PSVIII-10 The Impact of PROFORMIX|PET on gastrointestinal and metabolic health in puppies.

Abstract Weaning is psychologically and physiologically stressful. The psychological impact has been shown to increase the physiological stress response, alter immune function, and impact intestinal morphology and integrity. These physiological changes may create health challenges and diarrhea that may have lasting impacts throughout the lifespan. As a result, the use of supplements by puppy pet parents is on the rise to help combat gastrointestinal distress. PROFORMIX|PET (Probiotech International Inc.), a proprietary blend of tributyrin and polyphenols, has been shown to reduce inflammation post-exercise in dogs. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate gastrointestinal, metabolic, and immune markers in puppies. Twenty Labrador Retriever puppies (16-18 weeks; 2 litters; BWT:15.6±1.38kg) were blocked by litter, sex, and body weight and allocated to two treatments for the 30-day trial: Control- PureVitaTM grain-free turkey and sweet potato for all life stages (Nutrisource®, KLN Family Brands) fed to manufacturer’s recommendations or Treatment- Control plus 500mg PROFORMIX|PET per day. Puppies were blocked by litter, sex, age and weight. Physical wellness parameters were examined throughout the trial including body weight, stool quality and a clinical assessment. Immune, metabolic, and gastrointestinal health parameters were assessed at day 0 and 30. Statistical analysis was performed in SASv9.3 with a PROC MIXED and repeated measures. In cases where both a time and treatment main effect were found significant, contrasts were performed to compare simple effect differences of time within treatment. There was no impact (P>0.05) of treatment*time, treatment or time on stool scores and clinical assessments; all puppies were clinically healthy. Body weight increased (P< 0.0001) with time in both treatments (BWT d30: Control:20.6; Treatment:20.8±0.34kg). Although treatment*time was not significant, there was an impact of treatment (P=0.0003) and time (P=0.002) on CRP. When the time effect was compared within treatment, there was a more significant decline (-66%; P=0.0009) compared to control (-52%; P=0.06) from d0 to 30. Insulin was not affected by treatment*time (P=0.44) or treatment (P=0.26) but declined with time (P=0.04) in both groups. However, there was a treatment*time effect (P=0.03) on glucose with an increase at day 30 in control puppies (105.1±1.0mg/dL) and a decrease in treatment puppies (101.1±1.0mg/dL). This may indicate that PROFORMIX|PET has an impact on insulin efficiency, but more research is warranted. Fecal a1-PI, a marker of intestinal integrity, decreased with time (P< 0.0001) as expected with aging; however, there was a greater decline (-56%, P< 0.0001) in treatment puppies compared to control puppies (-46%, P =0.04) when the time effect was evaluated within treatment. There was no effect of treatment*time (P=0.44) or treatment (P=0.66) on fecal a1-PI. This initial evaluation of PROFORMIX|PET in puppies demonstrated positive impacts on puppy wellness. More research is warranted to confirm these initial findings.