If you have any questions, please contact us at 979-458-0785 or email us at dietarystudy@cvm.tamu.edu

We are assessing the effects of pre- and pro-biotic agents in the treatment of kittens and puppies with idiopathic chronic diarrhea.

To qualify for the study, puppies and kittens must be between 2 and 9 months of age and have had loose stool for at least two weeks.  They must have had a medical workup including physical examination, fecal analysis, broad-spectrum anthelmentic therapy, complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, and serum fTLI, cobalamin, and folate concentrations.  Puppies also require pre- and post-prandial bile acid concentrations. Puppies or kittens that also have vomiting or show certain abnormalities in the tests evaluated will be excluded from participation. 

Each protocol lasts four weeks.  The order of these protocols will be assigned randomly.  Because of their professional expertise, the protocols and supplies for each group (a 4 week supply) will be sent to the referring veterinarian, and then distributed to the client. Included in each month's package will be a four-week supply of a special formulated diet and either a placebo or probiotic contained in solution.  There will be either a PDA (Personal data assistant) or hard copy daily questionnaire forms that we ask the client to fill out every day of the therapy. 

At the beginning of the study and the end of each four-week protocol (days 26, 27, and 28), the client should collect and freeze three fecal samples with the fecal tubes provided.  Additionally blood will be collected.  The fecal tubes, blood samples and owner questionnaire will be mailed together to the GI lab with the ice pack, cooler, and postal voucher provided.  It is important that the fecal samples and the blood collection be obtained before the client begins the next month's protocol.