The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome of cats and dogs is increasingly recognized as a metabolically active organ inextricably linked to pet health Food serves as a substrate for the GI microbiome of cats and dogs and plays a significant role in defining the composition and metabolism of the GI microbiome The microbiome, in turn, facilitates the host’s nutrient digestion and the production of postbiotics, which are bacterially derived compounds that can influence pet health Consequently, pet owners have a role in shaping the microbiome of cats and dogs through the food they choose to provide Yet, a clear understanding of the impact these food choices have on the microbiome, and thus on the overall health of the pet, is lacking Pet foods are formulated to contain the typical nutritional building blocks of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but increasingly include microbiome-targeted ingredients, such as prebiotics and probiotics Each of these categories, as well as their relative proportions in food, can affect the composition and/or function of the microbiome Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary components may impact not only GI disease, but also allergies, oral health, weight management, diabetes, and kidney disease through changes in the GI microbiome Until recently, the focus of microbiome research was to characterize alterations in microbiome composition in disease states, while less research effort has been devoted to understanding how changes in nutrition can influence pet health by modifying the microbiome function This review summarizes the impact of pet food nutritional components on the composition and function of the microbiome and examines evidence for the role of nutrition in impacting host health through the microbiome in a variety of disease states Understanding how nutrition can modulate GI microbiome composition and function may reveal new avenues for enhancing the health and resilience of cats and dogs

/pdf/the-effects-of-nutrition-on-the-gastrointestinal-microbiome-35urn5u9az.pdf

The Effects of Nutrition on the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Cats and Dogs: Impact on Health and Disease.

Objectives To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for overweight status in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Materials and methods A retrospective study design was used to estimate the 1-year (2016) period prevalence of overweight status. The clinical records were randomly ordered and manually validated for dogs with overweight status during 2016. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to evaluate associations between risk factors (breed, brachycephalic status, adult bodyweight, bodyweight relative to breed-sex mean, age, sex-neuter and insurance) and overweight status. Results There were 1580 of 22,333 dogs identified as overweight during 2016. The estimated 1-year period prevalence for overweight status recorded in dogs under veterinary care was 7.1% (95% confidence interval 6.7-7.4). After accounting for confounding factors, eight breeds showed increased odds of overweight status compared with crossbred dogs. The breeds with the highest odds included the Pug (OR 3.12, 95% confidence interval 2.31 to 4.20), Beagle (OR 2.67, 1.75 to 4.08), Golden Retriever (OR 2.58, 1.79 to 3.74) and English Springer Spaniel (OR 1.98, 1.31 to 2.98). Being neutered, middle-aged and insured were additionally associated with overweight status. Clinical significance Targeted overweight prevention strategies should be prioritised for predisposed breeds, such as Pugs and Beagles. The findings additionally raise questions about further preventative efforts following neutering. The prevalence estimate suggests veterinary professionals are underreporting overweight status and therefore could be missing key welfare opportunities.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jsap.13325

Frequency, breed predisposition and demographic risk factors for overweight status in dogs in the UK.

Obesity is an emerging health problem in purebred dogs. Due to their crucial role in energy homeostasis control, genes encoding adipokines are considered candidate genes, and their variants may be associated with predisposition to obesity. Searching for polymorphism was carried out in three adipokine genes (TNF, RETN and IL6). The study was performed on 260 dogs, including lean (n = 109), overweight (n = 88) and obese (n = 63) dogs. The largest cohort was represented by Labrador Retrievers (n = 136). Altogether, 24 novel polymorphisms were identified: 12 in TNF (including one missense SNP), eight in RETN (including one missense SNP) and four in IL6. Distributions of five common SNPs (two in TNF, two in RETN and one in IL6) were further analyzed with regard to body condition score. Two SNPs in the non-coding parts of TNF (c.-40A>C and c.233+14G>A) were associated with obesity in Labrador dogs. The obtained results showed that the studied adipokine genes are highly polymorphic and two polymorphisms in the TNF gene may be considered as markers predisposing Labrador dogs to obesity.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/age.12390

Sequence analysis of three canine adipokine genes revealed an association between TNF polymorphisms and obesity in Labrador dogs

The domestication and urbanization of dogs and cats has dramatically altered their environment and behavior. Human and pet obesity is a global concern, particularly in developed countries. An increased incidence of chronic disease is associated with obesity secondary to low-grade systemic inflammation. This article reviews current research into the genetic, dietary, and physiologic factors associated with obesity, along with use of "omics" technology to better understand and characterize this disease.

Current Topics in Canine and Feline Obesity.

Melanocortin‐4 receptor (MC4R) gene plays a key role in the regulation of body weight and energy homeostasis. This study aims to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MC4R gene with live body weight and hormonal assays in two breeds of sheep that differ in productive performance, Awassi and Arabi. All known coding sequences of the MC4R gene were covered in this study. DNA samples from 150 animals (Awassi and Arabi breed) were genotyped by PCR‐single‐strand conformation polymorphism (PCR‐SSCP) to assess their pattern of genetic variation. Concerning exon 1, clear heterogeneity was detected with three different SSCP‐banding patterns. The sequencing reactions confirmed these variations by detecting the presence of the two novel SNPs, 107G/C and 138A/C, and three genotypes, GC, AC and AA. The 107G/C SNP was detected in GC genotype, while the 138A/C was detected on both GC and AC genotypes. The other SSCP‐banding pattern (AA genotype) did not show any detectable unique variation. Both SNPs were closely and strongly linked in both breeds (D' and r 2 values were 1.00), which signifies that both loci were co‐inherited as one unit. Association analysis indicated that both breeds with GC/AC haplotype showed higher live body weight (37.250 ± 0.790) relative to the GG/AA (30.244 ± 0.968) and CC/CC (47.231 ± 1.230) haplotypes (p   .05) with the measured traits. In conclusion, the two novel SNPs (107G/C and 138 A/C) were highly associated with live body weight in both breeds. Haplotype analysis confirmed that these two novel SNPs were in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) and could be used as genetic markers for sheep phenotypic trait improvement.

Two co-inherited novel SNPs in the MC4R gene related to live body weight and hormonal assays in Awassi and Arabi sheep breeds of Iraq.

Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), which is associated with inherited human obesity, is involoved in food intake and body weight of mammals. To study the relationships between MC4R gene polymorphism and body weight in Beagle dogs, we detected and compared the nucleotide sequence of the whole coding region and 3′- and 5′- flanking regions of the dog MC4R gene (1214 bp). In 120 Beagle dogs, two SNPs (A420C, C895T) were identiﬁed and their relation with body weight was analyzed with RFLP-PCR method. The results showed that the SNP at A420C was signiﬁcantly associated with canine body weight trait when it changed amino acid 101 of the MC4R protein from asparagine to threonine,while canine body weight variations were significant in female dogs when MC4R nonsense mutation at C895T. It suggested that the two SNPs might affect the MC4R gene’s function which was relative to body weight in Beagle dogs. Therefore, MC4R was a candidate gene for selecting different size dogs with the MC4R SNPs (A420C, C895T) being potentially valuable as a genetic marker.

/pdf/the-snps-of-melanocortin-4-receptor-mc4r-associated-with-16eg1gw1hy.pdf

The SNPs of Melanocortin 4 Receptor ( MC4R ) Associated with Body Weight in Beagle Dogs

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The SNPs of Melanocortin 4 Receptor ( MC4R ) Associated with Body Weight in Beagle Dogs