PREVALENCE OF PORPHYROMONAS AND PREVOTELLA SPECIES IN THE DENTAL PLAQUE OF DOGS

The prevalence and populations of Porphyromonas and Prevotella species were determined in three samples of dental plaque from each of 34 hea lthy dogs, Porphyromonas gingivalis was present in 68 per cent of the dogs and 47 per cent of the plaque samples, The counts of P gingivalis increased with age (P<0.1), the amount of plaque (P<0.05) and the deg ree of gingivitis (P<0.1), Prevotella intermedia was present in 44 per cent of the dogs and 23 per cent of the plaque samples, The counts of P intermedia were correlated with the amount of plaque (P<0.05) and t he degree of gingivitis (P<0.1). Porphyromonas canoris, P salivosa, P cangingivalis, P cansulci, P crevioricanis and Prevotella denticola we re isolated from only 9, 6, 3, 3, 3 and 3 per cent of the dogs, respec tively, Porphyromonas gingivicanis was not isolated from any of the an imals sampled, There was a highly significant (P<0.001) correlation be tween the amount of plaque, the extent of gingivitis and the age of th e dog.