FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Effect of a probiotic on prevention of diarrhea and Clostrid...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2015; 29(3); 925-931; doi: 10.1111/jvim.12584

Effect of a probiotic on prevention of diarrhea and Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens shedding in foals.

Abstract: Up to 60% of foals develop diarrhea within 6 months after birth. Preventive measures are limited but potentially probiotics could be used. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a newly designed probiotic on the incidence of foal diarrhea in a randomized field trial. Methods: Seventy-two healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled field trial. Foals were administered a placebo or probiotic for 3 weeks and monitored for an additional week. A total of 3 fecal samples were taken from each foal at biweekly intervals. Statistical modeling was applied for comparison of incidence and duration of diarrhea and fecal shedding of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile between treatment and age groups. Results: The overall incidence of diarrhea was 41 of 72 (59%) and did not differ (P = 0.37) between treatment groups. Foals treated with probiotics were more likely to develop diarrhea requiring veterinary intervention (P = 0.007). Age had a significant effect on incidence of diarrhea (P < 0.001); foals 8-15 days old having the highest probability of developing diarrhea. Duration of diarrhea and soft feces were not significantly different between groups. The prevalence of C. perfringens shedding was 55% with no difference between treatment groups (P = 0.23). The prevalence of C. difficile shedding was 11%. Conclusions: There was no benefit of administering a 3-week course of probiotics, but potential adverse effects were noted. Whether the probiotics lacked a clinical effect, or the choice of strains or dose was inadequate, is unknown. Clostridial shedding was not influenced by probiotics despite in vitro activity of probiotics.
Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2015-04-22 PubMed ID: 25903509PubMed Central: PMC4895414DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12584Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article studies the effects of a particular probiotic on foal diarrhea and shedding of two strains of Clostridia. It concludes that the probiotic does not have a beneficial impact on these health issues in foals.

Objective and Methodology

  • The objective of the research was to measure the impact of a specially designed probiotic on the incidents of foal diarrhea through a randomized field trial.
  • The study was conducted on 72 healthy newborn foals using a randomized, placebo-controlled field trial.
  • The method involved giving the foals either a placebo or the probiotic for three weeks, followed by a monitoring period of an additional week.
  • For each foal, three fecal samples were taken at two-week intervals.
  • Statistical modelling was applied to compare the incidence and duration of diarrhea and fecal shedding of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile between treatment and age groups.

Results

  • The overall incidence of diarrhea ended up being 41 of 72, which equals 59%, a figure that did not differ substantially between the treatment groups.
  • It was observed that foals that were treated with probiotics had a higher probability of developing diarrhea that required veterinary intervention.
  • The age of the foals had a significant effect on the incidence of diarrhea; foals between 8-15 days old had the highest probability of developing diarrhea.
  • The duration of diarrhea and the softness of feces did not show a significant difference between the groups.
  • About 55% of foals showed fecal shedding of C. perfringens with no observable difference between the treatment groups.
  • The prevalence of C. difficile shedding was observed to be at 11%.

Conclusions

  • There was no noticeable benefit of administering the three-week course of probiotics for treating foal diarrhea and clostridial shedding.
  • In fact, some potential negative effects were noted where foals treated with probiotics were more likely to develop severe diarrhea that required veterinary involvement.
  • The researchers concluded that either the probiotics lacked a clinical effect, or the chosen strains or doses were not appropriate.
  • It was found that probiotics didn’t influence the shedding of Clostridia despite their in vitro effectiveness against these strains.

