The gut microbiome of pets or companion animals comprises around 100,000 billion microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, archaea and viruses. These microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome, live in the gastrointestinal tract (or digestive tract) of these animals, and more specifically in their large intestine. These microbes help complete the normal physiological and digestive functions that influence the health of the host animal.
The gut microbiome: a balance to be respected
In a healthy gut, a balanced and healthy community is a diverse microbial community working in balance with its host to maintain good health. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can be caused by a variety of factors, such as disease, age, diet and medication, particularly antibiotics. When an animal presents an imbalance or dysbiosis, this alters certain functions and is reflected in its health. For example, decreases in certain microbes in the large intestine can lead to an increase in the primary bile acids excreted in stools, and to diarrhea in the animal.
Although the prescription of antibiotics is necessary for the treatment of certain infections or acute symptoms, veterinarians are now taking greater account of the impact of these therapies on the animal’s gut microbiome. Indeed, over-prescribing antibiotics can lead to resistance to these treatments by the intestinal antimicrobial community.
Antibiotic treatments and their impact on the gut microbiome
Knowledge of the gut microbiome and how drugs, including antibiotics, affect the overall diversity of microorganisms present in the animal digestive tract, is constantly growing. Thus, knowing the extent to which broad-spectrum antibiotics have caused the elimination or disruption of the native gut bacterial population enables veterinarians to make more informed decisions about which therapeutic options to choose, with the aim of conserving the gut microbiome or taking better account of the principles of good gut microbiome management.
So even when antibiotics are necessary for an animal, there are ways to support its gut bacterial community during and after treatment. The use of macronutrients in an animal’s diet, for example, is one way of influencing the microbes in the digestive tract.
Microbiome analyses are an excellent way of obtaining a snapshot of each animal’s gut health, identifying the causes of certain symptoms, and guiding towards the most effective and least disruptive treatment options for the animal’s digestive tract.
DIAG4ZOO provides microbiome analyses for pets and livestock animals. This type of analysis has already been carried out in the past on samples from aquaculture production.
Source : Elisabetta Mondo et collaborateurs, Open Vet J. 2019 Jul-Sep; 9(3): 253–258.