Synbiotic administration of canine-derived strain Lactobacillus fermentum CCM 7421 and inulin to healthy dogs.

The canine-derived strain Lactobacillus fermentum CCM 7421 has been demonstrated to exert certain health benefits as a probiotic in dogs. Synbiotic combinations are widely used but are rarely studied in dogs. In this study the prebiotic inulin in combination with L. fermentum CCM 7421 was tested for its effects on faecal microbial populations, faecal characteristics, and blood biochemistry in canine experiments. Healthy adult dogs (n = 36) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups (12 dogs/treatment): (i) the control group (C), (ii) the probiotic group (LF group: L. fermentum CCM 7421, 10(8) CFU/mL of Ringer buffer, 0.1 mL/kg of body mass), and (iii) the synbiotic group (LF+I group: L. fermentum CCM 7421 + inulin (I; Raftifeed IPS) added as 1% of diet). The experiment lasted for 7 weeks with a 2-week treatment period. We detected a significant increase of lactic acid bacteria (LF versus C, day 7; LF versus C and LF versus LF+I, days 28 and 49), a decrease of clostridia (LF versus C, day 14), a lower pH value (LF versus LF+I, day 28), and a higher ammonia concentration (LF versus LF+I, days 14 and 49) in faecal samples. The synbiotic LF+I combination did not intensify the probiotic L. fermentum CCM 7421 efficacy, but its slight laxative effect can be useful to prevent constipation, e.g., in senior dogs.