Studies of the longest-living dogs (and humans) have shown that these individuals have diverse and thriving intestinal microbiota. There is currently increasing focus on intestinal microbiota and its effects on dogs’ health. Let’s take a dive into this fascinating subject!

Microbiota

The intestinal microbiota, or gut flora, is the collective term for all the colonies and communities of microorganisms (mainly bacteria) that live in the intestinal tract. Millions and billions and trillions of them, of many different sorts. Probiotics are intestinal microorganisms that have benefits to their host and are mainly bacteria and yeasts. However, a healthy and naturally balanced intestinal microbiota also contains potentially harmful microorganisms, such as E.coli. It’s all about balance.

We all, humans and animals alike, actually have several microbiotas. Essentially there is one in every orifice (lungs, nostrils, gut, vagina, ears) and, of course, on our skin. The makeup of the different microbiota varies between locations, as some microorganisms thrive more in some environments than others (temperature, humidity, oxygen, PH levels, etc.).

What does the intestinal microbiota actually do?

• Produce digestive enzymes, which increase the nutritional uptake of digested food.
• Produce vitamins such as Thiamin and the B vitamins, as well as short-chain fatty acids, which in turn help absorb important minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron.
• Strengthen the immune system by supporting and interacting with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) of the intestinal tract. 
• Protect against pathogens by secreting chemicals that kill off harmful bacteria.
• Form a protective barrier against drugs, toxins, carcinogens, allergens and carcinogens.

Colonising

The gut microbiota starts colonising at birth with the intake of colostrum and whichever microbes live on the skin surface of the mother’s skin and teats. Dams don’t discriminate where their tongues go, so the tongue that cleans the puppies’ faces is the same that is used to clean their bums, eat food, clean themselves, lick their owner’s hands etc. It might not be a savoury thought, but this is how the system works and how flora is transferred and established.

De-colonising

Several things can upset and unbalance the gut flora. Antibiotics, stress and processed foods (including some diets/kibble) can deplete, unbalance or destroy the natural gut flora. As breeders, we know that these are sometimes unavoidable factors affecting our breeding animals. Antibiotics are often used following caesarean sections or to treat other obstetrical complications such as metritis and mastitis. The effects of antibiotics on the dam’s gut flora, as well as the transference of antibiotics to the puppies via the milk, needs to be noted. The dam will have a much stronger and more diverse gut flora than her newborn puppies, but antibiotics will affect all parties. A tricky decision breeders often face is; do you keep the puppies on the bitch or hand rear them? There is no right answer. Each case has to be assessed on its own merit, and your veterinarian will be the best person to discuss the pros and cons with you. 

Re-colonising

A microbiota that has been disrupted or depleted should be attempted to be re-established as soon as possible. Many natural sources of probiotics can be supplemented in the diet. Yogurt, kefir and fermented vegetables are full of multiple strains of probiotics. Kefir and fermented organic vegetables provide more strains than commercial yogurt and supplements. Probiotics are easily sourced as a freeze-dried powder (such as Protexin) or live gels such as Protexin Oral Paste. 

Antibiotics

Antibiotics deplete intestinal probiotics, so it is important to replenish flora both during and following a course of antibiotics. You might be wondering why to give probiotics during a course of antibiotics, as it might seem pointless. It turns out that administering probiotics 2hrs+ before and after antibiotics is effective in keeping live flora in the gut. This has been shown especially effective in cases of diarrhoea, so why not assume that it is helpful in other cases also? Perhaps consider this if you have young puppies nursing from a dam who is receiving antibiotics. You can easily supplement both the dam and puppies.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates found in certain vegetable matter, which promote the growth and activity of good microorganisms in the gut. Basically, it feeds the probiotics. Because the aim is to encourage as many strains of beneficial gut cultures as possible to thrive, it stands to reason that the key to success lies within a variety of probiotics also. Adding a bit of fresh, appropriate and varied vegetable matter to the diet can facilitate a wide range of probiotics to thrive. Go for colour and variety; broccoli, kale, blueberries, raspberries, carrots, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes. There are exhaustive lists of safe vegetables for dogs available on the internet. Some vegetables may or may not have much nutritional value to the dog itself, but in this instance, we are talking about feeding the dog’s intestinal friends, so we don’t need to analyse too much. Just ensure you don’t feed anything harmful to dogs (grapes, onions, citrus, etc.). When in doubt, google it!

Poop

Fresh excrement, or poop, is full of probiotics and prebiotics. Intestinal microbiota doesn’t get the option to stay in the gut as digested food moves through. They get expelled at the other end with the rest of the waste. Most dogs and puppies instinctively eat novel poop (i.e. not their own, litter mates or mothers), but pretty much any other poop is a go. All sorts of poop may appear appetising, including cat poop, horse poop, cow poop, goat poop, kangaroo poop, bird poop, or even human poop, if available. The concern around puppies and dogs eating fresh faeces is obviously the transference of parasites and pathogens, but from a dog’s perspective, it is the natural thing to do. It is where all the good things are at. 

As it happens, faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is an actual thing. Chinese medical practitioners have been doing it for millennia. Now, it is a widely accepted first-line treatment in Western human medicine for stubborn gastrointestinal instances of C. difficile, ulcerative colitis, and a range of other gastrointestinal conditions. You can even buy poop capsules if you fancy it or sign up as a faecal donor for someone else in need. The idea behind FMT is to transfer the intestinal microbiota from a healthy individual into a patient whose intestinal microbiota is unbalanced or depleted. It has been shown to be incredibly effective as a treatment module, as unusual as it may seem. But it kind of also makes sense, right?

Hand-raised Australian macropods (kangaroos, wallabies, etc.) are given “poo-shakes” to help establish a functional gut flora and/or to alleviate diarrhoea. A “poo-shake” is macropod milk formula poured over droppings from a healthy specimen (sometimes even harvested from deceased parents) before being strained and fed to the baby. This is and has been standard practice for Australian wildlife rescue for over 50 years. Amazingly, it is almost 100% effective in alleviating diarrhoea in Macropods.

Final Thoughts

If an animal is not thriving, supplementation of probiotics and prebiotics should be a front-line intervention, especially during and following episodes of antibiotic treatment and/or diarrhoea. This also applies to puppies. We might not be at the point where we can recommend poo-shakes as yet, but the theory sure is interesting.