A dog is the best friend not only of man himself, but also of his microbiota!

Owning a dog can have a surprisingly beneficial effect on the human microbiota and immunity, especially in the context of growing and developing children, the elderly and the psychophysical health of each caregiver.

The Canis Familiaris (domestic dog), as we're referring to it, is the result of the domestication of its wild cousin, Canis Lupus (gray wolf), which occurred approximately 20,000-40,000 years ago. Today, it's hard to imagine life without these wonderful furry creatures, and their service and dedication to humanity is astonishing. Working in uniformed services, detecting illnesses (!) such as impending epileptic seizures, dangerously high glucose levels, or cancer, as well as assisting in the healing process of trauma, are skills worthy of true admiration.

If everything that surrounds us and with which we come into contact is reflected in our microbiota, what does our human-dog relationship look like through its eyes?

Increasing microbiota diversity (a highly desirable process)! How does this happen?

• dogs bring microorganisms into the house from outside (from their fur, paws, saliva),
• Thanks to this, humans experience and learn about new microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, allergens) that colonize the skin and respiratory system,
• Children who grow up with dogs have a more diverse intestinal microbiota, which is definitely beneficial for health and promotes proper development
• in homes with dogs, children are less likely to develop allergic diseases and have a lower risk of certain diseases (e.g. asthma, eczema, atopy),
• staying with a dog during the prenatal period and later in infancy promotes the development of beneficial intestinal bacteria, e.g. Ruminococcus and Oscillospira, which persist regardless of the type of delivery (natural vs. CS),
• contact with an animal may have a beneficial effect on reducing the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and in the light of some reports, dog owners have lower levels of inflammatory markers in the blood,

What about other benefits that deserve attention?

• Walking your dog means more physical activity, which directly impacts your mental and physical health and improves brain function. This point is especially important for seniors!
• development of social contacts. Dog lovers are a social group that can form relationships incredibly quickly and motivate each other to be active, even in unfavorable weather (we know something about this),
• Reducing stress levels through neural modulation. Contact with a dog increases oxytocin, which has protective, anti-inflammatory, and, as every mother probably knows, pain-relieving effects.

To sum up:

We have dogs in our team, and from here I'd like to extend my warmest wishes to them on their special day. Milka and Cookie – lots of lovely walks with your little one, crunchy treats, and hands to pet. Thank you for all the above!

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Sources:

Panzer AR, Sitarik AR, Fadrosh D, Havstad SL, Jones K, Davidson B, Finazzo S, Wegienka GR, Woodcroft K, Lukacs NW, Levin AM, Ownby DR, Johnson CC, Lynch SV, Zoratti EM. The impact of prenatal dog keeping on infant gut microbiota development. Clin Exp Allergy. 2023 Aug;53(8):833-845. doi: 10.1111/cea.14303. Epub 2023 Mar 14. PMID: 36916778; PMCID: PMC11163251.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0313078

Arboleya, S., Binetti, A., Salazar, N., Fernández, N., Solís, G., Hernandez-Barranco, A., … & Gueimonde, M. (2012). Establishment and development of intestinal microbiota in preterm neonates. FEMS microbiology ecology, 79(3), 763-772.