Project
Porcine plasma to enhance gut health in dogs
Many dogs experience gastrointestinal problems. Treatment options include dietary changes, antibiotics and immunosuppressants, but all can have strong side effects. This project focuses on the use of spray-dried porcine plasma, which has proven immunomodulatory potential, in the treatment of canine gut problems. We aim to discover interactions between porcine plasma proteins and canine pathogens and immune cells. After this, they will incorporate the plasma in the canine diet, and study the in vivo effect on dogs with chronic gut problems.
Background
Many dogs experience gut related problems. These include chronic inflammation as well as acute and chronic cases of diarrhea. Currently, these dogs are treated by: changing the diet to exclude allergens, antibiotics treatment or, in extreme cases, immunosuppressants to prevent the immune system from acting up and causing pain and local damage.
The use of antibiotics and immunosuppressants both comes with side effects that can further damage the health of the dog. Because of this, alternative treatment strategies are necessary. Spray dried porcine plasma (SDPP) has been shown to have treatment potential in gut disorders: while normally used in food for its nutritional value, it contains immunomodulating proteins. These proteins might play a role in supporting the immune system in the gut. Therefore, this project studies the use of SDPP for improving the health of dogs with (chronic) gut problems.