Bacteriological study of the liver in dogs

This study aimed to confirm the possible presence of bacteria in the liver of healthy dogs. Laparotomy was performed in 20 animals admitted for routine abdominal surgery. To be selected for the study, dogs had to be healthy adults without clinical liver disease, signs of infection or macroscopic liver abnormalities. Biopsy samples were histologically and bacteriologically examined. Bacteriological analysis was negative for the livers of eight of the dogs. The remaining animals harboured a diverse bacterial flora in their liver. Twelve bacterial species were identified. Histology showed that the livers of 19 dogs had minor or no abnormalities, and only one animal had interstitial fibrosis and trabecular disarrangement. Histological changes were not related to the presence of bacteria. Thus the results showed that the liver of healthy dogs may harbour different bacterial species. These microorganisms did not cause any detectable manifestation of disease, despite being potential pathogens.