A wide variety of veterinary probiotic products
is available over the counter. They are popular for the treatment of several conditions in small animals, mostly related to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract,where there is some evidence that they can alleviate symptoms of acute gastroenteritis. There have also been several attempts to assess potential
health benefits of probiotics in chronic GI conditions in small animals.
Even
though a probiotic is defined as “a live organism which, if administered in
adequate quantities, confers a health benefit to the host” proof of efficacy in
specific conditions is often lacking, as most of these products are sold as
health/ food supplements, not as drugs. More comprehensive reviews on their clinical efficacy in small animals can be found elsewhere. The term prebiotic
is typically used to describe “non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate
the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon,
and thus improve host health” hence they are often dietary fibres.
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