Wirkung von Enterococcus faecium auf den Organismus neonataler Hundewelpen

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of oral
administration of a probiotic containing Ec. faecium (Total
concentration 1 x 108 cfu / 100 g dry matter of feed) on the
development and health status of hand reared beagle puppies. For
this experiment each control group, respectively each trial group
consisted of 6 puppies. The trial began on day 3 after the birth of
the puppies in order to ensure sufficient intake of colostrum, and
ended on day 98. General health status, clinical parameters, daily
feed intake, weight gain, amount of faeces and faeces consistency
were recorded. Apart from that 8 blood samples were taken to
determine immune status, and 4 for establishing blood parameters.
Faeces samples were taken continually in order to determine the dry
matter. At 4 different periods there were microbiological analyses
as well as a determination of lactate and ammonia in each
individual puppy’s faeces. To determinate a specific immune
response, humane serumalbumin (hsa) was applied in week 8 and 12,
and the serum concentration of total IgG, IgA and specific
antibodies against hsa were measured. The probiotic affected the
puppies´ general health status slightly negatively during the first
8 days of the trail, resulting in sleepiness, yawning, reduced
suckling, reduced muscular tone and reduced feed intake. Besides
that no negative effects of the probiotic on the puppies´ health
were discovered. The feeding of Ec. faecium did neither influence
weight gain nor feed intake. The trail group showed a 6.5 % better
feed conversion during the period of mixed feeding with Pedigree
and milk-replacer. No effect of the probiotic on red blood cells
and thrombocytes was discovered, but the trial group showed on
average a tendentious higher count on lymphocytes, neutrophil
granulocytes and monocytes. Ec. faecium feeding resulted possibly
in a raised number of macrophages, and herewith monocytes, a
stronger immune response with more lymphocytes and a higher
phagocytotic activity of neutrophil granulocytes. The lower IgG
serum concentration of the trail group from week 2 on could be
related to the probiotic, higher average values of IgA in week 2
and 4 suggested a stimulation of mucosal immunity by the additive.
In the trial group, the probiotic feeding seemed to result in a
higher count of total aerobe bacteria with a lower share of E.
coli, in higher Enterococcus counts and throughout lower shares of
Cl. perfringens positive animals. These facts are as desirable for
the maintenance of the intestinal eubiosis, as is the discovery of
a higher average count on Lactobacillus spp. in the trail group.
The count on aerobe bacteria, Cl. perfringens, Enterococcus spp.
and Lactobacillus spp. decreased with ongoing age of the puppies.
In the period of milk-replacer feeding, probiotic feeding seemed to
result in a decrease of fecal dry matter. Considering the high
spread of single values, no significant effect of Ec. faecium on
fecal lactate and ammonia concentration was discovered, although
the probiotic seemed to lower fecal ammonia concentration at the
beginning of the trail.