Cite This Article

APA
Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Abrahams M, Jalali M, Weese JS, Guardabassi L. (2015). Effect of a probiotic on prevention of diarrhea and Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens shedding in foals. J Vet Intern Med, 29(3), 925-931. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12584

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 29
Issue: 3
Pages: 925-931

Researcher Affiliations

Schoster, A
  • Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
  • Vetsuisse Faculty, Equine Department, Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Staempfli, H R
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Abrahams, M
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Jalali, M
  • Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Weese, J S
  • Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Guardabassi, L
  • Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Shedding
  • Clostridioides difficile
  • Clostridium Infections / microbiology
  • Clostridium Infections / prevention & control
  • Clostridium Infections / veterinary
  • Clostridium perfringens
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Diarrhea / prevention & control
  • Diarrhea / veterinary
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / microbiology
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / prevention & control
  • Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / veterinary
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Probiotics / therapeutic use

References

This article includes 30 references
  1. Frederick J, Giguère S, Sanchez LC. Infectious agents detected in the feces of diarrheic foals: a retrospective study of 233 cases (2003-2008).. J Vet Intern Med 2009 Nov-Dec;23(6):1254-60.
    pmc: PMC7166729pubmed: 19747192doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0383.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  2. Feary DJ, Hassel DM. Enteritis and colitis in horses.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2006 Aug;22(2):437-79, ix.
    pubmed: 16882483doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2006.03.008google scholar: lookup
  3. Weese JS, Rousseau J. Evaluation of Lactobacillus pentosus WE7 for prevention of diarrhea in neonatal foals.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005 Jun 15;226(12):2031-4.
    pubmed: 15989186doi: 10.2460/javma.2005.226.2031google scholar: lookup
  4. Boyle AG, Magdesian KG, Durando MM, Gallop R, Sigdel S. Saccharomyces boulardii viability and efficacy in horses with antimicrobial-induced diarrhoea.. Vet Rec 2013 Feb 2;172(5):128.
    pubmed: 23161811doi: 10.1136/vr.100833google scholar: lookup
  5. Tanabe S, Suzuki T, Wasano Y, Nakajima F, Kawasaki H, Tsuda T, Nagamine N, Tsurumachi T, Sugaya K, Akita H, Takagi M, Takagi K, Inoue Y, Asai Y, Morita H. Anti-inflammatory and Intestinal Barrier-protective Activities of Commensal Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in Thoroughbreds: Role of Probiotics in Diarrhea Prevention in Neonatal Thoroughbreds.. J Equine Sci 2014;25(2):37-43.
    pmc: PMC4090357pubmed: 25013357doi: 10.1294/jes.25.37google scholar: lookup
  6. Oelschlaeger TA. Mechanisms of probiotic actions - A review.. Int J Med Microbiol 2010 Jan;300(1):57-62.
    pubmed: 19783474doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2009.08.005google scholar: lookup
  7. Desrochers AM, Dolente BA, Roy MF, Boston R, Carlisle S. Efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii for treatment of horses with acute enterocolitis.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005 Sep 15;227(6):954-9.
    pubmed: 16190596doi: 10.2460/javma.2005.227.954google scholar: lookup
  8. Schoster A, Weese JS, Guardabassi L. Probiotic use in horses - what is the evidence for their clinical efficacy?. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Nov-Dec;28(6):1640-52.
    pmc: PMC4895607pubmed: 25231539doi: 10.1111/jvim.12451google scholar: lookup
  9. Yuyama T. Evaluation of a host‐specific Lactobacillus probiotic in neonatal foals. J Appl Res Vet Med 2004;18:26–32.
  10. Weese JS, Anderson ME, Lowe A, Monteith GJ. Preliminary investigation of the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG in horses: fecal recovery following oral administration and safety.. Can Vet J 2003 Apr;44(4):299-302.
    pmc: PMC372248pubmed: 12715981
