The Dog Oral Microbiome: Gateway to Whole-Body Health

This article explores the science behind your dog’s oral microbiome, the bidirectional gut-oral axis, and evidence-based nutritional strategies that support oral health from the inside out.

Dog Oral Microbiome: The Gateway to Whole-Body Health

The Impact of Your Dog’s Oral Microbiome on Their General Health


“Your dog’s mouth is home to over 350 bacterial species—80% of which are unique to canines. This invisible ecosystem doesn’t just determine whether your dog has fresh breath; it directly influences heart, kidney, and liver health through mechanisms science is only now beginning to understand.”


Summary

The canine oral microbiome represents one of the most complex and consequential microbial ecosystems in your dog’s body. Unlike the human mouth, which shares only 16.4% of bacterial species with dogs, your dog’s oral cavity hosts a distinct community of over 350 identified bacterial taxa spanning 14 phyla.[1] This microbial community plays far more than a supporting role in dental health—it serves as a gateway to systemic wellness, with direct pathways linking oral bacteria to heart, kidney, and liver function.

Research demonstrates that periodontal disease affects approximately 80% of dogs by age three, making it the most common health condition in veterinary medicine.[2,3] Yet the implications extend far beyond tooth loss and bad breath. Studies show that for each square centimetre of periodontal disease burden, there is a 1.4-times higher likelihood of pathological changes in the heart and kidneys.[4] Understanding this oral-systemic connection transforms how we approach canine dental care—from reactive treatment to proactive, whole-body health management.

This article explores the science behind your dog’s oral microbiome, the bidirectional gut-oral axis, and evidence-based nutritional strategies that support oral health from the inside out. For a deeper understanding of how gut health influences oral conditions, see our comprehensive guide to The Gut-Oral Axis in Dogs.


Key Takeaways

  • 353+ bacterial taxa: Your dog’s mouth hosts over 350 identified bacterial species across 14 phyla, with 80% being unique to canines and unnamed in scientific literature.[1]
  • Distinct oral niches: The oral cavity contains three discrete microbial environments—supragingival plaque (highest diversity), soft tissue surfaces, and saliva—each with unique bacterial compositions.[5]
  • 80% prevalence by age 3: Periodontal disease is the most common health condition in dogs, with prevalence increasing to over 96% in dogs aged 12-14 years.[2,3]
  • Systemic health connections: Periodontal disease significantly increases risk of kidney, liver, and heart pathology through bacteraemia and chronic inflammation.[4,6,7]
  • Bidirectional gut-oral axis: Oral bacteria continuously seed the gut through swallowing (0.75-1.5L saliva daily), while gut health influences oral immune responses.[8]
  • Polymicrobial disease model: Periodontal disease results from community-wide ecological shifts rather than infection by single pathogens, with Porphyromonas species playing key roles.[9,10]
  • Diet influences composition: Fresh food diets and specific nutrients support healthier oral microbiome balance compared to highly processed alternatives.[11]
  • Gut health supports oral health: Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics modulate systemic inflammation and immune function, indirectly benefiting the oral environment.[12,13]

Introduction: Why Your Dog’s Mouth Matters

If you’ve ever recoiled from your dog’s breath or noticed a brownish build-up on their teeth, you’ve witnessed the visible signs of oral microbiome activity. But what you see—and smell—represents only a fraction of what’s happening in your dog’s mouth. Beneath the surface, an invisible world of hundreds of bacterial species is engaged in constant activity that influences far more than dental health alone.

The mouth serves as the entry point to the digestive system and, through continuous swallowing, acts as a direct conduit to the gut. Dogs produce and swallow approximately 0.75 to 1.5 litres of saliva daily, continuously delivering oral bacteria and their metabolic products to the gastrointestinal tract. This oral-gut connection means that what happens in your dog’s mouth doesn’t stay in their mouth—it influences gut microbiome composition, immune function, and systemic inflammation.

