• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Dog Bacteria Could Possibly Reduce the Risk of Obesity in Owners

September 28, 2016
Jenina Pellegren

A paper published in the Journal of Probiotics & Health says, the tendency for dog owners to be slender could also be due to beneficial dog bacteria that works to up-regulate oxytocin, lowering the risk of obesity.

There are many benefits to owning and interacting with dogs, including better psychological health. In fact, research suggests that survival as a species is due, in part, to the close, symbiotic relationship between human and dog. Dog ownership has also been associated with physical well-being, including a leaner and more fit body; this may be attributed to dog walking and other obvious physical activities owners engage in throughout the duration of ownership.

However, study authors, in a paper published in the Journal of Probiotics & Health say that the tendency for dog owners to be slender could also be due to beneficial dog bacteria that works to up-regulate oxytocin, thus, lowering the risk of obesity. The researchers say, “The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin is pivotal in the canine-human bond, with studies showing that humans experience higher levels of oxytocin during interactions with pet dogs. Importantly, oxytocin has also been convincingly linked with protection from obesity.”

In the study, DNA collected from the saliva of eight pet dogs were isolated and measured for Lactobacillus. The experiment sought to explore the role of dog bacteria in weight gain or weight loss of cohabitating animals. Saliva was chosen specifically because the gesture of licking spreads oral cavity microbes onto people’s skin. The researchers sought to determine if dogs could possibly harbor microbes similar to L. reuteri ATCC 6475 bacteria found in human milk that was found to up-regulate oxytocin when fed to mice. The theory is that through cohabitation, the microbes in the dog saliva could be imparted onto human beings and, in turn, possess weight loss benefits.

Isolating Lactobacillus to mimic canine-human contact, they fed the purified microbe to a group of test mice. The researchers found, after feeding the mice L. reuteri daily for nine months, that the mice had significantly lower body weights than the controlled animals.

Advertisement

The researchers concluded that, “the data builds upon earlier studies in mice showing that L. reuteri ATCC6475 from human breast milk lowers body weight and up-regulates oxytocin levels in blood. We found that bacteria isolated from dog saliva, L. reuteri 2546, may regulate inflammation and host body weight involving mechanisms of oxytocin, raising interesting evolutionary cohabitation questions and therapeutic possibilities. The discovery that sterile microbial products also achieve similar benefits paves the way for novel therapeutics for good health.” Additionally, the researchers found that sterile extracts of microbes possess fewer health risks for people with compromised immune systems.

The study points out that similar weight loss has occurred in obese individuals who consumed purified L.rhamnosus. There have also been studies that show microbe-induced oxytocin to modulate immunity by inducing a return to health after injury at a more rapid rate.

However, researchers also noted that although, “bacteria in dog saliva, or microbiota from other pet or farm animals, may have beneficial properties, caution is warranted involving zoonotic organisms that readily transmit diseases between species.” This means that strategies to maximize the benefits of bacteria exposure while also lowering and even limiting the risk of zoonotic diseases must also be considered in future research.


Advertisement

Latest News

3 Must-reads from Fetch Charlotte 2023

A practical approach to a fever of unknown origin

Bridge Club aims to bring groomers and veterinarians together

ABVS approves full recognition for shelter medicine practice

View More Latest News
Advertisement