Harmful Bacteria Detected

Not necessarily. Many potentially harmful bacteria can be found at low levels in healthy pets without causing disease. Your pet's results show harmful bacteria present at higher-than-expected levels, which may disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome. These results should always be interpreted alongside your pet's symptoms, medical history, and your veterinarian's evaluation.

1. There are several reasons why harmful bacteria may become more abundant in your pet's microbiome.

One common cause is a course of antibiotics. While antibiotics are often necessary to treat bacterial infections, they can also reduce many of the beneficial bacteria that normally help keep harmful bacteria in check. This creates an opportunity for harmful bacteria to grow. Some harmful bacteria are also naturally more resistant to certain antibiotics, allowing them to survive and become more abundant during and after treatment.

Harmful bacteria can also be introduced through your pet's environment, such as by drinking contaminated water, eating feces, hunting prey, scavenging, or coming into contact with contaminated soil or other animals.

In many cases, elevated levels of harmful bacteria are the result of multiple factors rather than a single cause.

There is a wide spectrum of symptoms often seen in pets with elevated levels of harmful bacteria. Many have episodes of soft stool or diarrhea; others experience red, itchy skin flare ups; some may not have any symptoms at all. 

The microbiome is just one part of your pet's overall health, and many other factors, including diet, medications, stress, food sensitivities, parasites, and underlying health conditions, can influence both the severity of your pet's symptoms as well as their microbiome results.

Especially if your pet’s symptoms are frequent and/or severe, we recommend speaking with one of our Microbiome Health Advisors and your veterinarian. They can help determine what level of microbiome support is appropriate for your pet's care.

Not necessarily. While this is a conversation to be had with your veterinarian, typically these kinds of bacterial overgrowths can be addressed without antibiotics. Antibiotics are very effective at treating bacterial infections when they are needed, but they can also reduce many of the beneficial bacteria that help keep the gut microbiome balanced.

For many microbiome imbalances, alternatives such as prebiotics, probiotics, and microbiome-targeted therapies may be appropriate to reduce harmful bacteria by supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria. As these beneficial bacteria become more established, they naturally compete with harmful bacteria for nutrients and space, helping restore balance without broadly disrupting the microbiome.

We recommend having your pet evaluated by your veterinarian, especially if their symptoms are frequent and/or severe. Your veterinarian can determine whether antibiotics are necessary and, if so, select the most appropriate antibiotic based on your pet's condition.

Yes! Many pets with similar microbiome results are able to restore balance over time. How quickly this happens depends on your pet’s health status, the underlying cause of the harmful bacteria overgrowth, and the steps taken to restore balance. It may take longer for older pets or those with chronic health conditions to achieve microbiome balance. 

Restoring balance typically involves both reducing the levels of harmful bacteria and encouraging beneficial bacteria to grow. Together, these changes help rebuild a healthier, more resilient microbiome.

Every pet is different, and it can be difficult to predict the amount of time required. Response timelines vary based on your pet’s overall health status, age, and microbiome composition.

With comprehensive support, many pets show meaningful improvement within a few weeks, while others may take several months. Addressing underlying health conditions, minimizing antibiotic use, and supporting the microbiome with an appropriate diet and supplements can all help promote recovery.

We recommend retesting your pet's microbiome in 2-3 months to determine whether the intervention(s) you've implemented are effective at supporting your pet's microbiome health.