The role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and

disease of dogs and its importance in the agricultural

sector

El papel de la Microbiota intestinal en la salud y enfermedad de

los perros y su importancia en el sector agropecuario

María de Lourdes Salazar Mazamba

Diego Martín Cushicóndor-Collaguazo

Sandra Gabriela Parra-Guayasamin

Roberto Darwin Coello-Peralta

Abstract: The intestinal microbiota is fundamental in the proper

nutritional, physiological and immunological functions of domestic

dogs involved in the agricultural sector in the care of animals and crops.

The presence of a microbial ecosystem is essential to maximize animal

health and performance. The present study is a systematic review of the

role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and disease of dogs and its

importance in the agricultural sector. It is aimed at efforts to reduce the

use of antibiotics in domestic dogs and production animals. Gut

microbiota has the ability to enhance disease resistance in hosts.

Developing a diet with cereal grains high in fermentable carbohydrates,

probiotics and prebiotics is a sustainable option to increase microbial

diversity and beneficial microbes, which help prevent the incidence of

diarrhea and decrease the use of subtherapeutic antibiotics. Finally, it is

important to mention that the intestinal microbiota provides greater

protection to animals against infections.

Keywords: Microbiota, health, domestic dogs and agricultural sector.

Published

Edwards Deming Higher Technological

Institute. Quito - Ecuador

Periodicity

April - June

Dates of receipt

Received: March 11, 2023

Approved: April 22, 2023

http://centrosuragraria.com/index.php/revista

vol. 2. Num. 18. 2023.

pp. 99-109

Correspondence author

maría.salazarma@ug.edu.ec

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License, Attribution-

NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

International.https://creativecommons.org/lice

nses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es

PhD in Animal Science, Professor-Researcher at the University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil, Ecuador, maría.salazarma@ug.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3402-8058

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guayaquil (UG), Guayaquil, Ecuador, diegomcushicondor@outlook.com,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5238-673X

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guayaquil (UG), Guayaquil, Ecuador, sandra.parrag@ug.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-

0003-2410-7999

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Guayaquil (UG), Guayaquil, Ecuador, roberto.coellope@ug.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-

0001-5152-2843

The role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and disease of dogs and its

importance in the agricultural sector.

100

Resumen: La Microbiota intestinal es fundamental en las funciones

nutricionales, fisiológicas e inmunológicas adecuadas de los perros

domésticos que intervienen en el sector agropecuario en el cuidado de

animales y cultivos. La presencia de un ecosistema microbiano es

fundamental para maximizar la salud y el rendimiento animal. El

presente estudio, es una revisión sistemática sobre el rol que tiene

microbiota intestinal en la salud y enfermedad de los perros y su

importancia en el sector agropecuario. Y es con el fin de realizar

esfuerzos para reducir el uso de antibióticos en los perros domésticos,

y en animales de producción. La microbiota intestinal tiene la capacidad

de mejorar en los hospedadores la resistencia a las enfermedades.

Desarrollar una dieta con granos de cereales con alto contenido de

carbohidratos fermentables, probióticos y prebióticos es una opción

sostenible para aumentar la diversidad microbiana y los microbios

beneficiosos, que ayudan a prevenir la incidencia de diarrea y disminuir

el uso de antibióticos subterapéuticos. Finalmente, es importante

mencionar que la microbiota intestinal brinda una mayor protección a

los animales ante infecciones.

Palabras clave: Microbiota, salud, perros domésticos y sector

agropecuario

Introduction

The intestinal microbiota is the set of microorganisms that inhabit the intestine

of dogs, forming a complex and diverse community that performs essential

functions for the health of animals such as bacteria, although fungi, parasites,

and infectious agents such as viruses can also be found. Advances in DNA

sequencing techniques have made it possible to study in greater detail the

composition and function of the gut microbiota, which has led to a growing

interest in the role it plays in the health and disease of dogs that influences the

development of the immune system and may be involved in the onset of

disease (Garcia-Mazcorro & Suchodolski, 2017).

An important aspect of the gut microbiota is its diversity and balance; a

decrease in gut microbiota diversity is known as dysbiosis, and may be

associated with intestinal and systemic diseases. In dogs, gut dysbiosis has

been linked to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes

and allergy (Garcia & Dowd, 2011).

