Recent literature data indicate that canine and feline neonates are not born in a sterile environment as it was stated previously. The acquisition, colonisation and maintenance of the early life microbiota of healthy fetuses is a rapidly developing research area. In humans, the natural healthy infant microbiome plays an essential role in health and its assembly is determined by the maternal-offspring exchanges of microbes. Even though this topic is becoming more and more important in dogs and cats, the exact role of the neonatal microbiome is not yet fully known in animals. This review summarises the current knowledge of the normal physiological neonatal microbiome in healthy puppies and kittens.
Keywords: birth; kittens; microbiome; neonatology; puppies.