Hound Group
Vol. 8, No. 1
■
December 2011
Reducing Stress Is Essential to Optimize a Working Dog’s Performance
H
ardworking dogs know the
natural stress that comes from
competing in field trials or nite
hunts and hunting. In fact, virtually
all dog sports involve stress related to
travel, being in unknown surroundings
and a change in routine. These stressors
challenge dogs and potentially could
shortchange their performance if not
managed properly.
Professional handler Scott Engle
of Hillsboro, Ohio, knows well the
importance of managing stress in his
Treeing Walker Coonhounds. “I am on
the road extensively with my hounds,
traveling to nite hunts every other
weekend, often for a week at a time,”
he says. “I log many miles a year,
and it is important to protect my
dogs from the stress of extended
trips and changes of routine. If a dog is
handicapped by stress diarrhea, dehydration results and the dog will not be
able to give an optimum performance.”
Enthusiasts, like Engle, who regularly travel with their dogs to train,
compete and/or hunt realize that
stress results from more than the
time spent en route in the travel
kennel. Multiple days around other
dogs in unfamiliar environments are
potential stressors. Fatigue compounds,
and the time away from the spacious
kennels at home accumulates.
These stressors challenge a dog’s
gut health. If not managed properly,
the result of stress is gastrointestinal
imbalance and diarrhea. “Gut health is
important to digestion, immunity and
microbial balance, all which influence
the optimal performance of a hardworking dog,” says Purina Research
Scientist Brian Zanghi, Ph.D. “A dog’s
stool characteristics can be directly
related to gut health.”
Stress may impact dogs on a show
or field trial circuit or those taken on
“GUT
HEALTH IS IMPORTANT
TO DIGESTION, IMMUNITY AND
MICROBIAL BALANCE, ALL WHICH
INFLUENCE THE OPTIMAL
PERFORMANCE OF A
HARDWORKING DOG.”
BRIAN ZANGHI, PH.D.,
PURINA RESEARCH SCIENTIST
cross-country hunting trips. “Any dog
putting in field time on the weekends,
training intensely or being given
increased playtime can be affected,”
Zanghi says. “The dog’s behavior and
personality — whether anxious or
sensitive — also contribute, as does
life stage. Puppies and senior dogs are
more susceptible to stress, and diet
change can cause stress as well.”
Promoting a Healthy Gut
The gut contains a microbial balance
made up of good and bad microbes
that coexist in proportion to each
other. These microbes support the
digestive process and help maintain
a healthy colon.
“The gut is the body’s largest
immune organ,” explains Zanghi.
“It is the body’s first line of protection
against infectious microbes that are
ingested, and it contains a microbial
ecosystem that must stay balanced
for optimal performance in hardworking dogs.”
An imbalance of microbes may be
due to elevated levels of bad bacteria
and reduced levels of good bacteria.
Stress and intense exercise also can
cause instability in this microbial
ecosystem. To promote a healthy gut
and optimize the immune system,
there are several considerations for
training and nutrition management.
Exercise causes natural stress that
challenges the immune system and
intestinal tract. Excessive fatigue and
inadequate daily recovery can impair
a dog’s immunity and increase the
risk of intestinal upset. Regular conditioning to heighten a dog’s fitness
level, thus making it more difficult
for fatigue to set in, is as important
as training the technical aspects of
field performance.
Continued on page 2
Fortiflora Offers a Nutritional Supplement for the Dietary Management of Dogs with Diarrhea
urina Veterinary Diets Fortiflora brand canine nutritional supplement, which is available exclusively from
veterinarians, provides dietary management of dogs with
diarrhea. The nutritional supplement is particularly helpful in managing dogs experiencing:
• Stressful situations due to travel and work in unfamiliar
field environments
• Diet change or consumption of inappropriate foods
• Soft stools in puppies
• Antibiotic therapy
Introduced in 2006, Fortiflora contains Enterococcus
faecium SF68, a live beneficial probiotic, or bacteria,
which has been shown to promote intestinal health and
balance. Fortiflora helps to restore intestinal balance in
dogs. E. faecium SF68 works by increasing the number
of beneficial bacteria and helping to protect the intestine from harmful bacteria and pathogens.
P
The intestinal tract of dogs is
home to thousands of different
types of bacteria, both beneficial and harmful. In a healthy
dog, these bacteria are in balance, and the beneficial bacteria help to protect the intestine
from harmful bacteria. In dogs
with diarrhea, the normal balance of bacteria in the intestine
is upset, often contributing to
the problem and prolonging the recovery period.
Fortiflora with E. faecium SF68 offers a way to
re-establish normal intestinal balance and promote
a healthy immune system.
