Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086, is a commercially available, lactic-acid-producing, spore-forming bacteria that exhibits probiotic characteristics. Twelve healthy adult English Pointer dogs were fed the same diet, but supplemented with B. coagulans or a placebo via gelatin capsules with the following treatments tested: (1) basal diet + placebo (control; 250 mg maltodextrin); (2) basal diet + B. coagulans [low dose; 5 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU)/d]; and (3) basal diet + B. coagulans (high dose; 2.5 × 109 CFU/d). Fecal samples for assessment of apparent total tract nutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, and fecal microbial populations, as well as blood and skin swab samples for hematology and skin microbial populations, respectively, were collected after a 22-d adaptation phase. Supplementation with B. coagulans did not affect nutrient digestibility, fecal metabolites, or hematology. However, B. coagulans supplementation affected fecal scores, with dogs having firmer stools. Interestingly, feeding the lower dose of B. coagulans resulted in greater shifts to the gut and skin microbiome, where some microbial taxa associated with gastrointestinal health were increased (i.e., Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium). Overall, our results demonstrate that B. coagulans may be supplemented to healthy dogs without a negative impact on canine health, although substantial benefits to intestinal health and microbiota populations were limited.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.