The potential of the microbiome and inflammatory markers in the faeces of dogs with GI disorders

Abstract: The gut microbiota greatly affects host health. It can hinder the growth of pathogenic bacteria, decrease intestinal wall permeability, modulate the immune system, and provide nutrients for enterocytes. However, an imbalance of the gut microbiota to the point of dysbiosis can cause both acute, and in time, chronic GI disorders. There are a wide variety of causes for GI disorders, with many different types of clinical presenta-tions. The identification of key biomarkers for gastrointestinal functionality in dogs with GI disorders has the potential to aid the clinician as both a diagnostic tool and as a guideline for the optimal treatment plan. This study aims to investigate the importance of the gut microbiota and calprotectin in GI disorders. 22 faecal samples have so far been collected. The owners of the dogs have answered a survey mainly focusing on general health, feed and possible co-morbidities and concomitant medications. Of the 22 dogs sampled from, 12 were healthy controls, 2 suffered from acute gastroenteritis and 8 suffered from chronic gastrointestinal disorders. 100% of dogs who suffered from GI disorders had been treated at least once during the last year due to vomiting and/or diarrhoea in relation to 8% of the HC. As their main diet, 90% of dogs with GI disorders were fed traditional dry and/or wet food and 10% were fed exclusively raw meat food. 67% of the HC were fed traditional dry and or wet food as their main diet, 8% were fed exclusively raw meat food and 25% were fed a combination of the above. At a later part of this study, more samples will be collected to analyze correlations between the gut microbiota, calprotectin, and GI disorders. This study cannot as of yet provide a comprehensive review of these factors in relation to host health due to the fact that the analyses has not yet been performed. However, other studies in this field have shown that the gut microbiota and calprotectin does have the potential to improve diagnostics and prognostication of GI disease.