Question and design

12 healthy adult female Beagles; replicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 28-day periods. Garbanzo-bean diet, or garbanzo beans plus a prebiotic blend and a two-species Bacillus probiotic treat. Comparator: Control diet and placebo treat; the garbanzo-only arm also received placebo.

What was measured?

Digestibility, stools, faecal metabolites and microbiota, IgA and blood measurements.

Main findings

The combined intervention reduced dry-matter, organic-matter and energy digestibility versus both other diets. Stool output and microbial measures also differed; effects were not uniformly greatest in the combined arm.

Strengths and limitations

Controlled crossover comparison with a garbanzo-only arm. Several ingredients changed together. Healthy Beagles and short periods limit clinical generalisation. Full-text risk-of-bias review remains pending.

Researchers’ conclusion

The authors describe changes in digestibility, metabolites, microbiota and blood lipids.

Evidence.pet interpretation

This is evidence about bundled formulations. It cannot demonstrate that a specific prebiotic or probiotic ingredient caused the result, or that a commercial food using one component will reproduce it.

Funding and conflicts

The university record states partial funding from Blosm & Blume Pet Products. The complete conflict statement remains to be checked.

Source and connected records

Wilson SM, Kang Y, Marshall K, Swanson KS. Effects of dietary fiber and biotic supplementation on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and the fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota of healthy adult dogs. Journal of Animal Science. 2024;102:skae138.

Read the primary source · DOI record

bacillus subtilis · cellulose

STU-025. Checked 24 September 2026. Next review 24 December 2026. Abstract and university-record appraisal; full-text review pending.