  11. Weese JS, Martin H. Assessment of commercial probiotic bacterial contents and label accuracy.. Can Vet J 2011 Jan;52(1):43-6.
    pmc: PMC3003573pubmed: 21461205
  12. Schoster A, Kokotovic B, Permin A, Pedersen PD, Dal Bello F, Guardabassi L. In vitro inhibition of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens by commercial probiotic strains.. Anaerobe 2013 Apr;20:36-41.
    pubmed: 23471038doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.02.006google scholar: lookup
  13. Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D. CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomized trials.. Obstet Gynecol 2010 May;115(5):1063-1070.
    pubmed: 20410783doi: 10.1097/aog.0b013e3181d9d421google scholar: lookup
  14. Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Arroyo LG, Reid-Smith RJ, Janecko N, Shewen PE, Weese JS. Longitudinal study of Clostridium difficile and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli in healthy horses in a community setting.. Vet Microbiol 2012 Oct 12;159(3-4):364-70.
    pubmed: 22554764doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.04.006google scholar: lookup
  15. Weese JS. Microbiologic evaluation of commercial probiotics.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002 Mar 15;220(6):794-7.
    pubmed: 11918274doi: 10.2460/javma.2002.220.794google scholar: lookup
  16. Båverud V, Franklin A, Gunnarsson A, Gustafsson A, Hellander-Edman A. Clostridium difficile associated with acute colitis in mares when their foals are treated with erythromycin and rifampicin for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia.. Equine Vet J 1998 Nov;30(6):482-8.
    pubmed: 9844966doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1998.tb04523.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  17. Costa MC, Stämpfli HR, Arroyo LG, Pearl DL, Weese JS. Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile on a veal farm: prevalence, molecular characterization and tetracycline resistance.. Vet Microbiol 2011 Sep 28;152(3-4):379-84.
    pubmed: 21641131doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.05.014google scholar: lookup
  18. Weese JS, Staempfli HR, Prescott JF. A prospective study of the roles of clostridium difficile and enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in equine diarrhoea.. Equine Vet J 2001 Jul;33(4):403-9.
    pubmed: 11469775doi: 10.2746/042516401776249534google scholar: lookup
  19. Medina-Torres CE, Weese JS, Staempfli HR. Prevalence of Clostridium difficile in horses.. Vet Microbiol 2011 Aug 26;152(1-2):212-5.
    pubmed: 21570780doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.04.012google scholar: lookup
  20. Båverud V, Gustafsson A, Franklin A, Aspán A, Gunnarsson A. Clostridium difficile: prevalence in horses and environment, and antimicrobial susceptibility.. Equine Vet J 2003 Jul;35(5):465-71.
    pubmed: 12875324doi: 10.2746/042516403775600505google scholar: lookup
  21. Tillotson K, Traub-Dargatz JL, Dickinson CE, Ellis RP, Morley PS, Hyatt DR, Magnuson RJ, Riddle WT, Bolte D, Salman MD. Population-based study of fecal shedding of Clostridium perfringens in broodmares and foals.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002 Feb 1;220(3):342-8.
    pubmed: 11829266doi: 10.2460/javma.2002.220.342google scholar: lookup
  22. Schoster A, Arroyo LG, Staempfli HR, Shewen PE, Weese JS. Presence and molecular characterization of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in intestinal compartments of healthy horses.. BMC Vet Res 2012 Jun 29;8:94.
    pmc: PMC3514389pubmed: 22748233doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-94google scholar: lookup
  23. Herholz C, Miserez R, Nicolet J, Frey J, Popoff M, Gibert M, Gerber H, Straub R. Prevalence of beta2-toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in horses with intestinal disorders.. J Clin Microbiol 1999 Feb;37(2):358-61.
    pmc: PMC84307pubmed: 9889218doi: 10.1128/jcm.37.2.358-361.1999google scholar: lookup
  24. Waggett BE, McGorum BC, Wernery U, Shaw DJ, Pirie RS. Prevalence of Clostridium perfringens in faeces and ileal contents from grass sickness affected horses: comparisons with 3 control populations.. Equine Vet J 2010 Sep;42(6):494-9.
    pubmed: 20716188doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00105.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  25. Parraga ME, Spier SJ, Thurmond M, Hirsh D. A clinical trial of probiotic administration for prevention of Salmonella shedding in the postoperative period in horses with colic.. J Vet Intern Med 1997 Jan-Feb;11(1):36-41.
