## 4 Health Benefits of Probiotic Supplementation in Diseased Dogs
### Atopic Dermatitis  
[PERSON] [19] reported that the prenatal and postnatal supplementation of _Lactobacillus rhamnus_ GG did not affect the clinical scores of atopic dermatitis (AD) in puppies. In detail, the mother dog was orally administered with _L. rhamnus_ GG (20 \(\times\) 10\({}^{9}\) CFU per capsule; 10 capsules per day) starting at the third week of gestation during the dog's second pregnancy and continuing throughout lactation. Puppies (n = 9; 3 females, 6 males) of  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Ref. ** & **Model** & **Probiotic Used** & **Dose per Animal** & **Duration** & **Effect of Probiotic Supplementation** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{[46]} & Healthy dogs & Queso Blanco cheese & \multirow{4}{*}{8 weeks} & Increased the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-\(\alpha\) \\  & (Probiotic group, n = 4; & _Bifidobacterium_ & & cheese/day & \\  & Control group, n = 4) & _Imgium_ KACC 91563 & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{[46]} & Healthy dogs (Elderly & \multirow{4}{*}{2.4} & Equal proportions of 3 & \multirow{4}{*}{60 days} \\  & Delderly control group, & & & \\  & \(n=15\); Young probicotine & _Lactobacillus_ & & \\  & \(n=15\); Young probicotine & _Lactobacillus_ & & \\  & group, n = 12; Young & _Bifidobacterium_ & & \\  & \(n=18\); Training control group, n = 18 & & & \\  & \(n=19\); Training control group, n = 18 & & & \\  & \(n=19\); Training control group, n = 18 & & & \\  & \(n=19\) & & & \\  & \(n=19\) & & & \\  & \(n=19\) & &  
the second litter (probiotic group) were administered _L. rhamn_ GG (five capsules per day) starting at 3 weeks of age until 6 months of age. The puppies (at 3 weeks of age) of the first and second litters from same parents (two adult beagles with severe AD) were epicutaneously sensitized with _Dermutophagoides farinae_. The blood samples were then collected every 6 weeks (from 6 weeks of age until 6 months of age) to assess the serum-allergen-specific IgE. Severity of the clinical signs of AD were evaluated using Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI) scoring system before and after (initially after 6 h and then every 24 h for 5 days) allergen exposure. The puppies (n = 7; 5 females, 2 males) of the first litter (control group) developed clinical signs of AD and were strongly seropositive for IgE. The puppies of the second litter presented a lower serum titer against IgE and no significant change in AD clinical score. This study suggested that the supplementation of _L. rhamn_ GG reduced the immunologic indicators of AD [19] (Table 3). As a follow-up [20] to the previous study [19], all the dogs (at the age of 2) in both litters (both the control and probiotic groups) were epicutaneously sensitized (biweekly application for 4 months) with ragweet, timothy, and _D. farinae_[20]. The clinical signs of the experimental dogs in both the control and probiotic groups were then evaluated. Allergen-specific IgE, TGF-\(\beta\), and IL-10 levels were also measured. During the study, the dogs in the probiotic group were 3 years old, and the dogs in the control group were 4 years old. Normal dogs (n = 10 non-atopic Beagles; 4 females, 6 males; 4 years old) were used as the control group. IL-10 was higher in the control group, whereas IgE and TGF-\(\beta\) levels did not differ among the dogs of the control and probiotic groups. The CADESI scores of clinical signs were improved in the probiotic group. This study demonstrated that early administration of _L. rhamn_ GG has long-term immunological and clinical effects in dogs [20]. The oral administration of probiotic strain _Lactobacillus sakei_ probo-65 (2 \(\times\) 10\({}^{9}\) CFU per gram per day for two months) to dogs (n = 32) diagnosed with canine AD effectively reduced the disease severity index measured by CADESI scoring system. The double-blind placebo-controlled study demonstrated that _L. sakei_ probo-65 could be considered an adjuvant therapeutic agent to manage canine AD [65]. _B.