THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROBIOTIC PRODUCT VETOM-2 IN CALVES DURING REHABILITATION PERIOD AFTER ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY

Abstract

One of the functions of the intestinal microflora is to maintain the internal environment of the macro-organism. Along with this, even minor changes in the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract result in the development of dysbacteriosis. Often, dysbacteriosis in farm animals develops as an aftereffect of the active antibiotic treatment. Modern approaches to the treatment of such dysbacteriosis cases are based on the application of probiotic drugs. Our research goal was to study the effect of the probiotic product Vetom-2 on the gastrointestinal microflora in calves after antibiotic therapy. The studies were carried out on the farm of the AO “Uchkhoz Prigorodnoye” on comparable Black Pied calves. Two groups of calves were selected. The first group included apparently healthy calves (n = 10); the second group – calves with dyspepsia (n = 10). After a course of antibiotic therapy, the group of calves with dyspepsia was divided into 2 groups; one of the groups received Vetom-2, and the second group did not receive this probiotic. Bacteriological fecal tests in calves were to detect Escherichia, streptococci, staphylococci, salmonella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was found that in sick calves before antibiotic therapy, the number of opportunistic pathogens was by an order more than that in the group of healthy animals. During treatment, these indices decreased. In calves that received Vetom-2 during rehabilitation after antibiotic therapy, the number of opportunistic pathogens was lower than in the group of calves that did not receive Vetom-2 during rehabilitation; this was due to the inhibition of growth and development of opportunistic pathogens in calf intestines after antibiotic therapy by bacterial strains contained in Vetom-2.