Perhaps more concerning is the direct pathway between diseased gums and vital organs. When periodontal disease damages gum tissue, bacteria gain direct access to the bloodstream. Research has documented the presence of oral bacteria in the heart, kidneys, and liver of dogs with periodontal disease, establishing clear connections between oral health and systemic wellbeing.[4,6,7]

Understanding your dog’s oral microbiome opens new possibilities for supporting their health. Rather than viewing dental care as separate from whole-body wellness, emerging science reveals the mouth as a critical gateway—one that deserves attention not just when problems become visible, but as part of ongoing preventive care. This understanding aligns with the gut microbiome’s central role in canine health—because oral and gut health are fundamentally connected.


Understanding the Canine Oral Microbiome

What Lives in Your Dog’s Mouth

The canine oral microbiome is remarkably complex. Landmark research by Dewhirst and colleagues identified 353 distinct bacterial taxa from analysis of nearly 6,000 16S rRNA gene sequences, placing these organisms across 14 bacterial phyla, 23 classes, 37 orders, 66 families, and 148 genera.[1] Strikingly, approximately 80% of these taxa remain formally unnamed in scientific literature, highlighting how much remains to be discovered about this microbial ecosystem.

The dominant bacterial phyla in the healthy canine mouth include Bacteroidetes (approximately 60% of sequences), Proteobacteria (21%), Firmicutes (11%), Fusobacteria (5%), and Spirochaetes (2%).[14] The genus Porphyromonas dominates the oral cavity, accounting for nearly 40% of all sequences in healthy dogs—a proportion that shifts dramatically during disease states.

Importantly, the bacterial communities in dogs are markedly different from those in humans. Based on a 98.5% 16S rRNA sequence similarity cutoff, only 16.4% of oral taxa are shared between dogs and humans.[1] This species-specificity has important implications: it means that bacterial identification based on phenotypic similarities to human bacteria is generally invalid, and that research findings from human oral microbiome studies cannot be directly applied to canines without canine-specific validation.

Distinct Oral Niches

The oral cavity is not a uniform environment. Research profiling different niches within the canine mouth has revealed three discrete microbial communities: hard tissue surfaces (supragingival plaque), soft tissue surfaces (buccal and tongue dorsum mucosa), and saliva.[5]

Supragingival plaque harbours the highest bacterial diversity and shows the largest number of significant differences in individual taxa compared to other oral niches. This is the biofilm that forms on tooth surfaces and, when allowed to accumulate, calcifies into tartar.

Soft tissue surfaces (buccal mucosa and tongue) host similar bacterial communities to each other but differ substantially from plaque. The genus Curtobacterium predominates on the inner pinna and axilla, while Corynebacterium and Streptococcus are found in varying abundances across different soft tissue sites.[15]

Saliva exhibits the highest variability in microbial composition between individual dogs, yet paradoxically shows the lowest overall bacterial diversity. This variability means that saliva-based microbiome assessments may not accurately represent the oral microbiome as a whole.[5]

Factors That Shape Oral Microbiome Composition

Multiple factors influence the composition of your dog’s oral microbiome, some modifiable and others inherent to the individual. Understanding these factors helps identify opportunities for positive intervention.

Diet: What your dog eats significantly shapes their oral bacterial communities. Research has demonstrated that diet composition influences plaque microbiome, with fresh food diets associated with different bacterial profiles compared to highly processed alternatives.[11]

Age: The oral microbiome changes throughout life. Periodontal disease prevalence increases dramatically with age—from approximately 44% in younger dogs to over 96% in dogs aged 12-14 years.[3]

Breed and skull conformation: Small breeds and brachycephalic dogs show higher predisposition to periodontal disease due to tooth crowding and altered oral anatomy.[2]

Cohabitation: Dogs living together have more similar oral bacterial profiles than dogs living separately, suggesting environmental sharing of oral microbiota.[15]

Systemic health: Conditions affecting immune function can alter oral microbiome balance, creating vulnerability to dysbiosis and periodontal disease.


When Things Go Wrong: Periodontal Disease and Dysbiosis

Prevalence and Risk Factors

Periodontal disease represents the most common clinical condition diagnosed in dogs, with prevalence estimates ranging from 44% to over 90% depending on age and diagnostic criteria.[2,3] A recent VetCompass study identified dental disease as having the highest overall welfare impact score among common dog disorders, driven by high prevalence, long duration, and moderate severity.[2]

The disease begins with formation of a pellicle—a saliva-derived layer of glycoproteins coating tooth surfaces—followed by bacterial adherence and biofilm (dental plaque) formation.[16] When plaque remains undisturbed, it calcifies into tartar and bacteria infiltrate the subgingival space, producing metabolites including ammonia and volatile sulphur compounds (causing halitosis) alongside bacterial endotoxins and proteolytic enzymes that trigger inflammatory responses.

