Having a dog is not only good for the human psyche but also incredibly beneficial for the human gut microbiome. Dogs can strengthen the human gut microbiome by going out into the environment, collecting microbes in their nose and fur, and bringing them back into your home. By doing this, they can help to diversify and strengthen your gut microbiome, but don’t forget that dogs have their own gut microbiomes. Did you know that dogs can get leaky gut too? Or that this could be the underlying cause of their recurring rashes, diarrhea, bad behavior or poor wound healing? If the lining of your dog’s intestines begins to deteriorate, then this opens the door for unwanted toxins and pathogens to enter circulation, triggering immune responses such as inflammation and allergic reactions anywhere in the body.
What causes leaky gut in dogs?
Dogs, like humans, have sensitive GI tracts that are unfavorably affected by artificial food products, antibiotic overuse, gut infections, and glyphosate found in the air, water, and soil.1,2 As carnivores, dogs are evolutionarily designed to eat meat, yet the main ingredients in most pet foods include wheat, corn, soy and low-quality animal byproducts. These foods, medications, and environmental toxins can irritate an animal’s GI tract, causing damage to the protective lining of the gut. Dogs love to get into things they aren’t supposed to, like garbage, roadkill, and animal droppings they find on the side walk. This puts them at risk of acquiring a GI infection, which can have negative long-term consequences on gut health. In fact, overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli are shown to cause inflammation and deteriorate the gut barrier, leading to leaky gut in dogs.3
What's inside?
FidoSpore™ is the first probiotic supplement clinically proven to support digestive health and reduce leaky gut in dogs. Bacillus subtilis HU58 and Bacillus licheniformis (SL-307) are both spore-forming probiotics that produce digestive enzymes, strengthen the immune system, produce short-chain fatty acids, and maintain the gut barrier. Pediococcus acidilactici is lactic acid-producing bacterium that has a wide range of benefits in dogs.4 It has been used to treat dogs with digestive symptoms like constipation and diarrhoea, as well as dogs infected by parvovirus. P. acidilactici is also known to crowd out unwanted pathogens like Shigella species, Salmonella species, Clostridium difficile, and E. coli. FidoSpore™ also contains defatted grass-fed beef liver extract added for flavor and aroma.
A recent study examined the effects of FidoSpore™ on the occurrence of dysbiosis and leaky gut in dogs.5 Researchers at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Romania administered a daily probiotic supplement containing the strains Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici to 11 dogs for a total of 30 days. Dogs were divided into two groups: healthy dogs with no GI distress and dogs with gut dysbiosis experiencing diarrhea and vomiting. Results indicated that in dogs with gut dysbiosis, GI symptoms were greatly reduced, or disappeared entirely. Total body inflammation and leaky gut markers were also dramatically reduced. In addition, probiotics did not produce adverse symptoms in healthy dogs and appeared to reduce flatulence.
Probiotics for pets have remarkable abilities to improve digestive health, particularly in dogs. In contrast to antibiotics, probiotics work with the animal’s immune system to improve overall function, rather than simply killing off pathogens and many beneficial microbes in the process. Research highlights that probiotics like FidoSpore™ are effective, safe, and more cost effective than many conventional treatments.
But not only that I have seen and heard of improvements in other inflammatory conditions such as skin problems, behaviour and bladder health.
Research
1. HALL EJ, BATT RM.
Abnormal permeability precedes the development of a gluten sensitive enteropathy in Irish setter dogs. Gut. 1991;32(7):749–753.
2. KILIAN E, SUCHODOLSKI JS, HARTMANN K, MUELLER RS, WESS G, UNTERER S.
Long-term effects of canine parvovirus infection in dogs. PLoS One. 2018;13(3):e0192198.
3. SCHMITZ S, SUCHODOLSKI J.
Understanding the canine intestinal microbiota and its modification by pro-, pre- and synbiotics – what is the evidence? Vet Med Sci. 2016;2(2):71–94.
4. HERSTAD HK, NESHEIM BB, L’ABEE-LUND T, ET AL.
Effects of a probiotic intervention in acute canine gastroenteritis – a controlled clinical trial. J Small Anim Pract. 2010;51(1):34-8.
5. TEFANU , CL.
Evaluation of The Effect of a Probiotic Product With Sporulated Bacilli On Endotoxemia In Dogs With Intestinal Dysbiosis – Pilot Study. University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca. 2019.