    pubmed: 9132482doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1997.tb00071.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  26. Kim LM, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Salman MD, Gentry-Weeks C. Factors associated with Salmonella shedding among equine colic patients at a veterinary teaching hospital.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001 Mar 1;218(5):740-8.
    pubmed: 11280409doi: 10.2460/javma.2001.218.740google scholar: lookup
  27. Bybee SN, Scorza AV, Lappin MR. Effect of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 on presence of diarrhea in cats and dogs housed in an animal shelter.. J Vet Intern Med 2011 Jul-Aug;25(4):856-60.
    pmc: PMC7166405pubmed: 21689152doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0738.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  28. Allen SJ, Wareham K, Wang D, Bradley C, Hutchings H, Harris W, Dhar A, Brown H, Foden A, Gravenor MB, Mack D. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and Clostridium difficile diarrhoea in older inpatients (PLACIDE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial.. Lancet 2013 Oct 12;382(9900):1249-57.
    pubmed: 23932219doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)61218-0google scholar: lookup
  29. Rossi G, Pengo G, Caldin M, Palumbo Piccionello A, Steiner JM, Cohen ND, Jergens AE, Suchodolski JS. Comparison of microbiological, histological, and immunomodulatory parameters in response to treatment with either combination therapy with prednisone and metronidazole or probiotic VSL#3 strains in dogs with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease.. PLoS One 2014;9(4):e94699.
    pmc: PMC3983225pubmed: 24722235doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094699google scholar: lookup
  30. Bibiloni R, Fedorak RN, Tannock GW, Madsen KL, Gionchetti P, Campieri M, De Simone C, Sartor RB. VSL#3 probiotic-mixture induces remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis.. Am J Gastroenterol 2005 Jul;100(7):1539-46.
    pubmed: 15984978doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.41794.xgoogle scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 21 times.
  1. Hain-Saunders NMR, Knight DR, Bruce M, Riley TV. Clostridioides difficile infection and One Health: an equine perspective. Environ Microbiol 2022 Mar;24(3):985-997.
    doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15898pubmed: 35001483google scholar: lookup
  2. Goodman-Davis R, Figurska M, Cywinska A. Gut Microbiota Manipulation in Foals-Naturopathic Diarrhea Management, or Unsubstantiated Folly?. Pathogens 2021 Sep 4;10(9).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10091137pubmed: 34578169google scholar: lookup
  3. Freccero F, Lanci A, Mariella J, Viciani E, Quercia S, Castagnetti A, Castagnetti C. Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 2;11(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11082283pubmed: 34438741google scholar: lookup
  4. Weese JS. Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in animals. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Mar;32(2):213-221.
    doi: 10.1177/1040638719899081pubmed: 31904312google scholar: lookup
  5. Kachrimanidou M, Tzika E, Filioussis G. Clostridioides (Clostridium) Difficile in Food-Producing Animals, Horses and Household Pets: A Comprehensive Review. Microorganisms 2019 Dec 9;7(12).
    doi: 10.3390/microorganisms7120667pubmed: 31835413google scholar: lookup
  6. Shaw SD, Stämpfli H. Diagnosis and Treatment of Undifferentiated and Infectious Acute Diarrhea in the Adult Horse. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2018 Apr;34(1):39-53.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2017.11.002pubmed: 29426709google scholar: lookup
  7. Oliver-Espinosa O. Foal Diarrhea: Established and Postulated Causes, Prevention, Diagnostics, and Treatments. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2018 Apr;34(1):55-68.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2017.11.003pubmed: 29395727google scholar: lookup
  8. Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Guardabassi LG, Jalali M, Weese JS. Comparison of the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy and diarrheic foals at two and four weeks of life. BMC Vet Res 2017 May 30;13(1):144.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1064-xpubmed: 28558788google scholar: lookup