Risk factors include small body size, brachycephalic or dolichocephalic skull conformation, advanced age, wet food diets (which adhere to teeth more readily than dry food), poor oral hygiene, and underlying conditions affecting immune function.[2,3]

The Shift from Health to Disease

Periodontal disease development involves community-wide ecological shifts rather than infection by a single pathogen. Research examining microbiome changes during disease progression found that a group of aerobic Gram-negative species, including Bergeyella zoohelcum, Moraxella species, and Neisseria shayeganii, decreased in proportion as teeth progressed to mild periodontitis.[9]

Studies comparing healthy dogs to those with periodontal disease show distinct microbiome clustering, with disease characterised by significant increases in Bacteroidetes and reductions in Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria.[10] Porphyromonas abundance increases 2.7 times in periodontal disease, accompanied by increases in Bacteroides and Fusobacterium.

This pattern—characterised by reduction in health-associated taxa rather than simply an increase in pathogens—suggests that maintaining diversity and supporting beneficial bacteria may be as important as targeting harmful species. It’s a concept that parallels our understanding of the gut microbiome, where diversity is similarly protective.

Key Periodontal Pathogens

While periodontal disease is polymicrobial, certain species play particularly important roles:

Porphyromonas gulae: The canine equivalent of human Porphyromonas gingivalis, this species is strongly associated with periodontal disease progression and has been linked to cardiovascular changes in affected dogs.[17]

Tannerella forsythia: A member of the ‘red complex’ of periodontal pathogens, associated with severe tissue destruction.

Fusobacterium species: These bacteria increase in periodontal disease and are involved in biofilm formation and tissue invasion.[10]

Treponema species: Spirochaetes that penetrate gingival tissues and contribute to disease progression.


The Oral-Systemic Connection

The relationship between periodontal disease and systemic health represents one of the most clinically significant aspects of oral microbiome science. Bacteria and their toxins can spread via the bloodstream from dental plaque, alongside inflammatory mediators produced against periodontal bacterial aggression, leading to renal, hepatic, and cardiac consequences.[4,6]

Heart Health

Research by Glickman and colleagues demonstrated a significant association between periodontal disease severity and risk of endocarditis and other cardiovascular events in dogs.[7] For each square centimetre of periodontal disease burden, there was a 1.43-times higher likelihood of pathological changes in the left atrioventricular valves.[4]

The mechanisms involve both direct bacterial invasion (bacteria entering the bloodstream through damaged gum tissue and colonising heart valves) and chronic inflammatory burden. Type C Porphyromonas gulae has been found prevalent in dogs with mitral regurgitation, suggesting a potential link between specific periodontal pathogens and cardiac disease.[17]

Kidney Health

A positive relationship exists between periodontal disease and azotemic chronic kidney disease in dogs.[6] Bacteria demonstrate affinity for renal endothelium, leading to impaired filtration capacity and glomerulonephritis through immune complex deposition. For each square centimetre of periodontal disease burden, there was a 1.42-times higher likelihood of greater kidney pathology.[4] Pyelonephritis and interstitial nephritis may also result from periodontal disease-driven bacteraemia and toxaemia.

Liver Health

Hepatic degeneration, steatosis, and intrahepatic abscesses have been described and associated with periodontitis in dogs. Research found a 1.21-times higher likelihood of greater liver pathology for each square centimetre of periodontal disease burden.[4] The liver responds to chronic oral infection by producing acute-phase proteins, and treatment of periodontal infection results in decreases in these inflammatory markers.[18]


The Gut-Oral Axis: Bidirectional Communication

Beyond direct bloodstream pathways, the oral microbiome communicates with the gut through continuous bacterial seeding and immune system modulation. This bidirectional relationship—the gut-oral axis—represents an emerging frontier in understanding whole-body health. For comprehensive coverage of this topic, see our article on The Gut-Oral Axis in Dogs.

