Age-related gut microbiota profiling in senior dogs

This study characterizes the gut microbiota composition in senior companion dogs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The research integrates behavioral, cognitive, immunological, and microbiota assessments to identify candidate markers for distinguishing healthy from pathological aging in dogs. All dogs included exhibited chronic pain despite absence of clinically diagnosed systemic disease. Fecal samples were analyzed via 16S rRNA V3-V4 region sequencing to profile gut microbiota composition and explore relationships between microbial communities, pain status, immune profiles , and neurotrophic factors (BDNF).