Fecal microbiota composition changes after a BW loss diet in Beagle dogs

Abstract

In developed countries, dogs and cats frequently suffer from obesity. Recently, gut microbiota composition in humans has been related to obesity and metabolic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate changes in body composition, and gut microbiota composition in obese Beagle dogs after a 17-wk BW loss program. A total of six neutered adult Beagle dogs with an average initial BW of 16.34 ± 1.52 kg and BCS of 7.8 ± 0.1 points (9-point scale) were restrictedly fed with a hypocaloric, low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet. Body composition was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, before (T0) and after (T1) BW loss program. Individual stool samples were collected at T0 and T1 for the 16S rRNA analyses of gut microbiota. Taxonomic analysis was done with amplicon-based metagenomic results, and functional analysis of the metabolic potential of the microbial community was done with shotgun metagenomic results. All dogs reached their ideal BW at T1, with an average weekly proportion of BW loss of -1.07 ± 0.03% of starting BW. Body fat (T0, 7.02 ± 0.76 kg) was reduced by half (P < 0.001), while bone (T0, 0.56 ± 0.06 kg) and muscle mass (T0, 8.89 ± 0.80 kg) remained stable (P > 0.05). The most abundant identified phylum was Firmicutes (T0, 74.27 ± 0.08%; T1, 69.38 ± 0.07%), followed by Bacteroidetes (T0, 12.68 ± 0.08%; T1, 16.68 ± 0.05%), Fusobacteria (T0, 7.45 ± 0.02%; T1, 10.18 ± 0.03%), Actinobacteria (T0, 4.53 ± 0.02%; T1, 3.34 ± 0.01%), and Proteobacteria (T0, 1.06 ± 0.01%; T1, 1.40 ± 0.00%). At genus level, the presence of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, and Dorea, at T1 decreased (P = 0.028), while Allobaculum increased (P = 0.046). Although the microbiota communities at T0 and T1 showed a low separation level when compared (Anosim's R value = 0.39), they were significantly biodiverse (P = 0.01). Those differences on microbiota composition could be explained by 13 genus (α = 0.05, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score > 2.0). Additionally, differences between both communities could also be explained by the expression of 18 enzymes and 27 pathways (α = 0.05, LDA score > 2.0). In conclusion, restricted feeding of a low-fat and high-fiber dry-type diet successfully modifies gut microbiota in obese dogs, increasing biodiversity with a different representation of microbial genus and metabolic pathways.

Fecal microbiota in client-owned obese dogs changes after weight loss with a high-fiber-high-protein diet

“…Despite all dogs reaching ideal body weight, no significant impact on diversity was seen and microbial communities remained similar to baseline values after 17 weeks. At the genus level, significant differences were found only in the abundances of the Firmicutes genera Lactobacillus, Clostridium, and Dorea, which decreased after the weight loss program, and Allobaculum, which increased (Salas-Mani et al, 2018).…”

“…While not all the dogs lost as much weight as expected, a decrease in Megamonas and an unknown genus of the family Ruminococcaceae was observed in the dogs with a higher weight loss rate (Kieler et al, 2017). The fecal microbiota composition of research Beagles with obesity has also been assessed before and after a 17-week weight loss program with a hypocaloric diet (Salas-Mani et al, 2018). Despite all dogs reaching ideal body weight, no significant impact on diversity was seen and microbial communities remained similar to baseline values after 17 weeks.…”

Health impact of the Anthropocene: the complex relationship between gut microbiota, epigenetics, and human health, using obesity as an example

“…Moreover, research by Robinson et al [137] is advocating for landscape architecture from a microbiome-ecosystem perspective, which is also supported by a meta-analysis on the positive aspects of gardening on human health [138]. These could then also be analysed from a One Health [139] perspective, including microbiota changes in different species and contexts, with a particular focus on obese cats and dogs [140][141][142][143]. Under this circumstance, obesity needs to be analysed in context, and we suggest as a consequence of a global change in the Anthropocene, summing events such as urbanisation, deforestation, transportation, landuse change, changes in agricultural practices, use of pesticides and loss of soil biodiversity [8,144,145].…”

Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) on the nutritional and health status of boxer dogs

“…Specifically, the GI microbiota works together with the host’s other non-specific defences and with the gut-associated immune system in order to resist the invasion of dangerous organisms 4. However, the balance among the microbial GI communities within a host, or eubiosis, changes over time due to physiological and/or environmental causes, including ageing, changes in feed formula, dietary restrictions, stress and immunodepression, infections, and antibiotic treatments 5–7. Some alterations in the GI microbiota, or dysbiosis, can affect animal wellbeing by promoting obesity or increasing faecal water content.…”