Why It Matters
In a healthy gut, thousands of different kinds of microorganisms make up a diverse, balanced community. But when there arenāt enough beneficial microbes or there are too many harmful ones, some of the communityās important functions stop working. This can lead to an imbalance that may cause your pet to develop uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhea or itchy skin. This kind of disruption in the gut microbiome can be caused by a variety of factors, including disease, age, diet, and medicationsāespecially antibiotics.
Imbalanced Gut Microbiome
Balanced Gut Microbiome
Do Antibiotics Harm Your Dogās Gut Microbiome?
In some situations, these powerful medications are a necessary and even life-saving treatment, but antibiotics (likeĀ metronidazole) can make radical, long-term changes to your petās gut microbiome. Thatās because antibiotics kill a lot of beneficial bacteria along with the harmful ones theyāre meant to target. But if your pet needs a course of antibiotics, thereās still a lot you can do toĀ support their gut healthduring and after treatment.
How Can I Know Whatās Going On in My Petās Gut Microbiome?
Gut microbiome testing is a great way to learn the status of your petās gut health and whether their diet is supporting the right microorganisms. With our easy, at-home test, a tiny poop sample will tell you whatās really going on with the bacteria living in your petās digestive system. And if an imbalanced community of bacteria in the gut microbiome is causing symptoms like diarrhea or itchy skin, we can help you restore balance among the gut bacteria. Rebalancing your petās gut microbiome can be highly effective in reducing or eliminating symptoms.
How Is Diet Involved in My Petās Gut Health?
Diet is one of the best and most important ways to manage your petās gut microbiome. When you feed your pet, youāre really feeding their billions of gut bacteria, so what you feed your pet affects which kinds of bacteria thrive and multiply in their gut. By feeding a diet that supports the beneficial kinds of bacteria and discourages the harmful kinds, you can help your pet live a healthier, happier life.
What Can Probiotics Do for My Pet's Gut Health?
Probiotic supplements contain living, beneficial bacteria. but often these supplements only include a handful of bacterial strains. Even in probiotics intended specifically for pets, the vast majority of the probiotic strains are not native to cats and dogs. These probiotic products may temporarily improve some symptoms, but the microorganisms they contain wonāt become permanent residents of your petās gut, so they are fundamentally unable to correct an imbalance.