Uso de probióticos manipulados e seus efeitos na saúde de cães e gatos: uma revisão de literatura.

Abstract

The gastrointestinal microbiota plays a significant role in human and animal health, any change in the normal composition or variety of bacterial species that make up the intestinal microbiota, is defined as intestinal dysbiosis or intestinal imbalance. Factors such as diet, antimicrobial therapy, age and interaction with the environment contribute to this dysbiosis. Probiotics have become an attractive therapeutic alternative in rebalancing the intestinal microbiota promoting health not only to the gastrointestinal tract but also to organs far from the intestine. Probiotics are living microorganisms, usually non-pathogenic bacteria, commonly obtained from the human or animal intestinal microbiota, but can also be isolated from cheeses, fermented milks or vegetables. The present work aims to review the literature of the last five years on the use of manipulated probiotics in dogs and cats and their effects on the health of these animals. National and international references available in books, scientific articles, theses and journals in the Medline / PubMed, SCIELO, LILACS and Google Schola databases were consulted. The use of probiotics in dogs and cats has become popular in recent decades and most studies have shown positive results with beneficial effects on the health of these animals. Some of these effects are improvement in the consistency and odor of feces, prevention of diarrhea, regulation of the immune system, development and weight gain in puppies, adjuvant action in antiviral treatments, improvement of symptoms in acute and chronic enteropathies, as well as in cases of atopic dermatitis. Despite growing popularization of probiotics, there are still few studies on their use in dogs and cats. Further, longer-term clinical studies are needed with more representative and larger samples, to determine the relevance of the therapy for each specific situation because probiotics may have different effects depending on dosage, forms of administration, bacteria and target species used in therapy. There are a variety of commercial probiotics available for dogs and cats, however, the manipulated probiotic offers advantages because it is a customized product, and veterinary manipulation is an expanding field of action for the pharmaceutical professional.