Low Diversity

Diversity is one of the hallmarks of a healthy, balanced microbiome. Different groups of bacteria each play unique roles in supporting your pet's health. They work together to aid digestion, support the immune system, promote healthy skin, and protect against harmful bacteria. A diverse microbiome is also more resilient, making it better able to adapt to changes and maintain its natural balance.

Low diversity means the gut microbiome has a reduced variety of beneficial bacteria.This often occurs when one group of bacteria becomes too abundant, leaving less room for other beneficial microbes to thrive. As a result, the microbiome may be less effective at performing its many important functions, making it more difficult to maintain a balanced gut microbiome. This in turn can negatively impact your pet’s overall health.

There are many potential factors that can cause your pet’s microbiome to lose diversity. Sometimes the reason is simple, such as probiotics from food or treats that weren't stopped before collecting the sample. 

Other common causes include medication (especially antibiotics), chronic gastrointestinal disease, food sensitivities, and other underlying health conditions. In some cases, this type of imbalance can also occur in pets that eat feces.

Some pets may also be more prone to microbiome imbalances. For example, pets born by cesarean section, or those that received antibiotics while their microbiome was still developing, may start life with a less diverse gut microbiome.

In many cases, there is no single cause. Instead, several factors work together to disrupt the microbiome and make it more difficult to maintain a healthy balance.

Yes. Many pets with a severely disrupted microbiome are able to restore balance and diversity 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. Recovery involves not only restoring beneficial bacteria, but also supporting the healing of the gut lining and rebuilding a healthy gut environment.

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 improve your pet's overall health and quality of life.

There is a wide spectrum of symptoms seen in pets whose microbiomes are dominated by a single group of bacteria. Most experience ongoing issues with stool consistency and regularity, and it is also common for them to have red itchy skin, appetite fluctuations, and low energy levels. 

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

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

Every pet is different. The time it takes to restore a healthy microbiome depends on the pet’s health status, the severity of the imbalance, and the steps taken to support recovery.

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 to the microbiome. FMT transfers a complete and balanced community of beneficial bacteria from a healthy pet donor into your pet’s gut, helping restore 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 to determine whether the intervention(s) you've implemented are effectively supporting your pet's microbiome.