Dogs' Microbiome From Tip to Toe

Microbiota and microbiome, which refers, respectively, to the microorganisms and conjoint of microorgan-isms and genes are known to live in symbiosis with hosts, being implicated in health and disease. The advancements and cost reduction associated with high-throughput sequencing techniques have allowed expanding the knowledge of microbial communities in several species, including dogs. Throughout their body, dogs harbor distinct microbial communities according to the location (e.g., skin, ear canal, conjunctiva, respiratory tract, genitourinary tract, gut), which have been a target of study mostly in the last couple of years. Although there might be a core microbiota for different body sites, shared by dogs, it is likely influ-enced by intrinsic factors such as age, breed, and sex, but also by extrinsic factors such as the environment (e.g., lifestyle, urban vs rural), and diet. It starts to become clear that some medical conditions are mediated by alterations in microbiota namely dysbiosis. Moreover, understanding microbial colonization and function can be used to prevent medical conditions, for instance, modulation of gut microbiota of puppies is more effective to ensure a healthy gut than interventions in adults. This paper gathers current knowledge of dogs' microbial communities, exploring their function, implications in the development of diseases, and potential interactions among communities while providing hints for further research. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The advancements and cost reduction in high-throughput sequencing techniques have allowed for a better understanding of microbial communities in various species, including dogs. Dogs have distinct microbial communities in different body locations, influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.