INTERACTIONS BETWEEN DIET AND GUT HEALTH IN DOGS

Diarrhea is a common problem in recently weaned and young dogs. If the separation from the litter occurs at a time when the immune system is not fully competent or whether as the puppy had a lower colostrum consummation or a bad alimentation, this combination of events increases the susceptibility of the puppy or young dog to a variety of infections and gastrointestinal disturbances. Bacterial pathogens, such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enterotoxigenic E. coli are also associated with enteric disease in young dogs. Our study about bovine colostrum supplementation aimed to know its effects on recently weaned puppies at 32 days of age. The puppies were divided into 2 groups each composed of 3 and 4 animals, the control one (CT) and the treatment one (TG) randomly. The experimental groups belonged to the same litter. The involved puppies were fed with the same basal diet. A treatment was represented by administering bovine colostrum once a week through a specific oral syringe. Feed intake was registered daily. Individual body weight and average daily gain were measured weekly. We found that its principal benefit was an increased gut flora such as Lactobacillus spp. versus E.coli. in treated puppies. The purpose of the second study was to evaluate the role of the integration of an alternative source of fiber, i.e. microcrystalline cellulose, in relation to its potential for action in the intestine, in the diet of dogs suffering from acute gastrointestinal symptoms. For the test we took into consideration twenty subjects, ten of which received a simple industrial diet, while the remaining ten were given the same industrial insoluble fiber (microcrystalline cellulose) enriched diet in such quantity that the final ration contained crude fiber of 10% dry matter. All subjects featured a symptomatic gastrointestinal clinical manifestation characterizing variable output of feces, soft feces, formed feces, the feces without definite form until liquid stools. The third study was about chronic diarrhea as a consequence of food intolerance. The dietary management of these cases varies according to the underlying disease. Generally, the animal should receive a diet with moderate levels of fiber and fat divided in into small portions during the day. The objective of this diet was to facilitate intestinal regulation, beneficially modify the composition and metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiota and exclude antigens from the diet. In our cases the patents showed a good response to these elimination homemade diets.