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Learn more about Microbiome Testing

Overview

The microbiome is vital to physiological homoeostasis in cats and dogs – influencing health and disease status. Beyond providing immunological assistance, the gut microbiome may also influence other physiological systems by competing for essential nutrients or digesting complex molecules to produce substrates for energy metabolism and cell signaling. Abnormalities in the GI microbiota can therefore also cause subtle but chronic effects, which can materialize into a range of metabolic and inflammatory diseases – especially chronic enteropathies.

Microbiome Diversity

The composition of microbiome along the GI tract is influenced by age, diet, and many other environmental factors, however one of the defining features of a clinically healthy GI microbiome is diversity of species. Changes and imbalances in the microbiota, due to disease, lifestyle, or medications (e.g. antibiotics), affect its ability to perform the functions required.

Scientific research reveals that shifts in the specific bacterial and fungal species can contribute to diseases. Assessing the GI microbiota diversity as a clinical tool can assist by providing the necessary information for detecting susceptibility, providing diagnosis, and aiding the timely treatment of GI diseases.

The GI Microbiome Panel offers a complete look at the composition of the gut microbiota along with richness and evenness scores. When available, the relationship to a clinically normal reference group is provided.

NGS vs Cultures

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a molecular based method that can sequence and detect the DNA of ALL microbes in a sample, without having to culture (grow) any of these organisms in a laboratory first. NGS is considered the gold standard for the detection and identification of microorganisms.

Traditional culture methods can only detect < 1% of all microorganisms, and most panels are targeted at certain pathogens- making educated guesses necessary. The NGS technology utilized by MiDog avoids these limitations, allowing for comprehensive detection of the bacteria and fungi, faster results, and no more “no growth” reports.

	GI Microbiome Panel*	Culture Testing	PCR Testing
Diagnosis of ALL bacterial and fungal pathogens	YES	Only those that can grow in a lab	Limited to target panels
Antibiotic Resistance Profiling	YES	Only those that can grow in a lab	Limited to target panels
Pathogen Quantification	YES	Only those that can grow in a lab	Limited to target panels
Incubation/Growth Independent	YES	no	YES
Ambient Shipping/Storage Temp	YES	no	NO
Microbiome Profiling	YES	no	YES

Importance of Antibiotic Resistances

The development and spread of antibiotic resistance results from antibiotic use, as well as intrinsic resistance exhibited by some pathogenic microorganisms. It is a growing concern for both humans and animals.

The GI Microbiome Panel can detect >46 acquired antibiotic resistance genes and reports intrinsic resistance of all microorganisms identified. By reporting both acquired and intrinsic antibiotic resistance, the panel helps guide veterinarians to choose the most appropriate antibiotic treatment, ultimately guiding good antibiotic stewardship.

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