Oral-to-Gut Pathway

Every swallow transports oral bacteria to the gastrointestinal tract. With dogs producing 0.75-1.5 litres of saliva daily, this represents continuous microbial seeding of the gut.[8] Research increasingly demonstrates that dysbiosis of the oral microbiota can alter gut microbial composition, potentially contributing to inflammatory bowel conditions and even intestinal malignancies.

Oral pathogens that survive transit through the acidic stomach can colonise the intestine and disrupt existing microbiome balance. This explains why periodontal disease is associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal conditions—oral pathogens are literally being introduced to the gut continuously.

Gut-to-Oral Pathway

Communication also flows from gut to mouth. The intestinal microbiome influences systemic immune function, and this immune modulation affects how the oral environment responds to bacterial challenges.[12,13] A healthy gut microbiome promotes balanced immune responses, helping prevent the excessive inflammation that characterises periodontal disease.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut bacteria through fibre fermentation provide systemic anti-inflammatory benefits that may help protect oral tissues. This connection underscores why supporting gut health through appropriate nutrition may benefit oral health—and vice versa. Learn more about this connection in our Gut-Organ Axes overview.


How to Support Your Dog’s Oral Microbiome

How to Support Your Dog’s Oral Microbiome: 6 Evidence-Based Steps
Supporting a healthy oral microbiome requires a multi-faceted approach combining mechanical plaque removal, nutritional support, and attention to gut health. Here is an evidence-based protocol for optimising your dog’s oral microbiome:

  1. Establish regular mechanical cleaning.

    Daily tooth brushing with canine-specific toothpaste remains the gold standard for plaque removal. Even two to three times weekly provides significant benefit. Never use human toothpaste, as fluoride is toxic to dogs.

  2. Support gut health.

    Since up to 70-80% of immune function originates in the gut, supporting intestinal health with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics strengthens systemic immune responses that protect oral tissues.

  3. Choose appropriate nutrition.

    Feed a diet rich in whole-food ingredients, adequate fibre for SCFA production, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Fresh food diets show different oral microbiome profiles compared to highly processed alternatives.

  4. Consider targeted supplements.

    Ingredients such as brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) have been clinically proven to reduce oral plaque and improve gum health. Herbs including echinacea, sage, and chamomile support oral tissue health.

  5. Schedule regular veterinary dental assessments.

    Professional examination can identify subgingival disease not visible to the naked eye. Since 40% of dental disease occurs below the gumline, visual inspection alone is insufficient.

  6. Address underlying conditions.

    Allergies, immune dysfunction, and metabolic conditions can compromise oral defences. Working with your veterinarian to manage these conditions supports oral microbiome balance.


Nutritional Strategies for Oral Health

While mechanical cleaning addresses plaque directly, nutrition supports oral health from the inside out through multiple mechanisms:

Prebiotic fibres: Fermentable fibres support beneficial gut bacteria that produce anti-inflammatory SCFAs, benefiting oral tissues through systemic immune modulation.[12]

Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria support gut barrier integrity and immune balance. While oral-specific probiotics are an emerging area, gut probiotics contribute to overall immune competence that supports oral defence mechanisms.[13]

Postbiotics: Metabolic by-products of probiotic fermentation provide direct anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating benefits without requiring live organisms.

Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA support resolution of inflammation and may benefit periodontal tissue healing.

Antioxidants: Compounds including vitamin E, vitamin C, and polyphenols help manage oxidative stress associated with chronic oral inflammation.

Brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum): Clinically proven to reduce oral plaque and improve gum and teeth health in dogs.[19]


Frequently Asked Questions – Dog Oral Microbiome

Is bad breath in dogs normal?

While a mild odour may be normal, persistent bad breath (halitosis) typically indicates oral microbiome imbalance or periodontal disease. The smell results from volatile sulphur compounds and ammonia produced by bacteria in plaque. If your dog’s breath is noticeably offensive, a veterinary dental examination is warranted.

How often should I brush my dog’s teeth?

