Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diet change from dry food to beef alters gut bacteria in healthy
By Herstad, Kristin M V et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2017·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A diet change from dry food to beef induces reversible changes on the faecal microbiota in healthy, adult client-owned dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy adult dogs switched from their regular dry food to a diet high in boiled minced beef, which changed the bacteria in their poop and the levels of certain fatty acids. The dogs showed different types of gut bacteria when eating beef compared to dry food, and these changes went back to normal when they returned to the dry food after a few weeks. This suggests that what dogs eat can quickly affect their gut health, but more research is needed to understand the long-term effects.
People also search for: dog diet change effects · beef diet for dogs · healthy dog gut bacteria · dog food and gut health · switching dog food types
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diet has a major influence on the composition of the gut microbiota, whose importance for gut health and overall well-being is increasingly recognized. Knowledge is limited regarding health implications, including effects on the faecal microbiota, of feeding a diet with high content of red meat to dogs, despite some owners' apparent preference to do so. The aim of this study was to evaluate how a diet change from commercial dry food to one with a high content of boiled minced beef and vice versa influenced the faecal microbiota, and short chain fatty acid profile in healthy, adult, client-owned dogs. RESULTS: The diet change influenced the faecal microbiota composition and diversity (Shannon diversity index). The most abundant OTUs in samples of dogs fed the dry food and high minced beef were affiliated with the species Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Clostridia hiranonis respectively. The high minced beef diet apparently also influenced the short chain fatty acid profile, with increased isovaleric acid, as well as an increase in faecal pH. These effects were reversed when the commercial dry food was reintroduced in weeks 6 and 7. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study can aid in the understanding of how diet changes influence the faecal microbiota and metabolite content on a short-term basis. Long-term studies are required to investigate potential implications for canine gut and general health.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28558792/