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PurinaInstitute.com
Probiotics oer many benets, but
with so many options available, pet
owners may not know how to select
the best quality and most appropriate
one for their pet's needs.
The Purina Institute provides the
science to help you take the lead
in conversations about nutrition.
In focus
The intestinal tract – or gut – is home to trillions of
bacteria that can have a huge impact on overall pet
health.
1
An imbalance in bacterial populations can
aect the body’s immune system, lead to digestive
disorders, inammation of the intestines or diarrhea.
2,3
The gut microbiota can even aect brain development
and behavior.
4
Probiotics are live bacteria that can help
to shi gut microbiota toward more benecial bacterial
species, helping maintain an optimal balance.
Probiotics
Why would my pet need probiotics?
BIFIDOBACTERIUM
HOT TOPIC
The World Health Organization
denes probiotics as
“live microorganisms that,
when administered in adequate
amounts, confer a health
benet on the host.”
5
Antibiotics
Stress Age
Illness Diet change
Common
causes of
imbalanced gut
bacteria
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References
How do probiotics work?
The most important immune-related function of the “good”
bacteria is to protect from infection by harmful bacteria.
6
The
benecial bacteria in probiotics prevent potentially pathogenic
bacteria from ourishing by competing for space, secreting
antibacterial substances, nourishing gut cells, and creating a
more acidic environment that is unfavorable for pathogens.
2
Maintaining an optimal balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria
also improves fecal quality and can reduce atulence.
6
Beyond
the gut, probiotics can also have positive impacts on behavior,
helping anxious dogs maintain calm behavior.
7
How do I know if a probiotic is good?
Probiotics are extremely strain-specic, and dierent strains
within the same species can have very dierent health eects.
Probiotics are also dose-dependent, therefore, clinical research
is needed to establish the correct required amount of a particular
strain of bacteria.
To be eective, studies should demonstrate that a
particular probiotic:
n
Remains live and viable until the time of consumption
n
Is resistant to digestion by the stomach acids and
intestinal enzymes
n
Reduces or prevents the adherence of pathogenic bacteria
in the gut
n
Produce products that are unfavorable to the growth of
“bad” bacteria
n
Promotes normal and balanced bacterial populations in the gut
n
Is safe for the pet
n
Enhances the overall health of the pet
8
Is it better to have more bacteria,
or more strains of bacteria?
Probiotic eectiveness is very strain-specic and dose-dependent.
Dierent strains within the same species of bacteria can provide
very dierent health eects, so blending them may not always be
complementary and careful research needs to be done to ensure
they do not work against each other.
10,11
It is also important to
consider that more CFU on the label of a product may not mean
it is more eective, unless there is research showing the benets
of using a higher dosage. It is key that a product deliver the right
dosage of a single, or blend of, probiotic proven by research to be
eective for specic health concerns (i.e. diarrhea, general GI
upset, anxiety, etc.).
12
1. Sender, R., Fuchs, S., & Milo R. (2016). Revised estimates
for number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PL0S
Biology, 14(8):e1002533. doi:10.1371//journal.pbio.1002533
2. Kelly, M. The Role of Probiotics in GI Tract Health, Nestlé
Purina Petcare, Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets.
3. Ng, S.C., Hart, A.L., Kamm, M.A., Stagg, A.J., & Knight,
S.C. (2009). Mechanisms of action of probiotics: Recent
advances. Inammatory Bowel Diseases, 15, 300–310.
doi:10.1002/ibd.20602
4. Wiley, N.C., Dinan, T.G., Ross, R.P., Stanton, C., Clarke,
G., & Cryan, J.F. (2017). The microbiota-gut-brain axis as a
key regulator of neural function and the stress response:
Implications for human and animal health. Journal of
Animal Science, 95, 3225–3246.
5. World Health Organization (WHO) & Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United States (FAO). (2006). Probiotics
in food: Health and nutritional properties and guidelines
for evaluation. (ISSN 0254–4725)
6. Czarnecki-Maulden, G.L., Kelly, M.R., & Cline, J.L. The
–Otics: Pre and Probiotics…What are they? Are they useful
in your practice? Nestlé Purina Petcare, Checkerboard
Square, St. Louis, MO.
7. McGowan, R.T.S. (2016). Oiling the brain or cultivating
the gut: Impact of diet on anxious behavior in dogs.
Proceedings of the Nestlé Purina companion Animal
Nutrition Summit, March 31-April 2, Florida, 91–97.
8. Rolfe, R.D. (2000). The role of probiotic cultures in
the control of gastrointestinal health. Proceedings of
the Probiotic Bacteria: Implications of Human Health
Symposium. Journal of Nutrition, 130, 396S–402S.
doi:10.1093/jn/130.2.396S
9. Weese, J.S., & Martin, H. (2011). Assessment of commercial
probiotic bacterial contents and label accuracy. The
Canadian Veterinary Journal = La revue veterinaire
canadienne, 52, 43–46.
10. Kekkonen, R.A.,Kajasto, E., Miettinen, M., Veckman, V.,
Korpela, R., & Julkunen, I. (2008). Probiotic. Leuconostoc
mesenteroides ssp. cremoris and Streptococcus
thermophilus induce IL12 and IFN-γ production. World
Journal of Gastroenterology, 14, 1192–1203.
11. Viljanen, M., Kuitunen, M., Haahtela, T., Juntunen-
Backman, K., Korpela, R., & Savilhati, E. (2005). Probiotic
eects on faecal inammatory markers and on faecal
IgA in food allergic atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome
infants. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 16, 65–71.
12. Sanders, M.E. (2008). Probiotics: Denition, sources,
selection, and uses. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 46, S58–
S61. doi:10.1086/523341
92%
OF VETERINARY PROBIOTICS
STUDIED DID NOT DELIVER
WHAT THEIR LABEL DESCRIBED.
9
A Purina study on the eects of a strain of Bidobacterium
longum on anxiety in dogs resulted in signicantly less
anxious behaviors such as barking, jumping, spinning and
pacing. Additionally, 83% of dogs studied had lower levels
of cortisol, and 75% had lower heart rates.
7
Of the numerous probiotic products available for use, many do
not contain the particular strains or quantity of Colony-Forming
Unit (CFU) stated on the label. A CFU represents one bacterial cell
and is the unit of measurement used to estimate the number of
live, viable bacteria in a product. A 2011 study at the University of
Guelph evaluated the labels and bacterial contents of 25 veterinary
probiotic products and found only two of the 25 products delivered
what the label described, highlighting the importance of choosing
a reliable product.
9
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