Temporal Changes in the Hindgut Health Markers of Labrador Dogs in Response to a Canine-origin ProbioticLactobacillus johnsonii

Abstract

To study the temporal changes in the hindgut health markers in response to a canine-origin probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii, 15 Labrador adult female dogs were distributed into three equal groups. Dogs in control group (CON) received a placebo MRS broth in the homemade basal diet as per the NRC recommendations. In other two groups, dogs received either canine-origin probiotic (Lactobacillus johnsonii isolated from dog faeces) developed at our laboratory (cPRO) or dairy-origin probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC-15; dPRO) in the same basal diet The experimental duration of 13-weeks in which feeding of probiotics discontinue after 9-weeks, had experimental protocol involving 3-d digestion trial following 0, 30, 60, 75 and 90 d of feeding to ascertain physical, biochemical and microbial assessment of faecal markers. The digestibility of DM remained similar (P>0.05) irrespective of dietary treatments. Faecal biochemical attributes including pH, lactate and ammonia implied positive influence of probiotic supplementation and the positive influence were more evident in canine-origin probiotic supplemented group. Faecal acetate was higher (P 0.05) among all the groups. There was significant (P<0.01) increase in faecal butyrate in both the probiotics fed groups as compared to CON. The faecal concentrations of total VFAs and SCFAs in fresh faeces were higher (P<0.05) in cPRO compared to other two groups. Faecal count of health-positive and healthnegative bacteria revealed that lactobacillus count exhibited higher (P<0.05) values in cPRO, intermediate in dPRO and lower value in CON, with the bifidobacteria population showing highest (P<0.05) value in the both the probiotics supplemented animals. There was a reducing effect in the health-negative clostridia and coliforms in cPRO and dPRO compared to CON. Overall, the results concluded that Probiotic supplementation was effective in improving the hind gut health, antioxidant and metabolic response in dogs. However, the present results are indicative of the superiority of canine-origin probiotic (cPRO) over the dairy-origin (dPRO) one, so far as its application for canines is concerned.