Knowledge about the intestinal microbiota in dogs is constantly evolving, and

several factors have been identified that influence its composition and

function. These include diet, antibiotic use, stress, age and genetics. Therefore,

understanding the role of the gut microbiota in health and disease in dogs is

July - September vol. 1. Num. 18 - 2023

101

essential for the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies in the

future (Garcia-Mazcorro & Suchodolski, 2017).

Among the research conducted on the role of the intestinal microbiota in dogs,

it has been found that the use of probiotics and prebiotics can contribute to

improve the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, and reduce

the risk of intestinal and systemic diseases. On the other hand, it has been

shown that the indiscriminate use of antibiotics can alter the composition of

the intestinal microbiota in dogs, which can have negative consequences on

their health.

It is important to note that the gut microbiota of dogs can be influenced by a

variety of factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and the environment in which they

are found. Therefore, understanding the role of the microbiota in health and

disease in dogs is critical to developing effective preventive and therapeutic

strategies (Kogut & Zhang, 2022).

Likewise, the domestic dog plays an important role in the agricultural sector,

where it is used in the care of crops, animals, among others. In this context,

the objective of this review is to analyze the role of the intestinal microbiota

in the health and disease of dogs, describing its composition and functions, as

well as the factors that may influence it.

The canine intestinal microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms

that plays a fundamental role in the health and disease of dogs. The diversity

and balance of this microbiota are essential for the proper functioning of the

digestive system, protection against pathogens and modulation of the immune

system (Garcia & Dowd, 2011). In farm animals, homeostasis of the

neuroendocrine-immune-microbial systems at the level of the intestinal tract

is also required to ensure the health, welfare and highest productive benefit of

the animals (Kogut & Zhang, 2022). Advances in DNA sequencing techniques

have made it possible to study in greater detail the composition and function

of the intestinal microbiota, which has led to a growing interest in the role it

plays in health and disease in dogs (Garcia & Dowd, 2011). Likewise,

knowledge of the different systems mentioned above will allow the

identification, planning and implementation of intervention strategies to

improve the intestinal health of farm animals with a holistic approach (Kogut

& Zhang, 202).

In production animals due to the rapid growth of modern genetic lines under

stressful conditions and high pathogen pressure present in systems where

sanitary conditions vary, the challenge is to ensure adequate nutrient

absorption and at the same time avoid dysbiosis (Kogut & Zhang, 2022). The

study of the intestinal microbiota in dogs has become a field of research of

great interest in recent years, since it has been shown that its imbalance may

be related to various diseases. According to studies by Garcia-Mazcorro and

Suchodolski (2017), altered gut microbiota in dogs has been linked to

gastrointestinal diseases, obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, among

others. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a proper balance in the intestinal

microbiota of dogs to preserve their health.

The role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and disease of dogs and its

importance in the agricultural sector.

102

Decreased gut microbiota diversity in dogs, known as dysbiosis, may be

associated with intestinal and systemic diseases. Gut dysbiosis can cause a

variety of diseases in dogs, including gastrointestinal diseases, allergies,

obesity, and autoimmune diseases (Suchodolski, 2016). A state of dysbiosis,

which can have negative repercussions on intestinal barrier function, in

production animals have been associated with poorly digestible diets

(Ducatelle et al., 2018), antibiotic use (Guevarra et al., 2019). An

indiscriminate use of antibiotics can alter the composition of the intestinal

microbiota in dogs, which can have negative consequences on their health

(Koppel et al., 2019). Antibiotics such as tetracycline or streptomycin cause

changes in the fecal microbiota of 15- and 46-week-old hens after two days of

treatment (Videnska et al. 2013). Dysbiosis can be reversed by using additives

such as prebiotics and probiotics individually or together (McFarland 2014;

Ducatelle et al. 2015).

Studies by Suchodolski (2011), Handl et al. (2011), Middelbos et al. (2010)

and Kin et al. (2017), have shown that the composition of the canine intestinal

microbiota is complex and diverse, being mainly composed of bacteria,

although fungi, viruses and other microorganisms have also been found in

smaller proportions. In cattle, diets have impacts on fungal proliferation with

microbial changes in the rumen and methane emission levels Pitta et al. 2014).

