Managing the Microbiome: A New Treatment Approach for Feline Gastrointestinal Disease

Sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

As with humans, the feline GI tract is colonized by a large number of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome. These organisms play an important role in both systemic health and disease by either directly or indirectly affecting a wide range of physiologic host functions, including host immune system modulation, defense against enteropathogens, and providing various metabolites and substrates that can be used by the host for nutritional benefit.¹

The microbiome exists as a balanced ecosystem of desirable and undesirable organisms, which is crucial to host homeostasis. When this balance is disrupted (ie, dysbiosis), there can be many deleterious effects for not only the GI tract but the entire body as well. Research has shown that there are significant differences between the fecal microbiome of healthy cats as compared with cats with diarrhea² and/or inflammatory bowel disease,³ suggesting that dietary modification may be useful as a therapeutic modality.

Food serves as a substrate for the microbiome in both dogs and cats and is an important contributor to microbiome composition and metabolism.⁴ Thus, a complete food focusing on the feline microbiome could potentially have significant benefits in the treatment of patients with chronic enteropathies.

Case Presentation

Max, a 10-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat, was presented to his primary veterinarian for recurrent constipation. His owner reported intermittent constipation of several month’s duration, with intermittent diarrhea between episodes. He also had a history of cystitis and struvite crystalluria but was otherwise healthy. CBC, serum chemistry profile, and urinalysis did not reveal any underlying systemic cause for constipation. Abdominal radiography revealed granular stool in the colon but was otherwise unremarkable.

His owner reported that Max had been prescribed many different medications, probiotics, and nutritional supplements in the past but that Max is challenging to medicate and his clinical signs would often recur following cessation of antibiotic therapy. The owner also noted that Max refused his food when probiotics were added, despite being mixed into the canned food. Due to suspected dysbiosis and the need for a long-term solution to his chronic GI issues, Max’s veterinarian recommended Hill’s Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome, with no additional medications or supplements.

Utility of Food Focusing on Alterations in the Microbiome

Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome is a complete and balanced food that contains a proprietary blend of prebiotics as a core nutritional technology, preventing the need to provide supplementation with any additional pre- or probiotics. Microbes in the gut ferment these prebiotics, produce gut-nourishing compounds, and release and activate plant-bound antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. This stimulates the release of postbiotics at higher levels than traditional fiber foods, promoting healthy stool and benefiting overall systemic health.

Relying on pre- or probiotic dietary additives can sometimes be a concern from an owner compliance standpoint; in addition, many patients may refuse to eat foods with powder or liquid additives. There is also a level of inherent uncertainty as to whether the pet has actually ingested all of the additive when it is mixed or added to the current food, particularly if a pet does not eat the entire meal or if more than one pet in the household might be able to access the food bowl.

Moreover, prebiotics differ from probiotics in that probiotics are live microorganisms that may enhance intestinal health; however, because probiotics are single organisms, they do not address the complexity of the ecosystem of microbial organisms unique to each individual patient. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are foods available to all the resident microorganisms and are therefore able to impact a pet's individual microbiome ecosystem balance. Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome contains ActivBiome+™ technology, which uses a proprietary blend of prebiotics that works synergistically with the pet’s individual microbiome and has been shown to resolve clinical signs in as few as 24 hours.⁵

The use of a therapeutic food may also help mitigate the overuse of antibiotics and help with antibiotic stewardship. Although some pets may respond to antibiotic therapy, clinical signs often return once the antibiotic has been discontinued, which may result in prolonged and multiple antibiotic courses.

Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome is available in both dry and wet options for cats and dogs. The availability of a wet option can help aid in hydration for pets with chronic constipation or those with systemic illness due to chronic intestinal disease. In addition, most pets find wet options tasty, which may help promote long-term compliance.

Case Outcome

The wet formulation of the food was elected for Max to help improve his hydration and increase water intake to further address his constipation and promote urinary health. Max’s owner was advised that Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome, in addition to managing Max’s primary condition, has the additional benefit of S+OXSHIELD technology to promote a urinary environment that reduces the risk for developing struvite and calcium oxalate crystals.

Max ate Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome food readily, and within 24 hours, his stool became more regular with regard to frequency and consistency.

Max is currently well managed on dietary therapy alone, without the need for any additional medications or nutritional supplements.

Conclusion

A complete and balanced therapeutic food that focuses on nourishing the feline gut microbiome can help support digestive health and overall well-being. This product is fast-acting, although some cats may require multimodal therapy. Now more than ever, pet owners can play an integral role in the health of their pets through food selection and modification. Hill’s revolutionary ActivBiome+™ technology is a first of its kind, with evidence-based nutrition prioritizing microbiome health and targeting GI disease at the source.