Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How bovine colostrum in kitten diets helps immunity and gut health
By Gore, Asa M et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2021·Nestlé, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Supplementation of Diets With Bovine Colostrum Influences Immune and Gut Function in Kittens.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Kittens that were fed a diet with bovine colostrum (a nutrient-rich substance produced right after birth) showed improved immune function and gut health. The study found that these kittens had better responses to vaccinations and maintained a stable gut microbiome, even during stressful situations like re-homing. This suggests that adding colostrum to a kitten's diet can help support their immune system and digestive health as they grow.
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Abstract
In its early life a kitten faces many significant events including separation from its mother, re-homing and vaccination. The kitten is also slowly adapting to their post-weaning diet. Recent advances in companion animal nutrition have indicated that functional ingredients such as colostrum can help support the immune system and gastrointestinal health. Here we report for the first time the effect of feeding a diet containing 0.1% spray dried bovine colostrum (BC) to growing kittens on gut-associated lymphoid (GALT) tissue responses, systemic immune responses, and on intestinal microbiota stability. BC supplementation induced increased faecal IgA expression, and a faster and stronger antibody response to a rabies vaccine booster, indicative of better localised and systemic immune function, respectively. BC supplementation also helped to maintain kittens' intestinal microbiota stability in the face of a mildly challenging life event. These results show that BC supplementation can help strengthen the immune system and enhance the gut microbiota stability of growing kittens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34447799/