Why Supplements?
Natural Growth Promoters in Canine Diets
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
During this decade Canine breeders, handlers, veterinarians and nutritionists will gain
more exposure to NGP’s (Natural Growth Promoters). In this bulletin, we will point
out new terminologies and their application to Canine nutrition.
In recent years, the importance of gut health associated with a well-balanced gut
microflora has been recognized as a fundamental precondition for optimizing Canine
nutrition and overall health. Especially in periods of stress – such as weaning,
change of diet,antibiotic therapy, going to shows, new homes, natural disasters, etc.
– a stable gut microflora is vital to protect the host against pathogenic
invasions.
In view of the educated opposition of Dog owners and their desire to eliminate,
antibiotic overuse in Canine, intensive research has been focused on the development of
alternative strategies to maintain health and performance status in modern Canine
husbandry.
Different substances, referred to as natural growth promoters (NGP’s), have been
identified as effective alternatives to antibiotics. At present, there is a large number
of NGP’s available and marketed by Nature’s Farmacy, including organic acids,
immune modulators, probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, and phytobiotics.
All of these products have the potential to beneficially affect gut health and growth
performance by establishing and maintaining a well-balanced gut microflora that protects
At present, organic acids (acidifiers) are considered a promising option to replace
antibiotics in Canine nutrition. Organic acids are natural constituents of plants and
animal tissues, and their use as feed additives is already established in many countries
(Frennier and Mroz, 2003).
Acidification of diets with organic acids and their salts is widely used to secure feed
safety by preventing microbial degradation of foodstuffs in storage.
Furthermore, growth promoting effects of organic acids have been reported for different
species, including dogs, pigs, cats, fish and birds.
Acidifiers commonly used in Canine nutrition are based on formic, propionic, citric,
benzoic, or fumaric acid.
Addition of organic acids to diets results in a reduction of the pH values in both the
foodstuff and the gastrointestinal tract, thus creating the unfavorable conditions for
pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, the decrease in gastric pH values improved the
efficacy of pepsin, thus resulting in increased protein digestion, especially in
puppies.
The gut mucosa is the largest contact surface between the host and the environment,
representing a potential entrance gate for pathogens to invade the body.
Healthy dogs are protected by against pathogenic invasion by a highly efficient immune
system. In puppies, however the acquired immune system starts to develop quite slowly after
birth, thus making the puppy susceptible to gastrointestinal infections.
Recently, it has been recognized that the gut-associated immune system can be can be
modulated by nutritional means (Adams, 2001).
Among others, bacterial cell wall fragments
and algae extracts have been shown to assist in stimulating the immune system by activating
macrophages and lymphocytes. In addition, specific probiotic bacteria and phytogenic
compounds originating from herbs and spices exert beneficial effects on the host immune
system.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that beneficially affect gut health by modification of
the gut microflora, especially in puppies in which a stable gut microflora has not been
established (Frennier, 1998). These microorganisms must be encapsulated to remain effective
and alive.
The only effective species in Canine are as follows:
Bifidobacterium longum
Bifidobacterium thermophilum
Enterococcus faecium
Bacillus subtillus
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Aspergillus oryzae
Aspergillus niger
Probiotics beneficially affect gut health by suppressing pathogenic bacteria through:
(1) competition for attachment sites and nutrients in the gut
(2) reduction of the gut pH by producing organic acids
(3) release of bacteriocins such as lactoferrin
(4) stimulation of the host immune system
Undoubtedly, probiotics have the potential to decrease the risk of infections and intestinal disorders.
Prebiotics such as Fructo-ogilosaccharides (FOS), Manan-ogilosaccharides (MOS), or inulin are non-digestible carbohydrates that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial bacterial species such as Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria.
Depending on their chemical properties, prebiotics represent a substrate for these beneficial microorganisms (Frennier, 1995) In contrast; prebiotic carbohydrates may not be used by harmful bacteria.
Commercial Canine kibble contains substantial amounts of insoluble and soluble non-starch
polysaccharides (NSP’s) such as arabinoxylans, beta-glucans and cellulose.
Insoluble NSP’s are main constituents of cereal cell walls. Thus, they encapsulate
nutrients and limit their availability.
Furthermore, soluble NSP’s increase viscosity of the digesta in the gut, which
impairs the accessibility between nutrients and digestive enzymes. Additionally, high
digesta viscosity is known to produce sticky stools, especially in canine.
Supplementation of digestive enzymes reduces digesta viscosity and increases nutrient
availability by breaking down NSP fractions (Simon, 1998). Consequently, microbial
fermentation of undigested nutrients in the large intestine is reduced, coinciding with
lower production of ammonia and toxic amines.
Phytobiotics originate from leaves, roots, tubers, and fruits of herbs, spices, or other
plants. They are either available in solid, dried and ground forms or as extracts
(essential oils).
Phytobiotics and animals have lived symbiotically since the beginning of time. Most of our
modern medicine and nutritional planning stems from modifications of animals self-healing
instincts with phytobiotics.
Depending on their composition and influence of climatic conditions, locations and harvest
time, phytobiotic preparations may vary in their ingredient composition.
To obtain optimum nutritional standards it must be recognized that the canine body is an
intricate biosystemic collection of organs, cooperative cells, microbes, enzymes,
nutrients, and synergistic energies.
The use of NGP’s represents a promising approach to replacing antibiotic therapies
in modern canine feeding and management.
Different NGP’s, combined in a well-adjusted way, have the potential to successfully
compete against pathogenic invasion and unfavorable dietary conditions such as changes in
feed composition or quantity.
Perhaps nowhere else in animal husbandry has the danger of commercial kibble and modern
medicine caused as much unnecessary suffering and death than in the care and treatment of
the canine species. Yet, nowhere else in animal husbandry has the caretaker recognized the
importance to seek out a balance of old and new technologies to extend the quality and
longevity of life. The key to accomplishing this task lies in the continued use of
NGP’s in canine nutrition and health management.