Optimizing Performance
continued from page 1
Fatigue and excessive panting,
particularly in cold temperatures, can
cause decreased immunity in the respiratory tract. It can trigger microbial
imbalances that increase the susceptibility of stress-related diarrhea. A dog
needs as much nutrient absorption as
possible to support overnight recovery.
Diarrhea not only impairs recovery
but also results in fluid loss that can
reduce hydration for the next day’s
performance.
Besides conditioning, another strategy used to prevent excessive fatigue
in the field is increased frequency of
“timeouts,” in which a handler calls
a dog to heel. It is ideal to take a
timeout every 15 to 20 minutes. This
offers opportunities for hydration and
respiratory and heart-rate recovery.
A dog’s working heart rate typically
ranges from 180 to 220 beats per
minute (BPM) during exercise. Spikes
in heart rate can surpass 250 BPM.
When a dog takes a break, his heart
rate can drop dramatically, helping
to avoid overexertion.
Benefits of Probiotics
Purina scientists have helped
advance the scientific field of gut
health by demonstrating that probiotics can improve indicators of gut
health and reduce the incidence of
"WE
NOW KNOW THAT THE
PROBIOTIC
E. FAECIUM SF68
CAN HELP PROMOTE A STABLE,
HEALTHY MICROFLORA BALANCE
AND A HEALTHY IMMUNE
SYSTEM IN DOGS."
GAIL CZARNECKI-MAULDEN, PH.D.,
PURINA RESEARCH NUTRITIONIST
stress diarrhea. Probiotics also can help
hardworking dogs. Good gut microbes
aid digestion and disease resistance.
They also help to minimize gut upset
and maintain normal stool quality.
“Feeding a nutritional supplement
with live, active probiotics in advance of
and during time in the field can positively shift the microbial balance in
favor of a healthy gut,” Zanghi says.
“Probiotics can be an important
nutritional tool to help prevent a
hardworking dog from experiencing
stress diarrhea when it matters most
in the field.”
Three Purina studies evaluated the
benefits of Enterococcus faecium SF68
in dogs. In the first study, healthy
Beagle, Labrador Retriever and Manchester Terrier puppies were fed a
control diet or the control diet supplemented with E. faecium SF68. The
diets were fed from weaning to 1 year
of age.
Hardworking dogs, like this Treeing Walker Coonhound, may experience stress from exercise, travel
and changes in routine that challenges the immune system and intestinal tract. Regular conditioning and proper nutrition help dogs maintain proper gut health and enable them to perform
at optimum levels.
"We found that puppies fed E.
faecium SF68 had better fecal quality
than puppies fed only the control food,"
says Purina Research Nutritionist Gail
Czarnecki-Maulden, Ph.D. "When
compared to the control puppies, the
puppies fed the probiotic also maintained their vaccination titers longer
and had higher levels of secretory IgA,
an antibody found in secretions that
plays a critical role in immunity."
In the second study of elderly
Beagles fed E. faecium SF68 for six
months, the hounds maintained higher
fecal IgA than elderly Beagles fed a
control diet. "Enhancement of IgA in
this study indicates that ingestion of
E. faecium SF68 primes the immune
system to respond quickly and effectively to external challenges," says
Czarnecki-Maulden.
Early probiotic supplementation
was evaluated in the third study of
Miniature Schnauzer, Shih Tzu and
Labrador Retriever puppies. The dogs
were fed a control food or the control
diet supplemented with E. faecium
SF68 from the first introduction of
solid food at 3 weeks of age until they
were 1 year old. Fecal concentration of
beneficial bacteria — bifidobacteria
and lactobacilli — was higher in puppies
supplemented with E. faecium SF68.
"These pups had more stable microflora patterns than puppies fed the
control food," says Czarnecki-Maulden.
"This was reflected in better fecal
quality throughout growth."
All three studies indicate that
supplementation of E. faecium SF68
promotes intestinal health and balance
in growing puppies and adult dogs.
"We now know that the probiotic
2
E. faecium SF68 can help promote a
stable, healthy microflora balance and
a healthy immune system in dogs,"
Czarnecki-Maulden says.
Purina Veterinary Diets Fortiflora
brand canine nutritional supplement
contains Enterococcus faecium SF68.
(See “Fortiflora Offers a Nutritional
Supplement for the Dietary Management
of Dogs with Diarrhea” on page 1.)
Proper conditioning and nutrition,
like Engle provides his coonhounds on
the road and at home, help counter
the natural effects of stress. They help
to maintain the intestinal balance
that allows a dog to perform at an
optimal level in the field, the true
measure of success. ■
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