Probiotic bacterium5 RCTsIn 4 products

Enterococcus faecium SF68 (NCIMB 10415) for dogs

Enterococcus faecium SF68 is a single, registered bacterial strain -- not just the species Enterococcus faecium in general -- originally developed as a probiotic for companion animals. It's the organism behind Purina's FortiFlora line. A genus reclassification means some current labels print it as "Enterococcus lactis SF68"; it's the same organism, and essentially all of the published canine research below was done under the older name.

At a glanceStudied dose (dogs)See note below ↓Strain-numbered on labels4 of 4

Canine studies we could find

PubMed and PMC, dogs only. Other species are listed separately below and don't count toward the badge.

2019Effect of probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 on liver function in healthy dogsMeasured serum ALT, ALP, cholesterol and triglycerides; SF68 caused no significant change in mean ALT/ALP, and later shifts in cholesterol/triglycerides were statistically significant but judged not clinically relevant.RCT · n=36PMID 31578761 →

2019Pilot evaluation of Enterococcus faecium SF68 as adjunctive therapy for oclacitinib-responsive adult atopic dermatitis in dogsMeasured ability to taper oclacitinib dose; no significant difference between SF68 and placebo groups in oclacitinib dose reduction.RCT · n=21PMID 31257599 →

2018Effect of Enterococcus faecium SF68 on serum cobalamin and folate concentrations in healthy dogsMeasured serum cobalamin and folate; cobalamin fell significantly during supplementation, with moderate hypocobalaminemia in 8 of 18 dogs, while folate was unaffected.CONTROLLED · n=18PMID 29667183 →

2017Evaluation of metronidazole with and without Enterococcus faecium SF68 in shelter dogs with diarrheaMeasured percentage of days with normal stools and Giardia clearance; dual therapy (metronidazole+SF68) had a significantly higher percentage of days with normal stools than metronidazole alone (65.6% vs 46.9%, P=.0496).RCTPMID 29291770 →

2011Effect of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 on presence of diarrhea in cats and dogs housed in an animal shelterMeasured incidence/duration of diarrhea; dogs fed SF68 showed a non-significant trend toward fewer diarrhea episodes than placebo (9.8% vs 12.5%), with no significant difference for diarrhea lasting 2+ days.RCT · n=182PMID 21689152 →

2009Influence of Enterococcus faecium SF68 probiotic on giardiasis in dogsMeasured Giardia cyst/antigen shedding, fecal IgA, and leukocyte phagocytic activity; short-term SF68 treatment produced no difference from placebo on any of these measures.RCT · n=20PMID 19298607 →

Caution: One canine trial (Lucena 2018, PMID 29667183) found SF68 significantly lowered serum cobalamin (B12) over 14 days, with moderate hypocobalaminemia in 8 of 18 healthy dogs -- worth a vet conversation for dogs already at risk of B12 deficiency (e.g. EPI, IBD).

Cat, human and rodent studies (not canine evidence)

2016Cat Effect of short-term probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 dietary supplementation in overweight and obese cats without comorbiditiesMeasured food intake, body weight, body composition and metabolic parameters; no significant differences were found between SF68 and control groups after 8 weeks of supplementation and 6 weeks of washout.PMID 27110373 →

2011Cat Effect of the probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 on presence of diarrhea in cats and dogs housed in an animal shelterCats fed SF68 had significantly fewer days with diarrhea lasting 2+ days than placebo (7.4% vs 20.7%, P=.0297).Source →

2009Cat Pilot study to evaluate the effect of oral supplementation of Enterococcus faecium SF68 on cats with latent feline herpesvirus 1Measured fecal microbial diversity and FHV-1-related morbidity; SF68-supplemented cats maintained fecal microbial diversity (which declined in placebo cats) and showed reduced morbidity from FHV-1 in some cats.PMID 19201238 →

2007Cat Effect of supplementation with Enterococcus faecium (SF68) on immune functions in catsMeasured vaccine-related immune response; CD4+ lymphocyte percentage was significantly higher in SF68-supplemented kittens than controls, while other immune parameters did not differ significantly.PMID 18183541 →

Products on the shelf that contain it

ProductCFU / doseStrain-namedOther strains

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora Canine Probiotic PowderPowder packet · Shelf-stable100 millionNamed strain0See on Amazon

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora PRO Synbiotic Action CaninePowder packet · Shelf-stable100 millionNamed strain0No Amazon listing found

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora Feline Probiotic PowderPowder packet · Shelf-stable100 millionNamed strain0No Amazon listing found

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements FortiFlora Canine Chewable TabletsChewable tablet · Shelf-stablenot split outNamed strain0See on Amazon

Study dose for your dog

We don't have a confirmed CFU-per-kg dose number for Enterococcus faecium SF68 (NCIMB 10415) from the canine trials yet (1x10^8 CFU/g given orally twice daily for 12 weeks is the only canine SF68 trial with a reported dose (Yamazaki 2019, PMID 31257599). FortiFlora's own label dose is ~1x10^8-10^9 CFU/sachet/day.) -- so this calculator is intentionally disabled rather than guessing.

Common questions

Is SF68 the same as plain "Enterococcus faecium" on a label?

No. "Enterococcus faecium" alone, with no strain code, is a different labeling claim -- the canine studies here are specifically on the SF68 strain, not the species in general.

Does SF68 have side effects in dogs?

One small canine trial found it lowered serum cobalamin (vitamin B12) over two weeks, with moderate low-B12 readings in several of the 18 dogs. Ask your vet before long-term use in a dog already at risk for B12 deficiency, such as with EPI or IBD.

What's the best-supported use for SF68 in dogs?

The clearest positive canine result was using it alongside metronidazole in shelter dogs with diarrhea, not on its own. Several stand-alone trials found no significant effect.