Can Pro- and Postbiotics Have Similar Health Benefits for Dogs?

Written by Bradley Quest , DVM?

Beneficial gut health ingredients have become very popular in companion animal diets and supplements. Sometimes, it can get confusing to understand the differences between pro-, pre-, and postbiotics.??

Simply said, prebiotics are ingredients that help feed and promote good gut bacteria. Probiotics are living beneficial bacteria. Postbiotics are the result of when probiotics feed on prebiotics, and they can also be components or metabolites of inactivated (dead) good bacteria that can deliver beneficial gut effects. Each biotic ingredient has its place and specific benefits to our pets’ digestive health. One of the key differences between pro and postbiotics is that probiotics are actual live bacterial organisms and as such can be inactivated by some manufacturing processes that involve high temperatures.?

A recent study published in the Journal of Animal Science compared healthy dogs being supplemented with either a placebo (the control group), a probiotic, or a prebiotic, and then measured multiple health parameters, including digestive measurements. The pro- and postbiotics used were both living and inactivated forms, respectively, of a bacteria called Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis. This particular bacteria is known to promote gut health by inhibiting the growth of pathogenic (bad) bacteria, improving intestinal cell health, and strengthening local immune response in the digestive tract. The study lasted for 90 days and had 12 dogs, which included both Beagles and English Pointers, in each of the three study groups.??

All dogs ate the same diet throughout the study with the exception being the probiotic group, which was fed the living strain of Bifidobacterium, and the postbiotic group, which was fed the inactivated form of Bifidobacterium administered via an oral capsule. The control dogs received a placebo capsule containing only a maltodextrin pet food ingredient that is not believed to improve gut health. The study design was a “double blinded” design, which means neither the researchers administering the capsules nor those analyzing the study data knew what dogs were receiving which capsules until data analyses were complete. This is typically done in many research studies to try to eliminate as much variability and potential bias as possible.?

Overall, all dogs did well during this study, with no adverse effects noted in any dogs. This included no abnormal gastrointestinal symptoms or poor stool quality in any dogs in any of the groups. Additionally, general exams and general health bloodwork were normal for all dogs in all study groups. There were a few differences, however, between the three groups.??

Both the pro- and postbiotic groups showed an increase in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. SCFAs can contribute to intestinal cell health and the promotion of enhanced immune function in the intestines. The study group receiving postbiotics tended to have a lower fecal pH, which can be beneficial for the growth of good bacteria in the intestine. The pro- and postbiotic groups also noted increases in the beneficial bacteria that promote amino acid biosynthesis. This is important as dogs must biosynthesize (in other words, make in their own body) some amino acids, like taurine, which are the building blocks of proteins. In addition, decreased tendencies for pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria and their associated inflammation were also observed in the pro- and postbiotic groups.?

What does all this mean? For this study and this particular strain of bacteria, there were significant health benefits observed, regardless of whether the bacteria strain was in the form of a probiotic or a postbiotic. For pet food production, however, probiotic viability is a challenge, as most probiotic bacteria strains would be inactivated during the heat or “kill step” of the manufacturing process. This means these heat-sensitive ingredients usually have to be applied after the primary manufacture of the pet food, which can increase cost and complexity. They can also be damaged due to water activity, pH of the diet, and storage before the product even gets to your pet—and then there’s hoping it survives the stomach acid to be utilized in the intestines. As probiotics are living organisms, it is prudent to validate and ensure their viability through post-manufacture measurements and shelf-life.??

When pet food companies can include healthy, functional ingredients—such as postbiotics that can give the same or similar benefits as probiotics—this can aid manufacturing efficiency. It also potentially increases the likelihood of those health benefits being delivered to the pet over the shelf life of the food or supplement, considering they are hardier than probiotic organisms.??

Gut health is becoming more and more evident as a key to overall health and well-being in our pets, as it is linked to almost every other body system (including but not limited to oral health). Whether a pet food or supplement is fortified with pre-, pro-, or postbiotics, the experts at BSM Partners can formulate and develop healthy pet products with some or all of these beneficial ingredients. With a microbiome expert on staff, BSM Partners can even advise which ones or combinations thereof are right for your products and the pets they serve.?

About the author?

Dr. Bradley Quest is the Principal Veterinarian at BSM Partners. He has practiced clinical veterinary medicine and has developed, studied, and clinically tested pet health products (including dental products for pets) for the past two decades.?