A multi-strain probiotic promoted recovery of puppies from gastroenteritis in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

ROSA ALEJANDRA MOLINA; MARCELA D`URSO; MARIA HORTENCIA MIRANDA; NATALIA CECILIA MALDONADO; GRACIELA MARGARITA VIGNOLO; MARIA ELENA FÁTIMA NADER

CANADIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL-REVUE VETERINAIRE CANADIENNE

CANADIAN VET MED ASSOC

Año: 2023 vol. 64

0008-5286

Objective and animalsAcute diarrhea is among the most common causes of veterinary consultations for dogs. A double-blind, placebocontrolledintervention trial was done with 120 puppies with gastroenteritis. These dogs were 1 to 4 mo old, maleand female, of various breeds and sizes.ProcedureDogs were randomly allocated into 2 groups: Those in the treated group (TG) received a multi-strain probioticwith Lactobacillus johnsonii CRL1693, Ligilactobacillus murinus CRL1695, Limosilactobacillus mucosae CRL1696,and Ligilactobacillus salivarius CRL1702 (1 3 109 CFU/mL) daily for 7 d, whereas those in the control group (CG)received a placebo. All puppies received intravenous fluids, an antiparasitic, amoxicillin PO, and enrofloxacin SC.ResultsAt the start of the trial, the 2 groups were similar. Probiotic administration for 7 d normalized fecal consistency,with 69, 50, and 80% of small, medium, and large puppies in the TG achieving a fecal score of 1 (separate hardlumps) at 7 d, significantly better than puppies in the CG. After 7 d of treatment, most puppies (70%) in the TGhad an excellent recovery, whereas in the CG, recoveries were 35.7% “bad” and 30.4% “fair.” Therefore, treatmentwith probiotics hastened recovery (P , 0.0001). At the end of the trial, there was a significant increase ofcultivable lactobacilli in the feces of TG puppies, but no significant differences between the 2 groups in numbersof total mesophylls, enterobacteria, or Gram-positive cocci. Total mortality was 5.8%, including 4 puppies fromthe CG and 3 from the TG.ConclusionIn a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, puppies with gastroenteritis symptoms receiving amulti-strain probiotic had rapid improvement, implying beneficial effects on the microbiota and its functionality.