Imbalance Detected

Animal Biome maintains a reference database of hundreds of healthy pets, allowing us to compare your pet's microbiome to the bacterial communities typically observed in healthy pets. Based on our understanding of feline and canine gut microbiomes, your pet's results suggest that multiple bacterial groups are outside the normal range for what is typical for a healthy pet.

When a pet’s microbiome differs significantly from what is typically seen in healthy pets, it can reduce the stability of the microbiome, making it more vulnerable to challenges and changes. This degree of imbalance can also affect the microbiome’s ability to support healthy digestion and immune function for your pet.

There are many possible factors that can cause your pet’s microbiome results to show an imbalance. Common causes include food sensitivities, medications (especially antibiotics), an illness or underlying health condition, and stress. Occasionally, this type of imbalance is also seen in pets that eat poop from other animals - either their own or that of other animals. In many cases, there's no single cause, and multiple factors contribute to changes in the microbiome.

There is a wide spectrum of symptoms observed in pets with a similar imbalance. Many have episodes of soft stool or diarrhea, especially in response to sudden dietary changes or stressful events. Others have much more persistent and severe gastrointestinal and skin problems. 

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 their symptoms and 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 if other factors may be contributing and what level of microbiome support is appropriate for your pet’s care.

Yes! Many pets with similar microbiome results are able to restore balance over time. How quickly this happens depends on the pet’s health status, the underlying cause of the microbiome imbalance, and the steps taken to address it.

For older pets or those with chronic health conditions, returning to completely healthy ranges may be more difficult. However, meaningful improvements in the microbiome are still possible and can help support your pet’s overall health and quality of life.

Every pet is different. 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.

For pets with very severe microbiome imbalances, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is often one of the most effective ways to restore balance. FMT transfers a complete and balanced community of beneficial bacteria from a healthy pet donor into your pet’s gut, with the goal of restoring the gut microbiome. FMT can be performed by your veterinarian using an enema, or administered at home using Animal Biome Gut Restore oral capsules.

We recommend retesting your pet’s microbiome in 2 to 3 months, or sooner if they take antibiotics. Retesting can help you monitor changes over time and determine whether the interventions you've implemented are effective at supporting your pet's microbiome health.