Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Human gum disease bacteria found in dogs' mouths in Japan
By Kato, Yukio et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2011·School of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection of human periodontal pathogens in oral swab specimens from dogs in Japan.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that many dogs in Japan have bacteria in their mouths that are linked to gum disease, similar to those found in humans. Researchers took oral swabs from 26 pet dogs and discovered that common bacteria like Porphyromonas gulae were present in nearly all of them. While some human-related bacteria were also found, they were much less common. This suggests that dogs can carry specific bacteria related to gum disease, which could be important for their dental health. Regular dental check-ups and cleanings may help manage these bacteria and keep your dog's mouth healthy.
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Abstract
Periodontal diseases are known to be major diseases in humans, and are also common in dogs. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the distribution of periodontitis-related bacterial species using oral swab specimens collected from 26 pet dogs. The distribution of an animal gingival organism Porphyromonas gulae, in addition to 10 human periodontitis-related bacterial species, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Capnocytophaga ochracea, Capnocytophaga sputigena, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter rectus, and Eikenella corrodens, were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction with species-specific sets of primers. Porphyromonas gulae, Tannerella forsythia and Campylobacter rectus were detected in almost all dogs analyzed, all of which should be regarded as common members of oral flora in dogs. Then, isolation and identification of the Porphyromonas species in swab specimens were performed. There were 35 strains isolated from 22 dogs, and broad-range polymerase chain reaction and sequencing methods revealed that approximately 70% of them were Porphyromonas gulae. In contrast, the frequency of Porphyromonas gingivalis was extremely low. These findings indicate the presence of specific periodontitis-related pathogens in pet dogs, especially Porphyromonas gulae.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21916371/