PROBIOTICS/PREBIOTICS PROBIOTICS/PREBIOTICSCommon Use
Bowel health
Probiotics are defined as normal viable bacteria residing in the intestinal tract that promote normal bowel health. Probiotics are given orally and are usually indicated for use in intestinal disorders in which specific factors can disrupt the normal bacterial population, making the pet more susceptible to disease. Specific factors that can disrupt the normal flora of the bowel include surgery, medications (including steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antibiotics (especially when used long term), birthing, weaning, illness, and dietary factors (poor quality diet), oxidative damage, and stress. Improving the nutritional status of the intestinal tract may reduce bacterial movement across the bowel mucosa (lining), intestinal permeability, and systemic endotoxemia. Additionally, probiotics may supply nutrients to the pet, help in digestion, and allow for better conversion of food into nutrients.
Prebiotics are food supplements that are not digested and absorbed by the host but improve health by stimulating the growth and activity of selected intestinal bacteria. Currently, there are no well-conducted studies on prebiotics.
Several different probiotic products are available; these can contain any combination of the following organisms: Lactobacillus (L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. thermophilus, L. reuteri), Acidophilus, Bacillus (specifically a patented strain called Bacillus CIP 5832 in one patented product), Streptococcus S. bulgaricus, Enterococcus (E. faecium), Bifidobacterium, B. bifidus, and Saccharomyces (S. boulardii, which is actually a beneficial yeast, not a bacterium).
The intestinal tract, especially the large intestine (colon) is home to millions of bacteria, most of which are harmless and in fact beneficial to the pet. The intestinal bacteria are essential to digestion and the synthesis of vitamin K and many of the B vitamins.
As mentioned, your pet’s intestinal tract contains billions of bacteria and yeasts. Some of these internal inhabitants are more helpful than others. Acidophilus and related probiotic bacteria not only help the digestive tract function, they also reduce the presence of less healthful organisms by competing with them for the limited space available.
There are several proposed mechanisms by which probiotics can protect your pet from harmful bowel bacteria: Probiotics produce inhibitory chemicals that reduce the numbers of harmful bacteria and possibly toxin production by these harmful bacteria; probiotics may block the adhesion of harmful bacteria to intestinal cells; probiotics may compete for nutrients needed for growth and reproduction by harmful bacteria; probiotics may degrade toxin receptors located on intestinal cells, preventing toxin absorption and damage by toxins produced by harmful intestinal bacteria.
In people, supplementing with probiotics can reduce the risks of rotavirus and can protect against the campylobacter bacterium. Lactobacillus and acidophilus are able to survive hydrochloric acid in the human stomach and inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori. The numbers of certain bacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Shigella, and Proteus), very common and sometimes deadly pathogens are decreased considerably following Lactobacillus and Bifidus supplementation. Supplementing with probiotics may also stimulate immune function of the intestinal tract.
Antibiotics can disturb the balance of the intestinal tract by killing friendly bacteria. When this happens, harmful bacteria and yeasts can move in, reproduce, and take over. This is especially true in pets on long-term (several months) antibiotic therapy, and for pets with chronic diarrhea.
Conversely, it appears that the regular use of probiotics can generally improve the health of the gastrointestinal system.
The use of probiotics for treating diarrhea as well as maintaining health is quite controversial, with no clear scientific evidence (for health maintenance). Although many holistic doctors believe that they are helpful and perhaps even necessary for health, there is no daily requirement for probiotic bacteria. Probiotics are living creatures, not chemicals, so they can sustain themselves in the body unless something comes along to damage them, such as antibiotics.
Cultured dairy products such as yogurt and kefir are good sources of acidophilus and other probiotic bacteria. However, many yogurt products do not contain any living organisms or only contain small numbers of organisms.
Some pets will eat these foods, and others won’t. Also, if the pet has any lactose intolerance, he may not tolerate yogurt well and may experience diarrhea (although this is rare). Most doctors recommend supplements to provide the highest doses of probiotics and avoid any lactose intolerance.
Various probiotics, while usually producing the same beneficial effects, may function differently within the intestinal tract. For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus produces lactic acid to lower the pH of the intestines and acts as an intestinal bacterial colonizer, L. casei lowers oxidation processes, and L. lactis acts on hydrogen peroxide as well as amylase and proteases.
Dosages of acidophilus and other probiotics are expressed not in grams or milligrams, but in billions of organisms. A typical daily dose in people should supply about 3 to 5 billion live organisms. One popular pet supplement provides 500 million viable cells to be given per 50 pounds of body weight. The suggested dosage range of probiotics for pets is approximately 20 to 500 million microorganisms.
Some doctors recommend that when administering antibiotics, the probiotic should be given at least 2 hours later, several times per day, and when the antibiotic treatment has been completed, owners should double or triple the probiotic dose for 7 to 10 days.