Daily brushing is ideal and provides the most effective plaque control. However, even two to three times weekly offers significant benefit compared to no brushing. Consistency matters more than perfection—establishing a regular routine, even if less frequent than daily, supports oral health.

Can diet alone prevent periodontal disease?

Diet plays an important supporting role but cannot replace mechanical plaque removal. Appropriate nutrition supports gut health and systemic immunity, which indirectly benefits oral health, and certain ingredients (like brown seaweed) have direct plaque-reducing effects. However, the most effective approach combines nutritional support with regular brushing and veterinary dental care.

Why are small dogs more prone to dental disease?

Small breeds have proportionally smaller jaws with teeth that crowd together, creating more surfaces for plaque accumulation and making cleaning more difficult. They also have less bone mass anchoring each tooth, making tooth loss from periodontitis more likely. Additionally, toy breeds may be more prone to retained deciduous (baby) teeth, which further complicates oral hygiene.

Is periodontal disease reversible?

Gingivitis (stage 1) is the only truly reversible stage. Once periodontitis develops with attachment loss and bone destruction (stages 2-4), the damage cannot be reversed, only managed to prevent further progression. This underscores the importance of early intervention and preventive care.

Can oral bacteria really affect my dog’s heart and kidneys?

Yes. Research has documented clear associations between periodontal disease severity and pathological changes in the heart, kidneys, and liver. Bacteria enter the bloodstream through damaged gum tissue (bacteraemia) and can colonise distant organs. Additionally, chronic oral inflammation contributes to systemic inflammatory burden affecting multiple organ systems.

How do probiotics help oral health if they’re in the gut?

Gut probiotics support oral health indirectly through immune system modulation. Since approximately 70-80% of immune function originates in the gut, a healthy gut microbiome promotes balanced immune responses throughout the body, including the oral cavity. This helps prevent the excessive inflammation characteristic of periodontal disease.

Are dental treats effective for oral health?

Dental treats approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) have demonstrated some effectiveness in reducing plaque and tartar accumulation. However, they are adjunctive measures, not replacements for brushing and professional dental care. Treats work primarily through mechanical abrasion and cannot reach subgingival areas where significant disease develops.

How does the oral microbiome differ between dogs and humans?

Canine and human oral microbiomes are remarkably different, sharing only about 16% of bacterial species. Dogs have their own unique bacterial taxa—80% of which are unnamed—and different dominant species. This means that human oral health products and research findings cannot be directly applied to dogs without species-specific validation.

At what age should I start caring for my dog’s oral health?

Start as early as possible. You can begin acclimatising puppies to tooth brushing from 8 weeks of age, though gentle, positive introduction is key. Establishing oral care routines early, before periodontal disease develops, offers the best opportunity for lifelong oral health.


Conclusion

Your dog’s oral microbiome represents far more than the source of their breath quality. This complex ecosystem of over 350 bacterial species serves as a gateway to whole-body health, with direct connections to the gut through continuous swallowing and to vital organs through the bloodstream when periodontal disease compromises gum tissue integrity.

The science is clear: periodontal disease is not merely a cosmetic or comfort issue—it significantly increases risk of heart, kidney, and liver pathology. Yet this same research points toward solutions. Understanding the gut-oral axis reveals that supporting gut health through appropriate nutrition may benefit oral health, while maintaining oral health protects the gut from continuous pathogen seeding.

The most effective approach combines regular mechanical plaque removal, appropriate nutrition supporting both gut and oral microbiome health, and professional veterinary dental care. By viewing oral health as integral to whole-body wellness rather than a separate concern, we can better support our dogs’ health and longevity from every angle.


Supporting Your Dog’s Skin Microbiome: The Bonza Approach

At Bonza, we recognise that oral health cannot be separated from whole-body health. Our approach addresses the mouth-gut connection through multiple complementary strategies:

Bonza Superfoods and Ancient Grains includes brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), clinically proven to reduce oral plaque and improve gum health. Our formula also contains echinacea, sage, and chamomileherbs traditionally used to support oral tissue health and particularly effective against gingivitis. Beyond these direct oral health ingredients, our prebiotic fibres (MOS and FOS), probiotics (Calsporin®), and postbiotics (TruPet®) work synergistically to support the gut microbiome, strengthening the immune foundation that protects oral tissues from inflammatory disease.

