Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Supplements to reduce inflammation and gut issues in senior dogs
By Ciarcia, Roberto et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of nutraceutical supplements containingL.,(L.) Dunal and(L.) weber ex F.H.Wigg. on markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and gut microbiota in senior dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of seven senior dogs were given a mix of herbal supplements for 40 days to see if it could help reduce inflammation and improve their overall health. The supplements included ingredients like vitexin and withanolides, which are known for their health benefits. After the treatment, the dogs showed lower levels of inflammation markers in their blood and improved gut health, suggesting that the supplements helped reduce chronic inflammation and support their well-being. This approach could be a natural way to enhance the quality of life for older dogs.
People also search for: senior dog inflammation treatment · herbal supplements for dogs · improving gut health in older dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Aging in dogs is a complex phenomenon characterized by metabolic, immunological and neurological alterations that may result in chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal microbiota changing that can compromise dogs' overall health. Phytotherapeutics represents a promising approach to improve the quality of life in elderly dogs. In this study we have tested a mix of phytoextracts on seven old breed dogs to evaluate their synergistic beneficial effects. METHODS: The mix was constituted by(4% vitexin),(2.5% withanolides), and(20% inulin) administered per os for 40 days in addition to their diet. The whole blood and serum have been collected at the beginning of the experimental phase (T0), after 20 days (T1) and at the end point of the experiment, i.e., 40 days (T2), and used for biochemical analysis, detection of interleukins by ELISA, and for malondialdehyde (MDA) and Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assay. Fresh feces have been collected at the same time points and immediately frozen to evaluate gut microbiota modification by 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS: Results revealed a significant reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP) for T1 and T2 respect to the basal condition (T0) ( < 0.05). Moreover, a statistical decrease in IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines at both T1 and T2 was observed, probably due to mitigation of chronic inflammation in the treated old dogs. The addition of the abovementioned extracts into the diet was associated with TAC increase and reduced lipid peroxidation in the sera of aged dogs, especially at T2 (< 0.01). After treatment, an interesting modulation of the microbiota was observed with a trend from T0 to T2 toward higher relative abundances of SCFA-producing taxa, although alpha and beta diversity metrics did not reach statistical significance. DISCUSSION: This study supports the hypothesis that the integration of these herbal medicines into dietary or therapeutic regimens could represent a natural and synergistic strategy to improve the quality of life, promoting the general well-being of old dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41394907/