A DYSBIOSIS INDEX TO ASSESS MICROBIAL CHANGES IN FECAL SAMPLES OF DOGS WITH CHRONIC ENTEROPATHY

摘要

The abnormal interaction between the gastrointestinal microbiome and the immune system is thought to be a major contributing factor to the pathogenesis of chronic enteropathies (CE) in dogs. Recent 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies have described alterations in the gut microbiota of dogs with CE compared to healthy dogs and have identified various bacterial groups that are believed to be important for intestinal health. Disadvantages of taking a sequencing based approach are the high cost, as well theturnaround time to receive sequencing results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a PCR panel, which allows for rapid diagnosis of fecal dysbiosis in dogs with CE. Furthermore, a mathematical algorithm was developed to report these changesof the microbiota as a single numerical value (dysbiosis index).