Bonza Biotics Bioactive Bites provides intensive microbiome support for dogs needing additional help restoring gut-oral axis balance. The combination of next-generation prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics supports systemic immune function while omega-3 fatty acids from algal sources provide anti-inflammatory benefits for oral and whole-body health.

Our philosophy—‘One Gut. Whole Dog.’—recognises that the gut microbiome serves as command centre for health throughout the body, including the oral cavity. By supporting gut health with science-backed nutrition, we help create the immune and inflammatory environment in which oral tissues can thrive. Combined with appropriate dental care, this inside-out approach offers the most comprehensive strategy for maintaining your dog’s oral—and whole-body—health.


References

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  2. O’Neill DG, et al. Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. J Small Anim Pract. 2021;62(12):1083-1094. doi:10.1111/jsap.13405
  3. Marshall MD, Wallis CV, Milella L, Colyer A, Tweedie AD, Harris S. A longitudinal assessment of periodontal disease in 52 miniature schnauzers. BMC Vet Res. 2014;10:166. doi:10.1186/1746-6148-10-166
  4. Pavlica Z, Petelin M, Juntes P, Erzen D, Crossley DA, Skaleric U. Periodontal disease burden and pathological changes in organs of dogs. J Vet Dent. 2008;25(2):97-105. doi:10.1177/089875640802500210
  5. Ruparell, Avika et al. “The canine oral microbiome: variation in bacterial populations across different niches.” BMC microbiology vol. 20,1 42. 28 Feb. 2020, doi:10.1186/s12866-020-1704-3
  6. Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Moore GE, Lund EM, Lantz GC, Pressler BM. Association between chronic azotemic kidney disease and the severity of periodontal disease in dogs. Prev Vet Med. 2011;99(2-4):193-200. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2011.01.011
  7. Glickman LT, Glickman NW, Moore GE, Goldstein GS, Lewis HB. Evaluation of the risk of endocarditis and other cardiovascular events on the basis of the severity of periodontal disease in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2009;234(4):486-494. doi:10.2460/javma.234.4.486
  8. Atarashi K, Suda W, Luo C, et al. Ectopic colonization of oral bacteria in the intestine drives TH1 cell induction and inflammation. Science. 2017;358(6361):359-365. doi:10.1126/science.aan4526
  9. Davis IJ, Wallis C, Deusch O, et al. A cross-sectional survey of bacterial species in plaque from client owned dogs with healthy gingiva, gingivitis or mild periodontitis. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e83158. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083158
  10. Santibáñez R, Rodríguez-Salas C, Flores-Yáñez C, Garrido D, Thomson P. Assessment of Changes in the Oral Microbiome That Occur in Dogs with Periodontal Disease. Vet Sci. 2021 Nov 27;8(12):291. doi: 10.3390/vetsci8120291. PMID: 34941818; PMCID: PMC8707289.
  11. Pilla R, Suchodolski JS. The gut microbiome of dogs and cats, and the influence of diet. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2021;51(3):605-621. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.01.002
  12. Schmitz S, Suchodolski J. Understanding the canine intestinal microbiota and its modification by pro-, pre- and synbiotics – what is the evidence? Vet Med Sci. 2016;2(2):71-94. doi:10.1002/vms3.17
  13. Yang, Q.; Wu, Z. Gut Probiotics and Health of Dogs and Cats: Benefits, Applications, and Underlying Mechanisms. Microorganisms 202311, 2452. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102452
  14. Sturgeon A, Stull JW, Costa MC, Weese JS. Metagenomic analysis of the canine oral cavity as revealed by high-throughput pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Vet Microbiol. 2013;162(2-4):891-898. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.11.018
  15. Štempelová L, Micenková L, Andrla P and Strompfová V (2025) The skin microbiome on healthy and inflammatory altered canine skin determined by next generation sequencing. Front. Microbiol. 16:1528747. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1528747
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Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as veterinary advice. The information provided should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition in your dog. Always consult with a qualified veterinarian before making changes to your dog’s diet or healthcare regimen, particularly if your dog has existing health conditions or is taking medication.


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