Clinical Studies

The intestinal microbiota are highly functional, with a combined genome (termed the microbiome) that is approximately 130-160 times larger than the human or canine genome. The microbiome is a highly functional organ and produces approximately 1,000 different metabolites, many of which have systemic effects in the dog. Intestinal dysbiosis is defined as an alteration in the composition and/or richness of the normal bacterial population in the intestines. Intestinal dysbiosis leads to an imbalance in the metabolites produced, which can then lead to systemic consequences. These systemic consequences may include a contribution to the development of immune-mediated disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, atopy, or epilepsy. Unfortunately, current approaches to measure the dysregulation of the intestinal microbiome exclusively assess the alteration in the gut microbiome but do not address the systemic health so-as-to prioritize interventions to correct these alterations. The unanswered question that needs to be answered: Are there metabolites that are produced in the setting of gut dysbiosis that can be measured in the blood and associated with specific systemic consequences of gut dysbiosis? The effect of intestinal dysbiosis on the progression of various diseases is currently lacking in both human and veterinary medicine. Ethos Discovery now asks if there is a difference in metabolites produced, when comparing dogs with intestinal dysbiosis and those without.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

•  Healthy dogs that do not have diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms
• Dogs must not currently be on any medications

PARTICIPATING HOSPITALS

• Veterinary Specialty Hospital – North County