Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the oral microbial composition of the donkey and whether basic dental treatment, such as dental floating, would make a difference to the oral microbial environment in donkeys with dental diseases using high-throughput bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Oral swab samples were collected from 14 donkeys with various dental abnormalities on day 0 (before treatment) and day 20 (twenty days after treatment). It is the first report focusing on the oral microbiome in donkeys with dental diseases and the impact of common dental procedures thereon. Identified in group Day 0 and group Day 20, respectively, were 60,439.6 and 58,579.1 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Several taxa in Day 0 differed significantly from Day 20 at the phylum and genus levels, but no statistically significant difference was observed in richness and diversity of Day 0 and Day 20. The results also indicated that a larger-scale study focusing on healthy donkey oral microbiome, as well as the correlation of dental diseases and oral microbiomes at different time frames following more specific and consistent dental treatment, are warranted.
Highlights
IntroductionThe incidence of severe dental diseases such as diastema, overgrown teeth and periodontal diseases is high, [2] yet little attention has been paid to those conditions, and it is a common problem that most of donkeys do not receive dental examinations and preventative treatments regularly, either due to economic reasons or ignorance of dental care [3]
Dental disease is a large welfare concern in donkeys [1]
The incidence of severe dental diseases such as diastema, overgrown teeth and periodontal diseases is high, [2] yet little attention has been paid to those conditions, and it is a common problem that most of donkeys do not receive dental examinations and preventative treatments regularly, either due to economic reasons or ignorance of dental care [3]
Summary
The incidence of severe dental diseases such as diastema, overgrown teeth and periodontal diseases is high, [2] yet little attention has been paid to those conditions, and it is a common problem that most of donkeys do not receive dental examinations and preventative treatments regularly, either due to economic reasons or ignorance of dental care [3]. Donkeys are usually very stoic and good at hiding their discomfort, thereby eliminating clinical signs, even with severe dental diseases. As a result, their dental abnormalities are usually undiagnosed, causing severe pain, weight loss or even colic, until declining health leads to further examination and discovery of the dental disease [8]. There have been many studies conducted to investigate equine oral microbiome and what kinds of bacteria predominate or are associated with periodontal diseases in horses [8,9]; no report has focused on the donkey oral microbiome
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