whipworm and giardia as
well as "dietary indiscretion," which could mean anything from gorging
on table scraps to drinking from the toilet to raiding the garbage.
Canines may also suffer from chronic diarrhea, stemming from a
bacterial imbalance or infection such as salmonella, campylobacter or
Escherichia coli, says Susan Wynn, a nutritionist at the University of
Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville.
To resolve both acute and chronic GI conditions, some vets are now
turning to supplemental probiotics, the gut-dwelling "good bacteria"
that may assist in digestion and help fend of gastrointestinal
maladies in animals as well as people. Wynn says there is evidence
that probiotics help stave off infections in chickens, pigs and other
farm animals but no "hard clinical evidence" that they do so in dogs.
She notes, however, that preliminary research indicates that they may
benefit pups, as well.
Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble makes a soft, chewable probiotic
supplement called Prostora Max containing a special strain of
Bifidobacterium animalis that kills the disease-causing bugs
salmonella and Clostridium difficile in laboratory studies, according
to Liam O'Mahony, an immunologist at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic
Center at University College Cork in Ireland. O'Mahony, who led the
team that discovered and isolated the strain, says that results from a
yet-to-be-published clinical study suggest the bacterium helps clear
up diarrhea in various canine breeds.
The recent study included 31 dogs—10 German shepherds, 11 Labrador
retrievers, two golden retrievers, and eight Labrador–golden retriever
mixes—suffering from the trots. The 13 dogs given probiotics recovered
about 40 percent more quickly—in four instead of seven days—than did
the other animals. The reason? Mahoney speculates that the good
bacteria outcompete those responsible for causing the GI upset, or
perhaps the probiotics fortify the gut barrier in some way.
Meanwhile, Purina has developed a product called Fortiflora containing
Enterococcus faecium that it claims may boost doggies' immune
responses. Some research suggests that taking E. faecium leads to
higher blood concentrations of certain antibodies—proteins that fight
pathogens.
"There is accumulating evidence that probiotics do something," Hill
says. But at this juncture "there are still as many questions as there
are answers."
Further Reading
Phosphorus Famine: The Threat to Our Food Supply
How to Build Nanotech Motors
Quiet Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance
The Next Generation of Biofuels
Sewage Plants May Be Creating "Super" Bacteria
New Tactics in the Fight against Tuberculosis
Worried about Antibiotics in Your Beef? Vegetables May Be No Better
Antibiotic Resistance: Blame It on Lifesaving Malaria Drug?
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