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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Probiotic VSL#3 improved kidney filtration in dogs

By Lippi, Ilaria et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2017·Department of Veterinary Science, Italy·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Effects of probiotic VSL#3 on glomerular filtration rate in dogs affected by chronic kidney disease: A pilot study.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were given a special probiotic called VSL#3 along with a prescription renal diet to see if it could help their kidney function. After two months, the dogs receiving the probiotic showed improved kidney function compared to those who only received the diet and standard treatment. The dogs on the probiotic had a significant increase in their glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is a measure of how well their kidneys are working, while the control group actually saw a decline in their kidney function. This suggests that VSL#3 may help slow down kidney deterioration in dogs with CKD.

People also search for: dog chronic kidney disease treatment · probiotic for dog kidney health · improving dog kidney function

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotic VSL#3 on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in dogs affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). The treatment group (= 30) received prescription renal diet and probiotic VSL#3 (112 to 225 × 10lyophilized bacteria per 10 kg body weight, PO, q24h for 2 months); the control group (= 30) received prescription renal diet and standard therapy. All dogs underwent GFR measurement at the beginning of the study (T0) and were re-evaluated by GFR measurement after 2 months (T1). The GFR was significantly higher (= 0.0001) in the treatment group compared to the control group at T1. In the treatment group, the GFR was significantly higher (= 0.0008) at T1 compared to T0. In the control group, the GFR was significantly lower (= 0.001) at T1 compared to T0. VSL#3 supplementation seemed to be efficient in reducing deterioration of GFR over time in dogs affected by CKD.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29203940/