  9. Oyama MA, Ellenberg SS, Shaw PA. Clinical Trials in Veterinary Medicine: A New Era Brings New Challenges. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Jul;31(4):970-978.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.14744pubmed: 28557000google scholar: lookup
  10. Golić N, Veljović K, Popović N, Djokić J, Strahinić I, Mrvaljević I, Terzić-Vidojević A. In vitro and in vivo antagonistic activity of new probiotic culture against Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens. BMC Microbiol 2017 May 6;17(1):108.
    doi: 10.1186/s12866-017-1015-5pubmed: 28477627google scholar: lookup
  11. Silva BC, Sandes SH, Alvim LB, Bomfim MR, Nicoli JR, Neumann E, Nunes AC. Selection of a candidate probiotic strain of Pediococcus pentosaceus from the faecal microbiota of horses by in vitro testing and health claims in a mouse model of Salmonella infection. J Appl Microbiol 2017 Jan;122(1):225-238.
    doi: 10.1111/jam.13339pubmed: 27813217google scholar: lookup
  12. Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Van Broeck J, Delmée M, Daube G. Clostridium difficile in Food and Animals: A Comprehensive Review. Adv Exp Med Biol 2016;932:65-92.
    doi: 10.1007/5584_2016_27pubmed: 27350639google scholar: lookup
  13. Mendoza FJ, Toribio RE. An Overview of Donkey Neonatology. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 6;15(13).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15131986pubmed: 40646885google scholar: lookup
  14. Zhu D, Li S, Xu Z, Kulyar MF, Bai X, Wang Y, Wang B, Khateeb E, Deng D, Wang L, Chen Y, Guo A, Shen Y. Comparative analysis of gut microbiota in healthy and diarrheic foals. Microbiol Spectr 2025 Mar 19;13(5):e0087124.
    doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00871-24pubmed: 40105330google scholar: lookup
  15. Penazzi L, Pagliara E, Nervo T, Ala U, Bertuglia A, Romano G, Hattab J, Tiscar PG, Bergagna S, Pagliasso G, Antoniazzi S, Cavallarin L, Valle E, Prola L. Dietary supplementation of new-born foals with free nucleotides positively affects neonatal diarrhoea management. Ir Vet J 2025 Mar 1;78(1):7.
    doi: 10.1186/s13620-025-00294-3pubmed: 40025599google scholar: lookup
  16. Gomez DE, Kopper JJ, Byrne DP, Renaud DL, Schoster A, Dunkel B, Arroyo LG, Mykkanen A, Gilsenan WF, Pihl TH, Lopez-Navarro G, Tennent-Brown BS, Hostnik LD, Mora-Pereira M, Marques F, Gold JR, DeNotta SL, Desjardins I, Stewart AJ, Kuroda T, Schaefer E, Oliver-Espinosa OJ, Agne GF, Uberti B, Veiras P, Delph Miller KM, Gialleti R, John E, Toribio RE. Treatment approaches to horses with acute diarrhea admitted to referral institutions: A multicenter retrospective study. PLoS One 2024;19(11):e0313783.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313783pubmed: 39565809google scholar: lookup
  17. Bell J, Radial SL, Cuming RS, Trope G, Hughes KJ. Effects of fecal microbiota transplantation on clinical outcomes and fecal microbiota of foals with diarrhea. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2718-2728.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.17185pubmed: 39266472google scholar: lookup
  18. Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Schuberth HJ. Supplementation of Foals with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product Alters the Early Response to Vaccination. Animals (Basel) 2024 Mar 20;14(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14060960pubmed: 38540058google scholar: lookup
  19. Boucher L, Leduc L, Leclère M, Costa MC. Current Understanding of Equine Gut Dysbiosis and Microbiota Manipulation Techniques: Comparison with Current Knowledge in Other Species. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 28;14(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14050758pubmed: 38473143google scholar: lookup
  20. Leduc L, Costa M, Leclère M. The Microbiota and Equine Asthma: An Integrative View of the Gut-Lung Axis. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 13;14(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14020253pubmed: 38254421google scholar: lookup
  21. Ford T, McAdams ZL, Townsend KS, Martin LM, Johnson PJ, Ericsson AC. Effect of Sugar Beet Pulp on the Composition and Predicted Function of Equine Fecal Microbiota. Biology (Basel) 2023 Sep 19;12(9).
    doi: 10.3390/biology12091254pubmed: 37759653google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.