Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus in
healthy adult cats
This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of
dietary supplementation with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus
acidophilus DSM13241 in healthy adult cats. Fifteen adult cats
were fed a nutritionally-complete dry food for 5 weeks. Fecal
character was assessed daily, and a single fecal sample and
3 ml blood sample were collected for bacterial enumeration
and hematologic analysis, respectively. Cats were then fed
the same diet supplemented with L. acidophilus DSM13241
( 2 × 108 CFU/d) for 4. 5 weeks. Repeat fecal and hematologic
measurements were taken prior to the return to control diet
for a 4-week period.
The probiotic species was recovered from feces,
demonstrating survival through the feline gastrointestinal
tract. Probiotic supplementation was associated with increased
numbers of beneficial Lactobacillus and L acidophilus
groups in feces and decreased numbers of Clostridium spp.
and Enterococcus faecalis, indicating an altered bacterial
balance in the gastrointestinal tract microflora. Fecal pH was
also decreased suggesting a colonic environment selective
for the beneficial lactic acid bacterial population. Systemic
and immunomodulatory effects were associated with
administration of L. acidophilus DSM13241, including altered
cell numbers within WBC subsets and enhanced phagocytic
capacity in the peripheral granulocyte population. In addition,
plasma endotoxin concentrations were decreased during
probiotic feeding, and RBCs had a decreased susceptibility
to osmotic pressure.
It was surmised that probiotic strain L. acidophilus
DSM13241 fed at 2 × 108 CFU/day can alter the balance
of gastrointestinal microflora in healthy cats. Furthermore,
administration of this probiotic results in beneficial systemic
and immunomodulatory effects in cats.
Source: Marshall-Jones, Z.V., et al., 2006. Effects of Lactobacillus
acidophilus DSM13241 as a probiotic in healthy adult cats. AJVR
67( 6):1005-1012.
Diagnosis of adverse food reaction
Data from dietary trials in 181 dogs with non-seasonal
pruritus were collected retrospectively. One group of dogs
was fed home-prepared foods and a second group was fed a
chicken hydrolysate food in the diagnosis of adverse reactions
to food (AFR). Owners chose the type of food at presentation
and the ingredients of home-prepared foods were selected
depending on each dog’s dietary history. Ectoparasitic
infestations and microbial infections were treated during
the trials. Cutaneous and gastrointestinal signs and pruritus
scores were recorded before starting the food, 6 weeks into the
trials, and after provocation with the original foods. AFR was
diagnosed if pruritus resolved during the trial and recurred
on dietary provocation. Seventy-two dogs were fed home-prepared foods and 109 the hydrolysate. The dropout rate
was lower for home-prepared foods, although the difference
was not statistically significant ( 18.1% home-prepared; 24.7%
hydrolysate, P=0.377).
AFR alone was diagnosed in 10 dogs (17%) using home-prepared foods and in 15 ( 18.3%) fed the hydrolysate.
Gastrointestinal problems were more frequent in dogs with
AFR than in dogs without AFR (P=0.001). Another 11
dogs ( 18.6%) in the home-prepared group and 20 ( 24.4%)
in the hydrolysate group had AFR concurrent with other
pruritic diseases, mainly atopy. The similar frequencies of
AFR diagnosis in the two groups (P=0.837 AFR; P=0.416
concurrent AFR) indicate that the chicken hydrolysate food
may be a valuable alternative to home-prepared foods in the
diagnosis of canine AFR.
Source: Loeffler, A., et al., 2006. Diagnosis of adverse food reaction in
181 pruritic dogs: A retrospective comparison of case series involving
home-prepared foods and a chicken hydrolysate. Hill’s 2006 Symposium
on Dermatology, Palm Springs, California, USA.
Antioxidant status affected by diet
restriction and aging
Twenty-four sibling pairs of 8-week-old Labrador
Retrievers were assigned to an experiment to determine the
effects of diet restriction (75% of control-fed pair mate) on
the quality and span of canine life and to identify biological
markers of aging in dogs. The antioxidant status of these dogs
was monitored by annual assays for serum retinol (RT), retinyl
palmitate (RP), total vitamin A (VA), vitamin E (VE), selenium
(Se), copper (Cu), ceruloplasmin (Cp), plasma ascorbic acid
(AA), uric acid (UA), total peroxyl-radical trapping activity
(TRAP) and whole-blood glutathione peroxidase (Gpx).
Data in this report are for the 6-year period of the
experiment when the dogs were between 5 and 10 years of
age. Dietary restriction reduced RT, VE, Cu and Cp. Aging
was associated with decreased RP, VA, VE, Se and Cu and
with increased RT, Cp and Gpx. Female dogs had lower RP,
VA, Cu and Cp than male dogs. Litter effects were observed
for VE, Cu, UA and Gpx.
Treatment effects on serum RT and Cu suggest that these
variables are not as regulated homeostatically by hepatic
storage as in most other species. Although the antioxidant
profiles did not elucidate how dietary restriction contributes to
longevity, they have the potential to enhance our understanding
of canine clinical nutrition and to have practical applications
in formulating canine diets.
Source: Stowe, H.D., Lawler, D.F. and Kealy, R.D., 2006. Antioxidant
Status of Pair-Fed Labrador Retrievers Is Affected by Diet Restriction and
Aging. J Nutr 136:1844-1848. ●