Another recommendation is that if taking several species of probiotics, Acidophilus is reported to flourish best if taken in the morning, and the Bifidus when taken at night. It is suspected that this may follow the diurnal acid/alkaline tide that the body utilizes as part of the detoxification process. However, this is not proven.
Because probiotics are not drugs but living organisms, the precise dosage is not so important. They should be taken regularly to reinforce the beneficial bacterial colonies in the intestinal tract, which may gradually push out harmful bacteria and yeasts growing there.
The downside of using a living organism is that probiotics may die on the shelf. The container label should guarantee living Acidophilus (or Bulgaricus, and so on) at the time of purchase, not just at the time of manufacture.
Some evidence also suggests that Acidophilus and other probiotics may also be helpful for treating irritable bowel syndrome. While rare in pets, probiotics may be preferred over traditional drug therapy for irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotics are often recommended for treating Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory condition in people), and ulcerative colitis, and as a preventative measure against colon cancer; but there is no solid evidence that it is effective.
Finally, probiotics may be helpful in a condition known as yeast hypersensitivity syndrome, also known as chronic candidiasis, chronic candida, systemic candidiasis, or just “Candida.” Although this syndrome is not recognized by conventional medicine, some practitioners of complementary medicine believe that it is a common problem that leads to numerous symptoms, including fatigue, digestive problems, frequent sinus infections, muscle pain, and mental confusion. In people, yeast hypersensitivity syndrome is said to consist of a population explosion of the normally benign candida yeast that live in the vagina and elsewhere in the body, coupled with a type of allergic sensitivity to it. Probiotic supplements are widely recommended for this condition because they establish large, healthy populations of friendly bacteria that compete with the candida that is trying to take up residence. Pets with chronic disorders may benefit from probiotics for this reason, although evidence is lacking.
If your pet is taking antibiotics, it may be beneficial to supplement with probiotics at the same time, and to continue them for a couple of weeks after the course of drug treatment has stopped. This will help restore the balance of natural bacteria in the digestive tract.
In people, it is often suggested that in addition to taking probiotics, patients take fructo-oligosaccharides, supplements that can promote thriving colonies of helpful bacteria in the digestive tract. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring sugars found in many fruits, vegetables, and grains. (Fructo means “fruit,” and an oligosaccharide is a type of carbohydrate). These non-digestible complex carbohydrates resist digestion by salivary and intestinal digestive enzymes and enter the colon where they are fermented by bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides spp.
The most beneficial effect of fructo-oligosaccharides is the selective stimulation of the growth of Bifidobacterium, thus significantly enhancing the composition of the colonic microflora and reducing the number of potential pathogenic bacteria. Lactobacillus, another beneficial bacteria, was also seen to proliferate with addition of FOS supplements. Because FOS increases the colonization of healthy bacteria in the gut, they are considered to be a prebiotic rather than a probiotic.
Taking FOS supplements are thought to foster a healthy environment for the beneficial bacteria living in the intestinal tract. Studies using FOS at a dosage of 0.75 to 1.0% (dry matter basis) showed decreased E. coli and increased lactobacilli intestinal bacteria in cats and dogs. The typical daily dose of fructo-oligosaccharides for people is between 2 and 8 g. The correct dose for pets has not been determined. One supplement contains 50 mg per dose for a 50-pound dog; research on FOS showed positive benefits when the dosage was 0.75 to 1.0% of the food when fed on a dry matter basis.
Other reports describing the benefits of FOS suggest that they can suppress triglyceride and cholesterol levels, can control glucose metabolism, and may inhibit the formation of precancerous lesions in the colon.
There is fairly good evidence that many probiotics can help with various types and causes of diarrhea. Saccharomyces boulardii, Enterococcus faecium, and Lactobacillus spp. have been shown to help prevent antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Saccharomyces has demonstrated the most promise for use in diarrhea caused by the intestinal bacterium Clostridium difficile, a common cause of bacterial overgrowth in pets and people (Lactobacillus spp. are also helpful in bacterial overgrowth). Some evidence suggests that a particular type of probiotic, L. reuteri, can help treat diarrhea caused by viral infections in children. According to several studies conducted on the subject, it appears that regular use of acidophilus can help prevent “traveler’s diarrhea” (an illness caused by eating contaminated food).
Some preliminary evidence shows that probiotics may protect the bowel from cancer. The proposed mechanisms for this include inhibiting the bacteria in the bowel from converting procarcinogens into carcinogens, inhibiting tumor cell formation directly, and directly binding to or inactivating bowel carcinogens. More research is needed in this area.
There are no known safety problems with the use of Acidophilus or other probiotics. Occasionally, some people notice a temporary increase in digestive gas (the same could occur in pets).