Linking Acute Chronic Diarrhea to Changes in the Gut Microbiome and Disease

Some studies indicate that patients diagnosed with chronic intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), have a history of acute diarrhea that coincide with changes in the makeup of their gut microbes. Researchers will investigate the impact of acute diarrhea on microbes that reside in the gut of dogs and how these episodes disrupt the gut’s equilibrium and contribute to any long-lasting impact on gut health. The team will compare the gut microbial composition, as well as the small molecules they produce, in fecal samples from dogs with acute and chronic diarrhea and in healthy dogs. Findings may help identify new potential targets for treatment of episodes of acute diarrhea and may also point to solutions linked to chronic intestinal diseases, such as IBD.