2015 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

The fecal microbiome of coyotes was composed predominately by bacteria belonging to phyla Bacteroidetes (median 36.5%), Firmicutes (31.7%), Fusobacteria. (31.7%) and Proteobacteria (1.0%). The most common classes identified included Bacteroidia (36.5%), Fusobacteria (31.7%), Clostridia (20.7%), and Erysipelotrichi (1.4%). At the family level, Fusobacteriaceae (31.7%), Bacteroidaceae, (28.2%), Paraprevotellaceae (8.2%), Lachnospiraceae (5.7%) and Erysipelotrichaceae (1.4%) were the most common bacterial groups identified. Bacteria belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes (36.5% versus 15.0%; P < 0.0458), Fusobacteria (31.7% vs. 4.3%; P < 0.0009), and Proteobacteria (1.0% vs. 0.0%; P < 0.0003) were significantly more frequently identified in coyotes than in healthy pet dogs samples. The higher proportions of these phyla in the coyotes samples was mostly due to significantly increased proportions of the families Bacteroidacea (36.5% vs. 15.1%; P < 0.04) and Fusobacteriaceae (31.7% vs. 4.3%; P < 0.009). Within Proteobacteria, class Betaproteobacteria and class Gammaproteobacteria were significantly more present in samples from coyotes. The families Paraprevotellaceae, Prevotellaceae, Odoribacteraceae, and S24-7 of the phylum Bacterioidetes, as well as, Alcaligenaceae and Enterobacteriaceae of the phylum Proteobacteria, were significantly increased in coyotes samples. Fecal samples from healthy pet dogs showed higher proportions of bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes (78.4% vs. 31.7%; P < 0.0009), influenced by significantly increased proportions of bacteria of the classes Clostridia (58.9% vs. 20.7%; P < 0.0004) and Erysipelotrichi (6.8% vs. 1.4%; P < 0.001). Consequently, there were significant higher proportions of the families Turicibacteraceae, Clostridiaceae and Lachnospiraceae. The Shannon diversity index (5.31 vs. 4.49), the Chao1 metric average, and number of observed species (median 1242 vs. 1042) were not significantly different between dogs and coyotes. Principal coordinate analysis plots showed significant clustering between samples from healthy pet dogs and coyotes.