The microbiota of healthy dogs demonstrates individualized responses to synbiotic supplementation in a randomized controlled trial

Table 1 Subject characteristics at baseline

Feature	Synbiotics (n = 24)	Placebo (n = 19)	p value*
Age, in years	5.0 ± 3.0	6.4 ± 3.0	0.134
Male	15 (63%)	14 (74%)	0.523
Spayed or neutered	21 (92%)	17 (89%)	1
Body condition score^a			0.101
3	2 (8%)	0 (0%)
4–5	20 (83%)	13 (68%)
6	2 (8%)	5 (26%)
7	0 (0%)	1 (5%)
Ideal body weight (kg)	10.2 ± 7.8	11.6 ± 12.6	0.679
Physical activity level			0.273
Normal	16 (67%)	17 (89%)
Active	5 (21%)	1 (5%)
Very active	3 (13%)	1 (5%)
Eating enthusiasm			0.854
High	19 (79%)	16 (84%)
Normal	3 (13%)	1 (5%)
Low	2 (8%)	2 (11%)
Fecal score	2.6 ± 0.9	3.3 ± 0.9	0.010
Defecation frequency			0.419
≥ 3 times/day	5 (21%)	2 (11%)
1–2 times/day	19 (79%)	16 (84%)
< 1 time/day	0 (0%)	1 (5%)

* Two-sample t-test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables
^a 9-point body condition score: 3 (mildly underweight), 4–5 (normal weight), 6 (mildly overweight), 7 (overweight)

ISSN: 2524-4671