Research into the gut microbiome of dogs and cats is revealing important connections between gut health, behaviour, mental wellbeing, and overall welfare in companion animals.
Understanding the gut microbiome has opened new perspectives on companion animal health and welfare that go beyond traditional disease management. A healthy, diverse microbiome supports immune function, mental health through the gut-brain axis, and appropriate inflammatory responses. Factors that disrupt microbiome health — including high-carbohydrate diets, unnecessary antibiotic courses, and chronic stress — can have lasting welfare impacts. The growing understanding that gut health affects behaviour and mental wellbeing adds a new dimension to companion animal welfare assessment. While microbiome science is still evolving in companion animals, dietary strategies that support microbiome diversity and judicious antibiotic stewardship are already sound welfare practice.