How the Microbiome Affects Canine Health

The microbiota, comprising microorganisms and their genes, plays a crucial role in health and disease susceptibility. Recent advances have enhanced our understanding of these microbial communities in dogs, which vary by body site—skin, ears, eyes, lungs, etc.—and are influenced by factors such as age, breed, sex, environment, and diet. Dysbiosis, or microbial imbalance, is increasingly linked to various health conditions. Investigating these microbial communities can lead to improved strategies for maintaining pet health. This review explores the impact of microbiota across multiple canine systems, including dental, gut, cardiac, skin, renal, as well as dietary influences. Clinically, microbiome analyses can provide valuable insight into the bacterial changes in healthy versus diseased states and can be used as potential biomarkers for veterinary diagnostics. The information gained from these analyses can also allow for more effective management strategies to be developed, increasing treatment efficacy. This review seeks to demonstrate the crucial role that microbiome analyses could play in future veterinary preventative medicine, diagnostics, and treatment plans. Here we connect microbial dysbiosis, bacterial and fungal, to local and systemic health issues, and then examine the implications towards treatment, especially in cases of high resistance. As microbiota communities on and in dogs are a potential reservoir for human spread, the information elucidated within this review also helps future assessments of pathogenicity and transmission mechanisms that could lead to dangerous zoonotic spread of disease.