• Review current methods available for microbiota assessment and discuss the major limitations of each method.

• Review some important concepts to adequately interpret microbiota studies, with a focus on next-generation sequencing.

• Recognize the importance of gut microbiota to immune regulation.

• Recognize the gut microbiome as a metabolic organ.

• Review how dietary macronutrients affect gut microbiota composition.

• Discuss how dietary components modulate microbial metabolism.

• Review commonly used fiber ingredients.

• Recognize differences between soluble and insoluble fibers.

• Discuss the contributions of the gut microbiota to extra-intestinal disease.

• Review data about gut microbiota in obesity.

• Discuss how microbiota may affect the urinary tract.

• Understand the mechanism of probiotics.

• Review clinical data about the use of probiotics for intestinal disorders.

• Discuss the contributions of major enteropathogens to intestinal disorders.

• Review how enteropathogens are regulated by microbial metabolites.

• Discuss the contributions of gut dysbiosis to clinical signs in dogs with food-responsive enteropathies (FRE).

• Review potential risk factors for the development of FRE.

• Review recent data about the need for antibiotics in acute diarrhea.

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of antibiotic use for the treatment of chronic enteropathies.

• Discuss the use of fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of dysbiosis.

• Review data about microbial metabolites as potential treatment of intestinal inflammation.

• Review the main limitations and most common mistakes observed in microbiota studies.

• Discuss good practices essential to successfully perform microbiota studies.