Professor Texas A&M University College Station, Texas, United States
Abstract: Background - The fecal microbiota and its derived metabolites such as secondary bile acids are important for intestinal health and are often altered in chronic enteropathies. The feline dysbiosis index (fDI), a qPCR-based assay, is a reproducible test developed to evaluate shifts in intestinal microbiota of cats with CE and after antibiotic administration. Little is known about variation of the microbiota and bile acid (BA) metabolism in healthy cats over time. Hypothesis/Objectives - The aim of this study was to evaluate temporal variations in the fDI and unconjugated BA in fecal samples of healthy cats. Animals - 16 healthy pet cats. Methods - Naturally passed fecal samples from each cat were collected at least at 4 time points over two months, while additional fecal samples from 3 cats were collected between 9-34 times over the same period. The fDI was assessed by qPCR. Fecal unconjugated BAs were measured by mass-spectrometry. Friedman tests were used to compare the DI and BAs across time points.
Results: Results of DI (P=.497), total BA (p=0.645), and percentage of primary BA (P=.432) measured at TP 2, 3, and 4 did not differ from baseline. Although fDI and BA composition fluctuated in some cats, all evaluated parameters remained within the established reference intervals at all time points. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The fDI and BAs appear to be stable in healthy pet cats, as all parameters evaluated across time points over 2 months were within the respective reference intervals.
