Is the microbiota of older dogs actually different from that of an adult dog?
Puppies in the first few weeks of life have an immature microbiota, characterized by an increase in dysbiosis index (DI), abundance of Clostridium difficile, and decrease in Clostridium hiranonis compared with adult dogs.
Approximately after 4-6 months of age, the microbiota resembles that observed in adult dogs and remains essentially stable. However, the relationship between the gut microbiota, gut health conditions and the aging process in older dogs is not well defined.
One study conducted by the Affinity Research Department aims to explore differences in gut microbiota and gut health based on fecal biomarkers in a population of dogs of different ages. The study involved 106 dogs of different breeds ranging in age from 0.2 to 15 years, classified as senior (>7 years; n = 40), adult ( 2-7 years; n = 50) and junior (<2 years; n = 16). Fecal samples were collected during the same period at the same facilities.
The analysis included the following indicators of gut health: 16S rRNA gene sequencing to study differences in the fecal microbiota; qPCR to determine the index of dysbiosis; fecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids; fecal calprotectin; and immunoglobulin A.
The results
Older dogs had significantly higher relative abundances in the phyla Bacteroidota and Pseudomonadota and in the genus Faecalibacterium, but not on qPCR analysis.
Relative proportions, but not fecal acetate concentrations, were higher in the senior category, while butyrate, isovaleric acid and valeric acid were lower. Valeric acid concentration was significantly lower in the elderly category than in the adult category. Calprotectin and immunoglobulin A levels did not differ significantly.
At the family level, abundances of Ruminococcaceae, Uncl. Clostridiales.1, Veillonellaceae, Prevotellaceae, Succinivibrionaceae, and Bacteroidaceae were higher in the senior category than in the adult and/or junior categories.
In conclusion, in this study, canine intestinal microbiota and some SCFAs showed minimal variation among the age groups of dogs.
Other biomarkers of gut health (IgA and cCP) were similar among the age groups. Considering all parameters, we can say that once the microbiota becomes stable in healthy dogs, minor changes occur during the aging process.
Reference
Fernández-Pinteño A, Pilla R, Manteca X, Suchodolski J, Torre C and Salas-Mani A (2023) Age-associated changes in intestinal health biomarkers in dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1213287. doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.121328
