An unexpected bacterial flora in the proximal small intestine of normal cats
Johnston, K.; Lamport, A.; Batt, R.M.
Veterinary Record 132(14): 362-363
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 8488644 Document Number: 408312
As a prelude to exploring potential relationships between intestinal bacteria and clinical disease in cats, this study aimed to characterize the bacterial flora in the proximal small intestine of 7 female, clinically healthy short-hair cats aged between 2 and 4 years and fed a commercial canned diet. Samples of duodenal fluid obtained from the anaesthetized cats via the biopsy channel of an endoscope tube were cultured. Total bacterial counts ranged from 2.2 x 105 to 1.6 x 108 colony forming units per ml (cfu/ml) of duodenal fluid with anaerobic counts between 7.5 x 104 and 1.1 x 108 cfu/ml. The most commonly isolated anaerobes were Bacteroides, Eubacterium and Fusobacterium, while Pasteurella species were the most common aerobes. All samples were negative for Giardia and Campylobacter species. The results suggest that cats can coexist with large numbers of bacteria in the small intestine; the anaerobic flora present in these cats would be considered to be a bacterial overgrowth with potentially deleterious consequences in other species of monogastric animal. It is suggested that individual variations in this flora could make a major contribution to the individual requirements for specific nutrients and that it is possible that diet could modify the flora and thus alter requirements for nutrients.