Enterococcus Faecalis in Dogs

Enterococcus Faecalis is one of the many species of bacterium that populates a healthy dog's gastrointestinal tract. Some strains of E. faecalis are probiotics (beneficial bacteria) and can increase health and immune functioning. Other E. faecalis strains can cause life-threatening infections, especially when they become antibiotic-resistant. These are primarily a concern when there is a risk that a zoonotic infection will be passed from dog to human.

  1. Types

    • Enterococcus Faecalis is a versatile and contradictory class of bacteria. It is both used in food as a probiotic for humans, livestock and dogs alike and notorious for quickly becoming resistant to antibiotics. E. Faecalis naturally inhabits the large intestine of most mammals, including humans and dogs and is also found in soil and plants.

    Benefits

    • Some strains of E. Faecalis are used as a feed additive for livestock because it improves resistance to infections and illness. A 2003 study published in the The American Society for Nutritional Sciences showed that E. Faecalis improved specific immune functions when administered to young puppies. Another study has shown that it can combat nutropenic infections in dogs by increasing white blood cells. It is also used as a probiotic for human use.

    Considerations

    • E. Faecalis has proved to be adept at quickly becoming resistant to many commonly used antibiotics and is a frequent culprit in post-surgical hospital infections. Since dogs can be unaffected carriers of E. Faecalis, people can also become carriers, which may put them at risk of contracting antibiotic-resistant infections should they become ill or be admitted to the hospital.

    Warning

    • Antibiotic-resistant E. Faecalis may be transmitted from a dog to a human via a bite by a dog undergoing antibiotic treatment.

    Misconceptions

    • While dogs are carriers of E. Faecalis and can transmit zoonotic bacterial disease to humans, they are rarely affected by it. E. Faecalis has been found in elevated numbers along with many other bacteria in dogs with diarrhea, but it is not clear whether this is a cause of the diarrhea, or a response to it.