The utilisation of prebiotics and synbiotics in dogs

The microbiota of the large intestine plays a fundamental role in maintaining the state of health of the gastrointestinal tract and of the host. The use of specific dietary supplements such as prebiotics and synbiotics might positively influence the composition and metabolism of the intestinal microbial population. Several studies have been conducted on the use of prebiotics in dogs. Most studies have aimed to assess whether using prebiotics brings about an improvement in the canine intestinal ecosystem. Moreover, the effect of prebiotics on canine immune system has also been investigated. Among the prebiotics used in the studies present in the literature, short-chain fructooligosaccharides and oligofructose seem to be the most effective in modulating the canine intestinal ecosystem and improving intestinal absorption of minerals but with little or no effect on canine immune system. Conversely, mannanoligosaccharides may have a positive influence on the immune system of dogs. Some positive effects of prebiotics on canine intestinal microbiota might be enhanced when these are used in combination with one or more probiotic strains (synbiotic). Clinical effects of prebiotics have been investigated in humans and animal models but little evidence exists that prebiotics may be helpful in canine diseases. Finally, most studies on canine intestinal microbiota were conducted using traditional culture methods, so that more research remains to be done with modern molecular identification methods to investigate the effects of prebiotic substances. This paper presents an overview of the scientific literature dealing with the use of prebiotics and synbiotics in the canine species.