Table 5.
Fecal qPCR (expressed as log DNA per 10 ng total DNA) for Escherichia coli and Bifidobacteria spp. and fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA; expressed as mg/g DM) concentration in adult dogs fed test diets control, nonviable Lactobacillus acidophilus (NVL), mixed prebiotics (MP), and MP + NVL
| Dietary treatments | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | NVL | MP | MP + NVL | P-values between diets | ||||||||||
| Item | Day 0 | Day 21 | P-values day 0 vs. day 21 | Day 0 | Day 21 | P-values day 0 vs. day 21 | Day 0 | Day 21 | P-values day 0 vs. day 21 | Day 0 | Day 21 | P-values day 0 vs. day 21 | Day 0 | Day 21 |
| Escherichia coli | 0.40 ± 0.04 | 0.45 ± 0.03 | 0.11 | 0.45 ± 0.03 | 0.43 ± 0.04 | 0.83 | 0.42 ± 0.03 | 0.33 ± 0.03* | <0.01 | 0.39 ± 0.04 | 0.42 ± 0.03 | 0.21 | 0.73 | 0.06 |
| Bifidobacterium spp | 0.24 ± 0.01 | 0.27 ± 0.02 | 0.20 | 0.25 ± 0.01 | 0.28 ± 0.02 | 0.08 | 0.23 ± 0.01 | 0.27 ± 0.02 | 0.11 | 0.25 ± 0.01 | 0.31 ± 0.03 | 0.09 | 0.62 | 0.53 |
| Immunoglobulin A | 37.8 ± 4.64 | 35.4 ± 4.61ab | 0.68 | 32.9 ± 4.12 | 24.8 ± 3.71b | 0.15 | 24.9 ± 3.25 | 43.6 ± 4.04a* | <0.01 | 30.4 ± 3.38 | 37.5 ± 2.46a | 0.08 | 0.11 | <0.01 |
*Difference (P < 0.05) between days 21 and 0 within diet.
abDenotes significant (P < 0.05) difference between diets on day 21.
All values are means ± standard deviations.