🫏🪥🦷Have you ever heard that in humans poor dental care can lead to cardiovascular disease? We've known for a long time that oral health is linked to the health of other crucial organs. Although we don't fully understand how this works in all species, scientists believe that dental health could be important for overall health in many animals, and they are working to uncover exactly how.
In this post, we continue our series diving into a recent study: 'Investigation of Oral Microbiome in Donkeys and the Effect of Dental Care on Oral Microbial Composition' by Yiping Zhu, Wuyan Jiang, Reed Holyoak, Bo Liu, and Jing Li.
Previously, BRAY highlighted the need for regular dental care, like floating teeth, and the importance of feeding your donkeys straw to ensure they chew on forage longer for proper tooth wear. Today we discuss why the study was done, what the study found, what is an oral microbiome, and the success of the study.
Why the Study Was Done:
- Dental problems in donkeys are often overlooked. This study aimed to explore the oral microbial composition (oral microbiome) of donkeys and whether basic dental treatments like dental floating would impact these tiny organisms.
What Is an Oral Microbiome?
- An oral microbiome is the community of microorganisms, primarily bacteria, that live in the mouth and play a vital role in oral health. We know that in humans Oral dysbiosis, an imbalance of oral microbiome, is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This includes heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. We suspect that in donkeys a balanced microbiome helps prevent dental diseases; changes in the oral microbiome can impact overall health.
What the Study Found Before and After Floating:
- While there were no major changes in the overall richness and diversity of oral bacteria, notable shifts were observed at the genus level.
- Common bacteria like Gemella and Streptococcus were present, with some changes in their abundance after treatment.
- This study provided crucial insights into the donkey oral microbiome and highlighted the need for further research.
Study Success:
- The study successfully gathered important data on the donkey oral microbiome, underscoring the importance of dental care and paving the way for future research to improve donkey health.
In practical terms, this means that monitoring the oral microbiome could become a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying potential health issues in donkeys. Regular dental care, such as dental floating, could help maintain a healthy oral microbiome, potentially reducing the risk of certain diseases.
Let's continue to support our long-eared friends and raise awareness about the importance of donkey dental health! 🫏🪥🦷
