Evidence for probiotic use in dogs and cats - A systematic review

Abstract

The use of probiotics as an alternative strategy to traditional medical approaches for preventing and treating various diseases has been demonstrated in human and other animal species, including dogs and cats. Nowadays, there are various clinical presentations in the market dedicated on controlling different pathologies of companion animals, with a special focus on controlling gastrointestinal pathologies. However, scientific evidence for the efficacy of probiotic treatments in dogs and cats is scarce. This dissertation will focus on providing scientific evidence of the use of probiotic in these two animal species by using a systematic review approach. Current evidence obtained as part of our study demonstrates a great body of evidence towards the efficacy of probiotics in treating gastrointestinal disorder of dogs and cats. In addition, probiotics have been described to improve the immune system of these companion animals, paving the way for future research efforts focused on evidencing the usefulness of probiotics for controlling and treating a whole array of clinical disorder of dogs and cats.