The gut microbiome significantly affects companion animal health, behavior, and welfare, with diet and management choices influencing microbiome composition.
Gut microbiome health is an emerging dimension of companion animal welfare that connects diet, stress, antibiotic use, and overall health and behavior. Animals with healthy, diverse gut microbiomes have better immune function, less anxiety, and better behavioral outcomes. Dietary choices, antibiotic stewardship, and stress reduction all contribute to microbiome health and through it to overall animal welfare.