In the study by Li et al. (2017), the proportion of protein and carbohydrate in

the diet was found to have a significant effect on the diversity and composition

of gut microbiota in dogs, and dogs with different body conditions had

different gut microbiota. For example, butyrate, a result of the fermentation of

non-digestible carbohydrates by microbiota (Clostridium), plays an important

role in intestinal health by being a source of energy for colonocytes and by

anti-inflammatory properties (Sassone-Corsi and Raffatellu 2015).

Studies by Van den Abbeele et al. (2013) and Zhang, et al. (2028) found that

certain butyrate-producing Clostridium species of Clostridium cluster XIVa

specifically bind to mucins, glycolyzed proteins that line the gut epithelium

and form part of the intestinal barrier. The authors suggest that these findings

could have important implications for understanding the role of the gut

microbiota in animal health and disease and address the relationship between

the gut microbiota and nutrient digestion and absorption in dogs. Clostridium

present primarily in the cecum and colon facilitate the degradation of

undigested starch and cellulose to obtain energy from food (Stanley et al.

2013).

Several studies have reported the diversity and species richness of the gut

microbiota in healthy and diarrheic calves (Gomez et al., 2015), in horses

(Rodriguez et al., 2018), in piglets (Ross et al. 2015), in dogs and cats

(Suchodolski, 2011), many of them agree that a gut dysbiosis is involved in

the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases and understanding the microbiota

allows the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies.

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Zeng et al. (2017) found that a healthy gut microbiota is related to an adequate

immune system response. However, a gut dysbiosis is related to chronic

inflammation (Rosii et al., 2014: Zeng et al., 2017) that can be reestablished

by addition of beneficial bateria (Schmitz et al., 2015), the same that are

related to higher density of goblet cells for increased mucin secretion leading

to protective mucus (Broom and Kogut 2018). In addition, it has been shown

that dysbiosis can affect the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA),

which are important for gut health. An imbalance in SCFA production can

affect intestinal barrier integrity and immune function (Suchodolski, 2016;

Garcia-Mazcorro, and Suchodolski, 2017; Minamoto et al. 2012).

Materials and methods

Among these we have:

Sampling and determination of the intestinal microbiota from fecal

samples by stool culture, bacteriological biochemical analysis, API,

Vitek and MALDI-TOF (Ritchie et al., 2008).

Handl et al. (2011) used mass sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to

investigate the diversity of fecal bacterial and fungal communities in

healthy dogs. The most abundant bacterial genera in dogs were

Clostridium, Fusobacterium, Bacteroides and Prevotella.

Molecular Biology techniques such as DNA sequencing, which is a

powerful tool for the study of the intestinal microbiota in dogs and can

provide detailed information on the diversity and abundance of the

bacterial species present. Here are some examples of results obtained

by DNA sequencing in studies of gut microbiota in dogs Kim et al.

(2017).

Li et al. (2017), analyzed the gut microbiota of dogs with different body

conditions (obese and lean) and found that the proportion of Firmicutes

and Bacteroidetes in the microbiota of obese dogs was higher than in

lean dogs, suggesting a possible link between obesity and gut

microbiota composition.

Handl et al. (2011), DNA sequencing was used to analyze microbial

diversity in the feces of healthy dogs and cats and found a large variety

of bacteria and fungi in both groups, suggesting that the gut microbiota

of pets is highly diverse and complex.

The interpretation of the results of DNA sequencing techniques in the

study of the gut microbiota of dogs is crucial to understand the

relationship between the microbiota and the health of the animal, and to

identify disease prevention and treatment strategies based on the

modulation of the microbiota (Suchodolski, 2016; Kin, et al. 2017;

Rochus et al. 2018).

The role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and disease of dogs and its

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104

3. Result

Probiotics and prebiotics

In studies by Hernandez et al. (2017), Grzeskowiak et al. (2015),

Rochus et al. (2018) and Gomez et al. (2016) describe that probiotics

and prebiotics are immunomodulators of the gut microbiota with

beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health in dogs.

