Characterization of naturally developing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in 16 German shepherd dogs
Willard, M.D.; Simpson, R.B.; Fossum, T.W.; Cohen, N.D.; Delles, E.K.; Kolp, D.L.; Carey, D.P.; Reinhart, G.A.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 204(8): 1201-1206
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 8014087 Document Number: 435490
Sixteen German Shepherd dogs were found, via quantitative microbial culture of intestinal fluid samples, to have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (IBO) over an 11-month period. All dogs were deficient in serum IgA. Consistent clinical signs suggestive of an alimentary tract disorder were not observed. Serum cobalamin determinations were not helpful in detecting IBO. Serum folate concentrations had variable sensitivity and specificity of detecting dogs from which we could culture gtoreq 1 times 10-5 bacteria/ml from intestinal fluid samples in the nonfed state. Histological and intestinal mucosal cytologic examinations were not useful in detecting IBO. Substantial within-dog and between-dog variation was found in the numbers and species of bacteria in the intestines. The difficulty in diagnosing IBO, the variability in organisms found in individual dogs on repeated sampling, the likelihood that intestinal fluid microbial cultures failed to diagnose IBO in some dogs, and the potential of IBO to be clinically inapparent were the most important findings in this study.