ArticleAnimal microbiome2025
Idiopathic epilepsy in dogs is associated with dysbiotic faecal microbiota.
Article in Animal microbiome, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Gut microbiome alterations in canine idiopathic epilepsy: a pairwise case-control study.Animal microbiome · 2026Article
- Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy as a Natural Animal Model for Human Epilepsy: A Scoping Review Highlighting Metabolic Perspectives Beyond the Brain.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Gut Microbiome Alterations in Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy: A Pairwise Case-Control Study.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- The Collaborative Collapse: Bile Acid Dysmetabolism as a Central Pathogenic Driver in Canine and Feline Multi-Systemic Disorders-From Mechanisms to Precision Therapeutics.Veterinary sciences · 2026Review
- Nutraceuticals, Social Interaction, and Psychophysiological Influence on Pet Health and Well-Being: Focus on Dogs and Cats.Veterinary sciences · 2025Review
- The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs.Scientific reports · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe gut microbiota plays a crucial role in modulating various physiological and pathological processes through its metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which impact immune system development, gastrointestinal health, and brain functions via the gut-brain axis. Dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota composition, has been linked to neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions, including epilepsy. In dogs, idiopathic epilepsy has been hypothesized to be influenced by gut microbiota composition, although studies on this association are limited and show inconsistent results. Here, we compared the faecal microbiota of idiopathic epileptic drug-naïve dogs and healthy controls. To this aim, we recruited 19 idiopathic epileptic dogs and 17 healthy controls which met stringent inclusion criteria and characterized their faecal microbiome by 16 S rRNA sequencing.
resultsNo significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age, breed, body condition score, diet, or reproductive status, though males were significantly overrepresented in the idiopathic epileptic group. Epileptic dogs showed a marked reduction in bacterial richness and a trend towards lower evenness (α-diversity) compared to healthy controls, while no differences in community composition (β-diversity) were observed between the two groups. Moreover, a decrease in SCFA-producing bacteria, namely Faecalibacterium, Prevotella, and Blautia, was observed alongside an increase in Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacteroides in epileptic dogs.
conclusionsIdiopathic epileptic dogs exhibit dysbiosis, with reduced bacterial diversity, loss of beneficial genera, and overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens. These alterations in microbiota diversity and composition may contribute to epilepsy via the gut-brain axis, highlighting the need for further research to explore dietary or probiotic interventions targeting gut microbiota modulation as adjunctive therapies for managing epilepsy in dogs.
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