Studying the Benefits of Synbiotics for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Chronic inflammatory enteropathies (CIE) are a group of intestinal disorders characterized by persistent or recurrent gastrointestinal signs. Dogs with CIE often have frequent flare-ups and intestinal inflammation associated with changes in gut bacteria, and the cause of these flare-ups is rarely known. Researchers want to know if synbiotics (a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics) provide a health benefit to dogs with CIE. The team will study how synbiotics influence DNA methylation, a process by which genes promoting inflammation can be turned on and off. Findings from this study will provide a better understanding of how synbiotics work in the dog’s digestive system and if they can regulate gene expression to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation in dogs with CIE.