2. Antibiotics and their effect on the intestinal microbiota

Grønvold et al. (2020) examined the effect of oral administration of

amoxicillin on antimicrobial resistance in the intestinal microbiota of

dogs. He determined that exposure to amoxicillin resulted in an increase

in the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in the fecal microbiota

of dogs.

Giaretta et al. (2019) examined the effect of oral administration of

enrofloxacin on the gut microbiota of dogs with diarrhea. He found that

exposure to enrofloxacin resulted in significant changes in the

composition of the fecal microbiota of dogs.

3. Diet and its influence on the intestinal microbiota

Diet is one of the major factors influencing the composition and

function of the intestinal microbiota in dogs. Recent studies have shown

that diet can affect the diversity and abundance of gut bacteria in dogs,

and that certain components of the diet can have a significant impact on

the health and disease of the animal.

It has been shown that the inclusion of dietary fiber in the diet of dogs

can improve gut microbiota diversity and promote a healthy gut

environment. A study by Li et al. (2017) found that dogs on high-

protein, low-fiber diets had lower microbial diversity and a higher

abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria compared to dogs

consuming high-fiber diets.

Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds that stimulate the growth and

activity of beneficial bacteria in the gut, while probiotics are live

microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host.

Rochus et al. (2018) found that supplementation with probiotics and

prebiotics in the diet of dogs can improve microbial diversity and

promote a healthy gut environment, which could have a beneficial

effect on the overall health of the dog.

However, it is important to keep in mind that not all diets are the same

and the impact on gut microbiota can vary depending on the source and

amount of nutrients. A study by Vázquez-Baeza et al. (2020) found that

the composition of the gut microbiota of dogs can vary significantly

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depending on the food source, such as meat, fish or plant-based foods.

According to Suchodolski et al. (2012), the intestinal microbiota of

dogs is composed of a great diversity of microorganisms that play an

important role in maintaining the health of the animal; therefore, an

imbalance in the composition of the microbiota, can lead to various

diseases in dogs, such as: gastrointestinal diseases, allergies and

systemic diseases.

Likewise, Ross et al. (2015) described that probiotic supplementation

improves the composition of the intestinal microbiota and thus there is

better immune function. These findings suggest that modulation of the

gut microbiota may be an effective strategy to prevent or treat disease

in dogs.

Diet is a key factor in modulating the gut microbiota of dogs. In a study

by Li et al. (2017), they found that the ratio of protein to carbohydrate

in the diet had a significant effect on the composition of the gut

microbiota in dogs. This study suggests that diet may be an important

tool for improving gut microbiota health and preventing disease in dogs.

In a study by Handl et al. (2011), dogs and cats were found to have a

very high fecal microbial diversity, including a large number of bacteria

and fungi. These results suggest that the gut microbiota of dogs and cats

is complex and that there is much to be learned about its role in health

and disease.

Rochus et al. (2018) concluded that probiotic and prebiotic

supplementation can have a beneficial effect on animal health,

including improved immune function and reduced intestinal

inflammation. However, the authors note that more research is needed

to fully understand the effects of these treatments on gut microbiota and

health in dogs.

The role of the gut microbiota in health and disease in dogs is a

constantly evolving topic, and more research is needed to fully

understand the complexity of the microbiota and how it can be

modulated to improve animal health.

4. Conclusions

The intestinal microbiota of dogs plays an important role in dog health

and disease. A dysbiosis or imbalance of the microbiota is linked to

gastrointestinal disease, obesity, diabetes and immune-mediated

diseases. However, the use of probiotics and prebiotics can help

improve gut health and reduce the risk of disease. In addition, diet and

other environmental factors have been found to have a significant

impact on the composition of the microbiota and, therefore, on the

health of dogs and this helps their activity in the agricultural sector.

The role of the intestinal microbiota in the health and disease of dogs and its

importance in the agricultural sector.

106

Importantly, antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis can predispose dogs to a

variety of health problems, including secondary infections and

inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, responsible antibiotic use and

the need for measures to preserve the health of the gut microbiota

during and after antibiotic treatment should be considered.

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