Prescription diets with prebiotics improve gut health in dogs

Abstract

Diet has emerged as a key modulator of the gut microbiota, offering a potential strategy for disease prevention and management. This study investigated the effects of the Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome (GB) on 7 healthy dogs and 16 dogs with chronic gastrointestinal diseases (GI dogs). Our investigation monitored changes in body weight and the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) in 16 GI dogs fed a GB diet. Additionally, we assessed the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA sequencing pre- (GI dogs) and post- (healthy dogs and GI dogs) administration of GB diet. In dogs with GI, a significant improvement in the severity of CIBDAI was observed post-feeding with the GB diet compared to the period pre-feeding, without any changes in body weight. Primary changes in the gut microbiome were marked by significant differences between healthy and GI dogs. However, post-feeding the GB diet in GI dogs, resulted in an increase in Turicibacter and a decrease in Escherichia-Shigella linked with gastrointestinal inflammation. In conclusion, the GB diet appears to positively influence the gut microbiota and clinical outcomes in dogs with GI. Future studies should explore these relationships by focusing on the long-term effects of diet on the gut health and disease management.