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Simple Summary: This study tested Saccharomyces cerevisiae DSM 34246 (Canobios-BL) var. boulardii on adult dogs (West Highland White Terrier (WT) and German Shepherd (GS)) to evaluate its impact on gut health. A total of 53 healthy adult dogs were randomly assigned to control (CTR: WT 14/28, GS 12/25) and treated (SACC: WT 14/28, GS 13/25) groups. Both were fed a dry diet twice daily, with the additive given to the SACC group (5 × 10⁹ CFU/kg) and a placebo to the CTR. Over 35 days, body weight, body condition score, fecal parameters, and water intake were measured. Statistical analysis showed significant improvements in body condition, fecal parameters, and IgA, indicating S. boulardii positively affected gut health in dogs. Background: A supplement containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae DSM 34246 (Canobios-BL) var. boulardii was tested to demonstrate its efficacy as a gut health stabilizer in two breeds of dogs, West Highland White Terrier (WT) and German Shepherd (GS). Methods: A randomized double-blind controlled trial was performed on a total of 53 healthy adult dogs, 28 WT and 25 GS. The animals were randomly assigned to a control group (CTR: WT 14/28, GS 12/25) and to a treated group (SACC; WT 14/28, GS 13/25). The CTR group was fed with dry commercial food, while the SACC group was fed with the same food but supplemented with S. boulardii at the concentration of 5 × 109 CFU/kg. The study lasted 35 days and included six evaluation time points (T0-T5). Body Weight (BW), Body Condition Score (BCS), Fecal Score (FS), FS measured with a penetrometer (FSp), Fecal Dry matter (DM), Fecal Humidity (UM), and Fecal IgA (IgA) were measured at each time point. Results: A significant improvement (p < 0.1) in BCS, FS, FSp, DM, UM, and IgA in the SACC group compared to the CTR for both WT and GS was reported. Conclusions: We found a positive effect of S. boulardii supplementation on the improvement of the fecal parameters and on the maintenance of good physiological as well as biological conditions in healthy adult dogs in breeding conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study tested Saccharomyces cerevisiae DSM 34246 (Canobios-BL) var. boulardii on adult Chartreux cats to evaluate its impact on gut health. Fourteen healthy cats (4 males, 10 females) were randomly assigned to a control (CTR) and treated (SACC) group. Both were fed a dry diet twice daily, with the additive given to the SACC group (5 × 10⁹ CFU/kg) and a placebo to the CTR. Over 35 days, body weight, condition scores, fecal parameters, and water intake were measured. Statistical analysis showed significant improvements in body condition, fecal parameters, and IgA, indicating that S. boulardii positively affected gut health in these cats. The feed additive Saccharomyces cerevisiae DSM 34246 (Canobios-BL) var. boulardii was tested on adult cats (breed: Chartreux) in order to show its effect on the intestinal health. A total of 14 healthy cats (4 males, 10 females) were included. The animals were randomly assigned to a control group, group CTR, and a treated group, group SACC. Both groups were fed with a dry commercial diet two times a day, and the feed additive was added (at a concentration of 5 × 109 CFU/kg of food) to the diet for group SACC and a placebo (Maltodestrin) for group CTR. This randomized blinded controlled trial lasted 35 days and was divided into six experimental time points. Body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), muscle condition score (MCS), fecal score (FS), fecal score measured with a penetrometer (FSp), fecal dry matter (DM), fecal humidity (UM), and fecal IgA (IgA) were measured using a specific method of analysis. Water intake (WI) was monitored weekly. Analysis of variance, Kruskal–Wallis test, and pairwise two-sample Wilcoxon test were used for the statistical analysis according to the type of data. The results showed significant differences between the two groups for some of the tested parameters: BCS, FS, FSp, DM, UM, and IgA. This suggests the positive effect of supplementation with S. boulardii on gut health and on the maintenance of good physiological and biological conditions in healthy cats living in a breeding environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monitoring antimicrobial use is crucial for understanding current prescribing practices. Such information helps in establishing stewardship programs for effectively using antimicrobials and combating resistance to them. Objectives: This study describes how antimicrobials are prescribed at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Pisa and compares how the internal medicine and intensive care units differ in their usage of antimicrobials. Methods: The study involved cats that were presented in the units in 2021 and 2022. Antimicrobial prescriptions were obtained via the hospital's management software (OCIROE). Results: In a population of 1164 non-surgical cats with 397 antimicrobials prescribed, the most prescribed ones were amoxicillin–clavulanic acid in the internal medicine unit and ampicillin in the intensive care unit. Twenty-five percent of all antimicrobials were Highest-Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials or Antimicrobial Advice Ad Hoc Expert Group Category B. The oral route was the main route of administration in the internal medicine unit, while parenteral was the most common route used in the intensive care unit. Most antimicrobials were prescribed to treat pathologic conditions affecting the urinary (39%), gastroenteric (21%), respiratory (13%), and integumentary (12%) systems. A diagnosis, accurate dosage, and the use of species-approved medications were recorded in the antimicrobial prescriptions. However, only 11% of these prescriptions were supported by antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Conclusions: These results suggest room for improvement, particularly in increasing the use of antimicrobial susceptibility testing to ensure more targeted antimicrobial therapy. Given the importance of antimicrobial resistance and the One Health approach, the study also highlights the need to consider the broader impact of antimicrobial use in animals, including the potential contribution to resistance in bacteria that affect both animal and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is common in several human and veterinary conditions and it is associated to alteration of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) level. GPx is an enzyme present in erythrocytes, kidney, and liver and it has a role in protecting against oxidative damage. In this randomised double-blinded control trial on healthy dogs, we present findings indicating that the administration for a total of 35 days of a supplement containing S-acetyl-glutathione (SAG) alongside other antioxidant natural ingredients, leads to an increase in the GPx level. Furthermore, the supplement positively changes liver blood parameters, even in healthy dogs. These preliminary results hold promise for conducting new studies using the same supplement on dogs affected by liver conditions, thereby confirming its antioxidant effects and the potential improvement of altered blood parameters. Oxidative stress characterises several conditions in dogs and the use of antioxidants can improve their health. The administration of a new supplement containing S-acetyl-glutathione (SAG) together with other antioxidant natural ingredients, increased the level of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). No adverse events were reported after the supplement administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]